Showing Up

Did you ever consider how you’re showing up in your life and your business?  They’re connected, you know. 

A couple of weeks ago we talked about the ABC’s of Great Leadership.  How about the ABC’s of Having a Great Life and Business?  Authenticity, belief system and compassion are key components of living a fulfilled life and doing great work. 

Our lives begin in complete authenticity and freedom.  As children we make choices totally based on our own fulfillment.  And then the world happens to us, and we get conditioned to live based on other people’s choices for us.  It’s natural and has to happen to some degree to protect us and so that we can function in society.  At some point, though, we all have to reconnect with ourselves… rediscover ourselves… get back to the core of who we are and choose the beliefs that support the highest and best of ourselves.

I work with small business owners all the time who talk about potential – the business has potential, their staff has potential, this new idea has potential.  Reading between the lines of what isn’t being said, what I hear is “we could be successful if only…..”  I would be rich if only I could win the lottery Saturday night.  Does that kind of thinking help us confidently spring into action, or does it cause us to resist doing anything because we think we aren’t enough, don’t have enough and don’t believe enough to get it done? 

To be authentic and to show up that way, we need only to focus on now and recognize that we have everything we need at this moment to do what we can do today.  Then do it.  We are free to choose a belief system based our growing capacity instead of an “if only” potential mindset.  Show yourself some compassion – accept and love who you are.  You are the only person in the world who can do what you do in the way that you do it. 

When you can show up in your life and your business as the best YOU that you can be, the world will happen for you.

For a Big Impact on the Bottom Line, Invest in the Top

Climbing the corporate ladder usually results in good performers being promoted into management positions, or people striking out on their own.  In either case, people find themselves in charge of running the show and managing people without necessarily having the training or background to take on the new responsibilities effectively. 

Different skills are needed to motivate people, resolve conflict, translate strategies into action plans and evaluate performance.  These skills don’t come naturally to all people, nor are they developed quickly without guidance.  More and more companies are investing in executive coaching to shorten the learning curve and provide their key staff the tools they need to effectively transition into leadership positions.

When it comes to defining coaching, the International Coach Federation (ICF) states that coaching is about “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”   Coaches are trained to provide objectivity and accountability while building on individual and team strengths.  They provide resources in areas that need improvement.  In short, coaching promotes doing and doing impacts business results.

Studies conducted by leaders in organizational development have shown that companies realized significant improvements in productivity, organizational strength, bottom line profitability, customer service and quality, and reduced rates of staff turnover as results of executive coaching.  The value of coaching was considered far greater than the money and time invested.

Invest in your company’s leadership team and watch the bottom line grow!