Learn From Those You Admire

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“Your aspirations show up in your admirations.”  
~ Danielle La Porte

I love this lens.

Who do you admire? What qualities, traits and characteristics attract you? What if YOU could be like that person?

I often say I want to be Brene’ Brown when I grow up. For me it isn’t that she’s a researcher, an author or a speaker (or even that she is one of Oprah’s people)! It’s because she’s taken challenging and loaded concepts and made them useful and accessible. She’s used her own stories to illuminate how to apply what she’s learned. And she’s been transparent that her understanding continues to evolve as she applies her own research.

Useful. Accessible. Illuminating. Evolving. That’s what I want for me, and what I want for you. That’s my intention with this newsletter.

Let’s get started.

When I first asked one client what leaders he admired, he couldn’t think of anyone. I could hear him run through the people in his immediate world. Bosses? No. Politicians? No. Friends, neighbors, mentors? No. No. No. We agreed to give it some time.

The next time we talked, his energy and excitement almost knocked me over (through the phone – no easy feat.)

“Elon Musk! Ray Kurzweil! Peter Diamandis!” (Tesla founder; futurist, X-prize founder)

“Not only are they innovators, but also DISRUPTIVE.”

The clarity and force of his answer took our coaching in a new direction.
What did it mean for him to be both innovative and disruptive in his field?
Who did that mean he needed to hire?
What did that mean his team needed to understand about his vision?
What fears and barriers would he need to confront in himself to be that kind of leader?
Paying attention opened up his lens about who he could be – who he wanted to be – in his work and world.

I invite you to answer the same questions.

Who lights you up? Who do you want to listen to, be around, follow, re-tweet?

Now be willing to dig deep. What is it about them? Don’t stop at the obvious, or at the part that is out of your control. Be curious. Give it time.

Once the answers start to emerge, write them down. Keep them in front of you and front of mind. Look for ways that you can bring those qualities into your work and life.

Useful? Accessible? Let me know.
I’m honored to be on this journey with you.