I was talking to a friend of mine who is a top executive director for a major telecommunications company. He was sharing his frustration about not being able to grow in his job the way he wanted to and how stuck he felt. He spoke about his desire to be a great leader but did not know how.
Knowing that I coach leaders and executives, he asked me to share some secrets of these successful leaders during our conversation.
I smiled, looked in another direction, and then looked at him and said, ‘There are not many secrets. There is only one secret, and it’s an invisible secret because these leaders rarely speak about it in their interviews or the public domain.”
By now, he was so curious he jumped in and excitedly asked, ‘Payal, I am sure you know of that secret. Appreciate it if you could tell me that one invisible secret. It would help me too.”
I looked at him and said, ‘Each of these highly successful leaders in the workforce decides to hire a good coach for themselves. Period.’
I saw his enthusiasm drop as he said, ‘that’s it? A coach is what they hire, and they are what they are.
“Yes, my friend, that’s it,” I replied.
As you read this, it sounds simple. But in reality, it’s not.
Deciding to invest in yourself is the hardest decision to make.
It’s much easier to decide to struggle and be stuck in your career. It’s much easier to blame the boss, the company culture, and your luck on this.
Having coached numerous leaders worldwide, I’ve seen how they invest themselves by hiring a good coach who can teach them the principles, processes, and systems of mastery. Who helps them make fewer mistakes and save tons of time.
There’s no shame in it… these people aren’t afraid to take help to improve themselves.
That is why there’s one fundamental difference between Good and Great leaders…they know to prioritize themselves and their growth.
We’re all allotted a limited number of years in the corporate world to go after our vision… and learning from others will save you a lot of time.
I am in India these days, and I was recently interviewed by Business Week on Why Executive Coaching Is The Need Of The Hour in Corporate India?
Click here to read the full interview , It will give you some food for thought on your career and growth.
Your Good Friend + Mentor
Payal Nanjiani
Leadership Expert | Author| Executive Coach
Connect with me on Instagram here @payal Nanjiani
