Comfort and Discomfort Zones in Leadership
Are you willing to do the hard work that it may take to go from good leader to exceptional leader?
You’re already likely quite used to working outside your comfort zone. In pursuit of growth, you may naturally find yourself living in a bit of chaos – dealing with ambiguity, uncertainty and rapidly changing priorities either through your own work or because you serve a team or higher-ups who have their own deadlines and priorities that get shifted to you.
There’s a saying – “the only way out is through.” And it applies to leadership, too. To get to where you want to go, you will have to challenge yourself: your beliefs about your strengths (and weaknesses), your highest value as a leader, what people think about you, and what is holding you back – or will hold you back – from the growth you’re pursuing.
Predictable Success is a roadmap for that work. And if you trust it, you will uncover deep, meaningful and actionable insights for your actions.
So, ask yourself the following questions:
- Why am I pursuing the next steps of leadership and growth?
- How will I measure my success?
- Where do I want to be in 90 days? 6 months? A year from now?
If you journal – writing the answers out can be very powerful. Or, if you need something more concrete, we have a free resource, all designed to help you map your goals and then take action to reach them:
Setting Your 90-Day Goals for Predictable Success and Leadership
How can you take action if you don't know where all of that hard work is leading? The first step in creating your roadmap for leadership and success is to articulate your goals. But for many, that's easier said than done. For a limited time, access our FREE goal-setting workbook and prompts, plus a BONUS training: “No is a complete sentence.”
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Working outside of your comfort zone is only part of the equation though. Because living with this discomfort is still primarily done on your own terms.
There is another principle that directly impacts your ability to lead, and while it’s much simple…that doesn’t mean it’s easy!
Les McKeown, founder of Predictable Success, encourages us to get into our comfort zones. By way of example, he says:
Try taking a while to place yourself in an environment where you’re not the one causing the discomfort, where you don’t have the ability to manage outcomes.
Volunteer at your local animal rescue for a week. Take a monastic retreat. Go babysit at a creche. Do something that takes you out of your (managed) discomfort zone.
Does that energize you? Or terrify you? The answer may give you even more clarity on what challenges you need to overcome in your growth and pursuit of leadership.
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