What you could become, you should

You’ve made it all the way to December! Whether you are sprinting or stumbling towards the finish line of 2022, congratulations are in order.

As we are edging towards the new year – perhaps you are wishing the days away before you leave for holiday or maybe you are hoping you can get a few extra hours in a day to get everything done. Whatever your frame of mind, we would like to ask you to think about this question: “what could you be in 2023?”

Recently we were inspired by the absolute ballsyness (for the lack of a better word) of one of our clients. This leader is absolutely willing to face adversity and take some real scary chances in launching a groundbreaking new product.

We thought about what we could learn from this example and here are some reasons I think this is worth writing about this morning:

• His willingness to take the chance – just try! This is inspirational in itself because we are often so afraid that we talk ourselves out of what we could and should become.
• His genuine excitement was contagious (maybe it was nerves). Hearing him talk about what they were going to achieve and how this was only the beginning got me excited. Like “where do I sign up?”. I think this inspires such hope. It gives people so much to look forward to for the year to come.
• What I found interesting was that it wasn’t so much just his willingness to take the risk, but also the willingness to acknowledge that it is going to be hard and challenging. This makes him more trustworthy. I think people feel like they are being realistically set up for the challenge. It is authentic and realistically optimistic.
• He was also willing to acknowledge he doesn’t have all the kinks figured out yet – he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. This willingness to show the human side is key to having a team of people get behind you and your vision. We connect to people when they show their human side.
• But what I found most inspiring was the fact that he so publicly recognizes that he cannot achieve this vision without his team and partners. This shows vulnerability and courage, both crucial ingredients to being a good leader. It let’s people feel that they are an essential part of the success, which builds loyalty and brings out the best in people.

So, as we move toward the end of 2022 think about this:

1. Seriously consider the question: “If I gave it all I’ve got, who or what could I become?”
2. Once you have a clearer idea of your aim, expect it to be scary. Change and growth always is.
3. Choose to be more open to seeing opportunities and willing to take the necessary risks.
4. Be real. Talk to the people you trust about what you are experiencing and ask for help when you need it. Because you will need it.
5. Expect it to be hard but believe will be worth it.

There you go! This is what has been on our minds this week. As always, thank you for reading – please share with anyone that could benefit from what we’ve shared this week. Welcome to December, we genuinely hope you can end this year on a high!

At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.