The 10 things to double down on in 2023. Episode 2: Do The Work (Part 2: The Inner Work)

This is the hard work and the real work that makes everything you have (knowledge, experience and expertise) come to life and be useful to you and to others.

These are some of the pointers and questions you might want to consider:

1.      Is that really the best you can do?

• Doing my best is always scary to think about and reflect on. Am I really doing my best? It requires self-awareness and not being afraid of facing challenges, stepping up, and pushing yourself to the next level.

 2.      Are you serving or showing off?

• To serve is to give, articulate and express, to enable your people to see clearly and understand it from their perspective, for you to use their language, be sensitive to their needs, and see what is in it for them, all while not getting attached to the outcome. The opposite of that is showing off.
• I can not count the number of times I have seen consultants and leaders showing off how great they are and not landing space in the audience's hearts and minds. A total waste of time, energy and money
• The more mature you get, the more you practice asking yourself this question (of you and of others), the quicker you can tell who is serving and who is showing off. It will also help you catch yourself when you are going down that path 😊

 3.      How is your busyness level?

• Are you overly busy? Too many meetings? Do you have time to think? Reflect? Have you established healthy boundaries? Able to say "No" comfortably?
• Also, please do not engage in creating more busyness... Before inviting people to a meeting, can you skip the meeting? Do you really need it? If you do need it, have you set it up for success? Before discussing a problem, do you have a solution in mind? Before criticising the leader, try to step in their shoes first and get in their head and see with their eyes, then ask and seek to understand  

 4.      Are you waiting to be told?

• Whenever you find yourself waiting, list what exactly you are waiting for. Why are you waiting? If you knew, what would you do? Is there another source that you can leverage so you don't have to wait

 5.      Have you considered what your growth would look like? And is it aligned with the work you are doing?

• Your growth is your responsibility, and you either use it or lose it
• Do you have a plan for what your future looks like? What does good look like?
• I found many leaders and professionals not being intentional enough to make their careers and businesses work for THEM. Even if they know what good looks like... Yet, for some reason, they compromise and settle for good enough. All I know is that time is not on your side, and it is not on any ones' side.

 6.      How visible are you?

• No one can see how great you are if you are the world's best secret
• If you are hoping your work will do the selling for you, I hate to disappoint you, but it won't
• You have to make an effort to be visible and show up in a way that best serve you
• Be very mindful of what you say and how you present your case
• Show your essence, smile more, don't be too serious, and add fun and humour to your day-to-day. I have dealt with many leaders and professionals I can no longer remember because they were hiding behind the "being professional" mask to the point that I felt I was dealing with a robot. I find that being professional is used as an excuse to hide everything that makes you human and become a talking machine loaded with knowledge and facts.  
• People trust people that show who they are behind the role and title. Show more of you.

 7.      Who is your coach & mentor?  

• I wouldn't have been where I am today without the support of my coaches and mentors.
• Coaches and mentors help you expand beyond your limits, see your edges, and allow you to see perspectives and connect the dots differently.
• Many have asked me how I got to work in such big companies globally in a short period. I would be a liar if I said this is all my doing! My coaches and mentors helped me and guided me to see what I could not see for myself and helped me accelerate my growth. That is why I promised myself that I would do the same for others … and here I am!
• If you do not have a coach and a mentor and are solely focused on acquiring more skills and knowledge, you will limit yourself and possibly even slow your growth.

Skills and knowledge are ingredients. You might have great ingredients, but if you do not have mastery over the recipe, then the ingredients are a waste and a burden

 8.      How adaptable and open are you?

• The curse of knowing a lot is that you might be too attached to your opinions. It can also be a blessing to know a lot because the more you know, the more you realise you don't
• Not being able to adapt is one of the top reasons why leaders fail and lose their jobs.
• When was the last time you said: "I don't know, but I am curious to know what you think?" "I am sorry; I was wrong!" "Can you show me what I could be missing?"

 9.      How much are you investing in yourself?

• Your investment in your development indicates your awareness and that you are taking your growth seriously.
• Not just investing and growing in one area, but multiple areas… Areas that cover what we spoke of before (the job and the inner work)