Never underestimate the power of intention. 

My words of the year for 2022 were Discipline & Freedom.  A bit opposing and yet extremely useful in where I knew I needed to grow. I knew if I really wanted to stay honest with myself, I would need to rein in how I work, live and create disciplines so that I could scale and live life in a bigger, more meaningful way. By exercising these boundaries, I would also find freedom. And, it happened in a very big way! 

This year has seen some significant changes for our business – doubling our team size (from two to four) and implementing new systems and processes. I also got back into a true team development seat, ultimately practicing what I teach. 

Looking back, our business is literally unrecognizable from where we were one year ago.  

Here’s what I learned along the way. 

Leading and developing a team raises the bar for me and the business. 

My team inspires and pushes me to always do my best – to embrace courageous conversations and to imagine what is possible for our clients beyond what they see themselves. I no longer only think about me, my family or my impact with my clients. Shifting from two people to four has also shifted the focus. This is bigger than me now. I also now think about my team, their families,  and the potential we have together to impact the world.  We are all better because of each other.

I am reminded just how much you learn during the 6-month check-in (beyond the weekly 1:1’s).  

As a leader, it is essential to continue to be open, ask for feedback and how we can support the desires and growth of our team members.  What I learned from each check-in at the 6-month mark will allow us to continue to refine and accelerate for the next 6 months. Stop the day-to-day output and dedicate 60-minutes to ask, listen and apply ways to improve.  Here are the questions we used to prepare for our 6-month check-in. 

Role

What is your favorite part of your role? 

What is the most challenging part of your role? 

What could make your role better for you? 

Where do you see yourself being able to grow within the business? 

The Work | The Process of Our Work

Scale of 1-5, 5 being high, how would you rate how we get work done? 

What could we or I improve? 

How could we or I  improve? 

What has been a project / client work that has energized you the most in the last 6 months & why? 

Team

How do you feel the team is working together? 

Where could we improve how we get work done?

How could we improve our communication? 

How can we make the most of our meeting time? 

Leader

What do you need more of from me? 

What do you need less of from me? 

My value has changed.  

Earlier in my career, my manager asked me what I loved doing most – leading a team, being strategic or being in the room facilitating.  

My answer was a resounding being the facilitator in the room, leading the design of conversations that create those ah-ha moments. And, while that has certainly fueled me and the business, my value has needed to shift from being facilitator to business leader. 

Like many of the leaders we work with – the journey from manager/leader to strategic leadership is not always straight or easy.  This shift  has caused me to dig deep and imagine well beyond client engagements what is possible for our work, our mission and our impact in the world. 

We’re excited to share more in 2023 as we build out our new offerings! 

I’m curious:

What is unrecognizable in your business since last year? 

How have your Words of the Year supported you & your desire to grow? 

And, what are your leadership lessons from 2022? 

PS –  I will never be able to  completely stay away from facilitating – it really is where I learn the most about myself and our clients!