Roadtrip to 2019

by | Jan 15, 2019

By DLCC Coach Nancy Turngren

As you start the new year, I’m wondering how well you know yourself.

We often start off the year strong with good intentions but end up getting stuck in the same rut.  How did you get in the rut? Did you intentionally drive down a muddy road or were you driving on a dirt road and it started to rain? Did you stay on that road as it rained until it was so muddy you got stuck? Or were you able to recognize the potential risk and make your way to a solid, paved crossroad?

What is Your “Muddy or Dirt Road”?

Sometimes we are aware of it and sometimes we’re not.  We are so used to the drive, we end up on autopilot – mindlessly making our way through life.  What if you paused and asked yourself, not where do I want to go, but how do I want to get there? Are you aware of where you are right now?  

The Path to Wellness and Leadership

As I developed a talk on mindful leadership, I became aware of the similarity between two of my passions: leadership and wellness. I ran across a new-to-me definition of leadership by Professor Warren Bennis:

“A function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential.”

The working definition I use for wellness is the original definition crafted by Dr. Halbert Dunn in the 1950s:

“…the central bastion to be conquered involves teaching people how to ‘know themselves’…and thus become better balanced and able to meet their daily problems more adequately”.  

Turns out the path to effective leadership AND wellness is knowing yourself!

So, How Well Do You Know Yourself?

When I work with executive clients or individuals seeking clarity, the following questions often come up in the process:

  1. What do you really want?
  2. What are your triggers?
  3. Who are you?
  4. Who do you want to be?
  5. How do you want to be?
  6. What motivates you?
  7. What do you need in order to advance/evolve?
  8. If you could wave a magic wand, you would…
  9. What is the magic wand?
  10. What support do you need to make “it” happen?

How often do you look inwardly to find the answers? Often people need a partner to ride shotgun with them as they embark on a new solid path to knowing themselves. It can be scary trying a new route by yourself, and you can end up back on the old path.

Start This Year Differently

Ask yourself some tough questions and hire a coach to help you discover who you are or want to be!

Harness the power of coaching to strengthen relationships, improve communication, and empower others.

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