There’s a saying that leaders cast their shadow on the organization …
It refers to the Leadership Shadow Model developed by Goldman Sachs … A simple methodology based on the concept that leadership starts at the top and trickles down to every level of the organization.
If you’re like me and wholeheartedly believe leadership matters … then as leaders, how can we expect our organizations to grow and flourish if we’re not growing and flourishing ourselves?
When scaling a business it’s easy to get caught up in overdrive – working tirelessly to put people and processes into place but neglecting one of the most important pieces of success – YOU!
Building a business is just as much about personal transformation as it is about tools and tactics.
Just like all diets have success stories … All tools and tactics have success stories BUT the difference-maker is WHO is showing up.
Are they disciplined, intentional, consistent … Or are they ignorance on fire that eventually burns out?
Jim Rohn says “Don’t set out to make a million dollars for the million dollars, but who you must become to achieve it.”
Personal transformation is key for long term success. Much like starting and scaling a business, personal transformation takes time, and it happens in steps.
Some days it’s small steps. Others it’s huge leaps in the right direction.
And sometimes, it’s a step backwards …
Like anyone else building a business, when I’m in the thick of it juggling priorities and stuck in a reactive state dealing with elements outside of my control, it’s easy to lose sight of what I can control – myself and my state as a leader.
As a reminder, I hung a sign by my desk with a quote by Eckhart Tolle … “Get the inside right. The outside will fall into place.”
We don’t have complete control over external people and circumstances, but as leaders, we have 100% control over ourselves and those parts that trickle down to our teams – Like our attitude, behaviors & reactions, decisions, values, level of accountability, and priorities.
For me, when I find myself stuck in a reactive state and feeling like I’m at the mercy of everything around me instead of dictating how I’m spending my time and energy, the first thing I aim to do is create more structure.
While that might sound a bit counterintuitive, controlling our time, energy, and routines is a small step we can take to help show up in the best way possible for ourselves and our teams.
If we’re not used to it… structure might feel uncomfortable. Just like going to the gym, networking events, speaking on stage, or whatever it is that we don’t particularly enjoy but know deep down will benefit us when we push ourselves to do it.
Part of growth and self-mastery is getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
Rather than avoiding the things that make us uneasy or fearful we can choose to lean into them, working through the discomfort knowing it’s all part of the process.
Over time, consistency wins and small changes add up to BIG results – Big results that we can see directly reflected in the success of our people and our businesses.
Here’s to becoming who you need to be to achieve the success and lifestyle you want!
For Help Implementing Structure so that YOU Can Transform into a Successful Leader …
Staci Gray has over two decades of experience organizing real-world businesses to scale. She puts an emphasis on quickly collapsing the gap between ideas and profits by persistently executing for progress and results. Staci envisions a world where innovative leaders are no longer trapped by operational chaos and instead are empowered to efficiently and effectively solve real-world problems, impact real-people on a human level and generate profits quickly. Staci loves coming alongside mission-driven leaders who are using their ideas, influence and intellect to build successful businesses and empowering them to scale without losing their sanity, compromising their values, sacrificing their relationships, and drowning in operational chaos. Supporting leaders one business at a time!
