What you must uncover this summer
There’s a little bit of magic that seems to happen when you get idle time, time out in nature or simply an activity alone. The doldrums of summer provide us the reflective space of vacations and we get sudden sparks of insight and new awareness while gardening, hiking or painting the fence. It’s these moments that can be critical to our next evolution.
Last summer, it was one of these moments where I realized a disconnect between the branding of Incito and the work I was doing with clients today vs. five years ago. This insight led me to an exploration into the next evolution of the Incito brand and the work we’ll be doing into the future. It led not only to a refinement of the company brand but also new perspectives on how we do business and my own professional development.
Evolution is growth
If we aren’t continually growing, developing and reinventing or evolving ourselves we start to stagnate. Now I’m not talking about changing who you are and I certainly haven’t over the last year, but I’ve received and listened to feedback, saw opportunities and took action over the year to push our limits further. This is how you continue to become an exceptional leader. You never arrive, it’s a constant journey.
This summer, I hope you’ll spend some of your reflective time exploring your next evolution. So, where to start?
Here are a few questions to get you pondering:
What are the niggling pieces of feedback you've received and not acted on?
What do you keep thinking about but haven't taken action on?
What are you keeping to yourself that you can ask someone for feedback about?
Opportunity for reflection
There is perhaps no quick answer to any of these questions. Pick one question to soak with as you head out on a hike, a motorcycle trip down the Oregon Coast, or to keep in the back of your mind in another summer adventure. Trust your subconscious to do the work for you and pay attention to the new awareness that comes forward. When it comes, do something about it!
Another opportunity is to explore completely new thinking with a book you’d never otherwise read. Here are a few that might get you thinking different:
Mindset by Carol Dweck
The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna
The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer
Why Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
Boundaries for Leaders by Henry Cloud
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I hope you give yourself the luxury of a break this summer and take one of these questions or books along with you for a new perspective. I promise you’ll uncover something about your next evolution.