There comes a point in every leader’s career and every team’s development where “doing the do” just doesn’t cut it. Doing what you’ve always done will get you what you’ve always got. If that’s good enough for you, then read no further.
What I’m offering is a way to stop struggling, a way for you to do more by increasing your ability to get things done. It requires a shift in focus away from what you need to be towards who you are—the good and the not so good. This perspective offers you a paradigm-shattering opportunity—it reveals how to get more done by doing less, how to increase your influence and effectiveness by reducing your effort, and how to stop trying to improve and simply improve.
As you’ll see, the obstacles on the road to being a more courageous, authentic, influential, and effective leader or team are revealed by the BS you tell yourself and others. Acknowledging, addressing and finally integrating your BS, when done correctly, will fundamentally improve your performance and enrich your relationships, permanently. This translates to greater resilience, collaboration and productivity for your team.
For you, it also means better decisions and an upward track on your career path, if that’s what you want. Don’t be confused into thinking this quest is necessarily easy—all worthwhile adventures require effort. As is the case for almost all permanent and positive change, what I’m offering here will require you do things that the majority of people never consider, whether through ignorance or fear. But if you are among the bold and courageous, the frustrated and burnt out, or those simply looking for a better way to do just about everything, this paper is for you.
The benefits of this quest are best articulated by those who’ve committed to acknowledging, addressing and integrating the BS they tell themselves, both as individuals and as a team:
“The Executive Team moved towards a place of truth-telling and awareness of each other’s perspectives. Instead of being combative, we became more cohesive and collaborative, a tighter unit than we had ever been.”
MG, COO
“This process allowed me to find what I always knew was inside me. Becoming aware of my self-punishing personality traits (including my tendency to be self-righteous) was an incredible realisation. I can now let the detail go. I’ve not only improved my management style, but enriched many other relationships that are important to me.”
MM, Finance