Success is That Simple

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every New Year find you a better man or woman.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

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These timeless words from Benjamin Franklin resonate with our quest for self-empowerment and success.  As a small group recently gathered with world-renowned experts Jim Lutes and Jim Britt, a singular insight emerged that has left me pondering throughout the week that is also connected to our opening quote.  But before delving into this treasure trove of wisdom, let's briefly introduce these luminaries.

Jim Lutes is a world-renowned human performance expert, motivational speaker, human mind expert, and persuasion influence expert. 

Jim Britt is an international best-selling author, one of the world’s top 20 success coaches, former business partner with the late, great, Jim Rohn, where Tony Robbins worked under his direction for his seminal years in the seminar business. 

So you as you can imagine, we were all ears.

Self-aware versus Self-observant
Jim Britt emphasized a subtle yet powerful distinction between two fundamental states of being: Self-awareness and self-observance.

Self-awareness is akin to recognizing that you have a problem, while self-observance takes it a step further.  It empowers you to see yourself within that situation and evaluate whether it's propelling you closer to your goals or pulling you away.  This seemingly subtle shift in perspective can have profound implications for achieving success.

"Being self-aware," he said, "let's you know you have a problem.  Being self-observant let's you see yourself in that situation and answer whether it's taking you where you want to go or away from it." 

"That can be uncomfortable, but success is that simple," he concluded.

For example, I might be aware that my team's engagement scores are less than ideal.  I'm being self-observant when I pause and analyze my mindset, what I've done, and haven't done since the last engagement survey.  While it may be uncomfortable, as Britt said, but now, I can own what I control and be more motivated to take effective action.

Groundhog Day
The movie, Groundhog Day, vividly illustrates the concept of stagnant growth.  Like the protagonist played by Bill Murray in the film, some individuals may find themselves stuck in an endless loop, reliving the same year of their lives.

Leaders, too, can fall into this pattern, where the initial year of experience becomes a comfortable rut.  But herein lies the question:  Are you truly evolving as a leader year by year, or are you merely replaying the same chapter?

How would you know? 
Asking yourself whether your actions and environment align with your aspirations assumes several critical factors.  It presumes that you've defined your vision of success, articulated why it matters to you and those around you, and established values and principles to guide your journey.  Furthermore, it presupposes that you've set clear goals, creating a roadmap to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

This introspective lens reveals a compelling parallel between organizational and leadership effectiveness.  Just as organizations meticulously define success, values, and goals, leaders too can benefit from adopting a similar approach in their personal and professional development.

What you can lose.
If you haven't done this kind of deep, introspective work and committed to live and lead by it—if you're not getting stronger year over year—then it's only a matter of time until this begins to impact key aspects of your leadership.

Those who do not live and lead with purpose, values, and clearly defined goals and who don't leverage those with their team, risk losing or not achieving key metrics such as employee engagement, productivity, innovation, revenue and financials, wellbeing, retention, and most importantly, leadership effectiveness!

Where to start.
If you're eager to embark on a transformative leadership journey, my forthcoming program, The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program, is designed to help you unlock the profound impact of leading with and through meaning and purpose. 

By cultivating a thriving team culture rooted in shared mission, vision, and values, you can elevate your leadership effectiveness to new heights.

To learn more and secure pre-release discounts, feel free to reach out today!

Just click here:  Contact Alan

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Have an amazing journey today!

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Alan Mikolaj is a coach and leadership development consultant with 15+ years of experience.  He is passionate about helping leaders transform their leadership, their teams, and their organizations.  Impactful, professional approach driven by a passion for meaning and purpose, a growth mindset, and a commitment to excellence and service in order to drive change and results.

Alan maintains the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), including the standards regarding confidentiality.  You can learn more about them on the ICF website.

Transformational change starts with a conversation!
Alan is on a mission to partner with like-minded leaders who want to make a positive difference in the world.
Schedule your free, one-hour session by clicking here: Discovery Conversation with Alan
Or call or email me: Contact Page

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