Urgency Addiction
In my role as coach I tend to focus on reflection and insight. I help individuals and leaders gain perspective in their life so that they can rejuvenate their focus and energy. It is a shift away from urgency addiction. Renewed focus and energy ultimately leads to greater results. It is not about creating more goals and targets, but taking a pause and reevaluating the goals and targets. This kind of work is the most important work as it helps with efficacy re-calibration. The best definition that I have heard of efficacy is whether you know what it is that you have to do and do you have the power to get it done?
Being Busy is a Status Symbol that Destroys Well-being
For most of the time I deal with entrepreneurial leaders. Entrepreneurs are magicians of sort as they take nothing and turn it into gold — modern day alchemists. What I find however is that most entrepreneurs set off on their journey based on competence. It is competence to build a product or service and thereby solve a problem for a customer. Simple, but difficult.
There is always pressure to produce and sell in order to pay salaries, grow the product offering or expand the business. …Pressure to be busy and get things done by using their inherent competence. The competence thing last for as long as there is success. Once the entrepreneur hits a wall and no amount of competence can solve the problem is the time their leadership is truly being challenged for the first time. No amount of busyness can solve the problem. It might actually have caused it in the first place. He or she has been like a dog chasing its tale.
It might look very impressive, but it does not really go anywhere. When you ask people how they are doing and they say ‘very busy’, does that mean productive or simply distracted, unfocused and ineffective? Come on! Who are you trying to impress?!
A dog that chases its tale is very busy, but does not produce a result. Once the desired result isn’t there the entrepreneurial leader needs to refine their strategic foresight and regain inner control in order to influence and produce results.
If this transformation does not occur the lack of character development will eventually destroy the well-being of the leader, followers and business. If there is no preemptive work to stop the internal entropy it will lead to the eventual conclusion of disorder externally. A coach helps with this renewal and re-purposing process.
Purpose that Transcends Uncertainty
At some point there has to be a transformation where the entrepreneurial leader shifts their core from doing to being. We are human beings. First, be — be present; be alive; be powerful… Just be. It does not mean that your effectiveness decreases. Quite the opposite. Understanding your purpose that brings value in any role you take helps you understand that you need to slow down to speed up.
Working from this sense of purpose on a daily basis is spiritual intelligence. It is the certainty that you are here for a reason and that your awareness of life-long success brings patience, focus and peace. It is wise leadership and empowers you to let go of short term fear and focus on long-term purpose. It is being grounded in purpose to transcend uncertainty.
One of the most successful leadership developers of all time — Stephen Covey — also incorporated this into his work. This purpose that transcends uncertainty is developed by connecting with the divine. It is also some of the most cutting edge insights currently as the awareness of quantum physics signals the awareness of the reintegration of matter and spirit.
This is important for entrepreneurs to understand that letting go, becoming mindful and influencing from peace is key to success in the future. It is creating internal certainty from eternal purpose. Go from survive to alive!
Originally published at https://survivetoalive.com on July 3, 2019.
