Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a new challenge at work? Perhaps you were promoted to a leadership role for the first time. Perhaps you were asked to take on a project that you had never worked on before. When we face challenges beyond our current capabilities, we often feel our personal leadership brand is at risk.
Ann’s Story
Ann* was at a crossroads. She wondered aloud if she was up to this new and unexpected career decision. Basically, she could either continue what she’d been doing the same thing that had brought her success and fulfillment, or she could risk it all by choosing to go into management, something she didn’t feel competent in at all.
You see, for the past 20+ years, Ann worked in a large hospital as a physical therapist. She loved her work. She loved working with her clients. Her sense of fulfillment soared when she saw her patients become emotionally stronger and more optimistic while she helped them develop greater physical mobility. After so many years in her role, she felt confident and had pride in her work. She felt secure in her abilities and the life she was able to provide for herself and her family.
But then her life changed. The hospital where she worked had been growing and, as a result, needed more people in leadership to help the organization scale. Her manager approached her and told Ann the hospital was being restructured to enable continued growth. As part of the restructure, Ann needed to choose between two career tracks: she could either remain in her current individual contributor position or pursue a leadership role.
Ann had no experience in leadership. If she decided to go into leadership, she would be a beginner again after so many years of being seen as an expert. She had no idea if she would be good at leadership or even if she’d like it.
Take the next step in living more powerfully by downloading my FREE “4 Qs That Can Instantly Unlock the Power of Your Personal Leadership Brand”
The Risk to Your Personal Leadership Brand
When Ann told me her story, I could sense the anxiety she was feeling. I’ve felt similar feelings when I changed my own career path. And I’ve walked arm-in-arm with my clients as they’ve gone through similar situations. In these situations, the very work they felt most confident doing, and upon which they built a solid reputation for delivering results, was at risk. They also risked losing their sense of personal fulfillment in the work they were doing. In short, their personal leadership brand in their own minds and in the minds of others felt very much at risk.
So why even consider putting their personal leadership brand at risk? Deep down, they hoped that risking their confidence, reputation, and personal fulfillment in the short term would lead them towards greater confidence, better reputation, and higher fulfillment.
Your Overwhelmed Mind on Overdrive
Related to these risks are many things they or we simply do not know how to do. Our mind goes into overdrive building our “Where I Fall Short” list – a list of the many things we do not know how to do. Regardless of whether or not the list is a logical, accurate list of how we fall short and what we do not know, it can drive us to bouts of self-doubt and fear. It is vital that we stop these doubts and fears in our tracks. Only then can we maintain an optimistic mindset optimism needed to keep us in a learning and growing state of mind.
The Power of a Word on Your Mindset
What if we could add one word at the end of each item of your “Where I Fall Short” list that can decrease overwhelm and increase optimism? In my experience, there is such a word. This word helps you reframe that list into possibility rather than a case for why we will fail or fall short. This is the word Ann used when she decided to leave behind her client practice and choose the leadership track. The word is “yet.”
For every item on his “Why I Fall Short” list, Ann added “…yet.” For example:
- I don’t know how to set goals with my team…yet.
- I don’t know how to lead a difficult performance evaluation…yet.
- I don’t know how to communicate the needs of my team to my leader…yet.
This simple word predisposed Ann’s mind towards growth rather than being stuck in a success-or-fail dichotomy. Dr. Carol S. Dweck whose groundbreaking work on Mindset Theory, has adopted “The Power of Yet” in her work, helping people understand the power of a growth mindset. Likewise, the addition of the word “yet” allows us to learn their way towards competency. It allows us to change their “Why I Fall Short” list into their “Things I Need to Learn to Succeed” list.
Whenever you think you “can’t” or “don’t know” or “have never,” add the word “yet.” See for yourself how this simple word can open your mind to achieving more and building a more robust personal leadership brand. Comment below to let me know what you think.
* Not her real name.
Take the next step in living more powerfully by downloading my FREE “4 Qs That Can Instantly Unlock the Power of Your Personal Leadership Brand”