So what you do you do now? That’s a fabulous question and one that I do not take lightly. If you and I were sitting across from one another having a cup of coffee and I had the opportunity to share what I think are the most valuable words of wisdom I can share, here’s what I’d say.
Remember that if you’re not flourishing individually the likelihood of you enabling employees or customers to flourish is incredibly small. Just as it is with airline safety announcements, you need to put on our own oxygen mask first. I would tell you to put your oxygen mask on first and make a promise to choose to flourish personally. Take the Purpose Principle and drive the concepts there a mile. Find just one idea, hope, dream, or aspiration and grab hold of it and don’t ever let go.
I would tell you to make a decision. Make a decision about your priorities and the promises that you’ll make to the people who matter most to you. I would tell you that the promises and priorities you make define you as a person and are the backbone of character. I would remind you that they are directly linked to what you articulate in the Purpose Principle, and that you are far more capable of choosing each and every day what the quality of your life will look like. You are not a victim, nor are you in control of the entire universe, but you have an amazing life, so choose carefully each and every day.
Focus on value creation. Forget your methodology, forget what you do technically, and live, breathe, and do everything you can to understand your customer’s experience. I’d remind you that what matters most is making peoples’ lives easier. When you do that, not only will your employees’ and your customers’ lives be more rewarding, but so will yours.
Remember that in every single meeting, email, or other interaction, you have an opportunity to persuade someone to support you, and have them embrace employee and customer flourishing. I’d look you square in the eyes and remind you that you make a difference in peoples’ lives and that you should accept that responsibility fully and with enthusiasm because, with your purpose, your promises, priorities, learning, and growth, you can create a community of like-minded co-conspirators who do amazing work.
I’d ask you to be a catalyst for community and connection where you purposefully help people cultivate the mindset of what’s working as opposed to what’s not working. Infuse your insights from the Praising Principle into every hour of your day, and by purposefully helping people feel good about themselves; you’ll infuse hope and optimism into their work life, allowing them to flourish. I’d ask you to become the exemplar of hope, optimism, and praise.
I would also tell you to never give up. There is work that only you can do and that your work world needs you more than ever to hold true to what you find noble and uplifting. Never lose sight of that. In every corner of your organization, people are paying attention to what you do and say in the face of unrelenting adversity—adversity that can leave you drained and disenchanted. Continually and purposefully put one foot in front of the other. Your talent is important, but your perseverance is the real game-changer.
I’d also advise focusing on the Preparation Principle. The discernment and wisdom that you have within you about your leadership, your relationship with the people that matter most to you, and the impact that you’re having in all areas of your life, are accelerated with the Transformation Examination. The Preparation Principle is the hub of transformational leadership and all the other principles extend from that. You need to prepare yourself to go on a transformational journey and, at the end of that journey, be prepared to review that journey and reinvent it in any way, shape, manner, or form that works for you. As I’ve said, you get to choose how you want to live your life both personally as well as professionally.
And the last thing I would say to you is this: Love is the most transformational emotion that you and I have. Love propels us and it changes us. So fall in love with an idea, hope, dream, or aspiration, fall in love with your employees and your customers, fall in love with doing valuable work, fall in love with infusing hope and optimism wherever you go, fall in love with praising people for doing their best work, and fall in love with the pain and discomfort of moving forward in times of overwhelming adversity. And I’d also say fall in love with the notion that each and every day can be a day filled with personal and professional flourishing. The world needs more people on fire with human flourishing. Are you on board?