The “Have A Blast” Business Strategy: Dianna Ranger’s Story

Christi Hegstad September 14th, 2014

“Not only has my business steadily grown this year, I’ve grown too. I always dreamed of owning my own business. To actually be living that dream is wild.” Dianna Ranger

If you’ve been in the MAP Inc. family for a while, you might remember Dianna Ranger from an issue of Do What You Love!* two years ago. She – or more precisely, a scale with her weight clearly displayed – was highlighted, along with how her weight loss Bold Goal contributed to her career development. I received a great deal of feedback from people commenting on the courage it took for her to share that with a few thousand readers!

Di’s courage continues to grow: Last year in the ASPIRE Success Club, she set a Bold Goal to launch her professional organizing business, Location Matters. This year, as an Acceleration Mastermind member, she set a significant goal in that business with an important criterion: “I will have a blast making it happen!” Di has stepped out of her comfort zone time and time again and is experiencing tremendous business growth – and a load of joy, too.

When I recently asked Di what she’s learned this year as part of Mastermind, her response hits on a crucial – but often overlooked – aspect of goal-setting:

I’ve set goals before, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m sure glad that this year I added “have a blast making it happen” because I truly have been! Now whenever I set a goal, I include something about how I want to feel not just once it’s accomplished, but along the way.

In work and life, we are surrounded by “shoulds.” One expert tells us, “You must do XYZ if you want to succeed,” another says, “No, you must do ABC instead!” When asked what she’s learned this year that has taken her by surprise, Di – who has invested in her professional development for years and is always discovering something new about herself, her work, and how she can make her impact in the world – replied:

My biggest, and best, surprise learning has been that it’s not only o.k. to be the real me in my business (as opposed to who I think I’m supposed to be), but it’s a key ingredient for joy.

By bringing her authentic self to work each day and having a blast doing it, Di has hit huge milestones in her business: She’s attracting her ideal clients and has exponentially grown her client base, enhanced her online presence, increased exposure on her blog, and has caught the attention of others in her industry which has led to some exciting new work opportunities.

Di expected her business to grow as a result of joining the Acceleration Mastermind. What she didn’t realize was how much she would grow as a person, too.

The mutual respect, admiration and trust within our group allowed us to very quickly shed any masks and reveal our hopes, fears, and challenges. It’s like Vegas – what’s shared in the group stays within the group. I leave each meeting with new ideas and strategies, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have a positive impact in the lives of my fellow Masterminders, too. There’s something warmly fulfilling when you know you’ve made a contribution.

So how do you grow your business or career and have a blast doing it? Follow Di’s example: Be kind to yourself, and be yourself. Express gratitude frequently. Say “No” when you need to without feeling guilty, and say “Yes” when you need to, even when it’s outside your comfort zone. Stay organized, plan ahead, and work your plan. By following her own set of guiding principles, Di has discovered that she can succeed at work she loves – and make a meaningful difference in the process.

It feels amazing to make such a profound impact in people’s lives. If you want to make your difference in the world, start with yourself – invest in your own growth and development. It will compound the impact you can make in the world.

Learn more about how Di helps people create space to live life at www.locationmatters.co.

* Sign up to receive our Do What You Love! newsletter by clicking “Join Our Mailing List” in the upper right corner. It’s educational, inspiring, and free!

Interested in joining the Acceleration Mastermind? Enrollment opens in October – sign up for our Do What You Love! newsletter (click “Join Our Mailing List” in the upper right corner) to be among the first to hear about it! Learn more (and meet Di in person!) at Spark – click here!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day – and flourish in meaningful work.

Click “Join Our Mailing List” above to receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Learn more to lead and succeed with meaning and purpose on Facebook and via Twitter.

Optimistic Leadership: What Works For Colin Powell

Christi Hegstad September 13th, 2014

This article was originally published by the Des Moines Business Record.

“High-performing, successful organizations build cultures of introspection and trust and never lose sight of their purpose,” writes Colin Powell in his latest book, It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership. This outstanding resource is packed with simple but poignant leadership lessons, which Powell brings to life with stories from his extraordinary career path.

It Worked For Me, which I would describe as part memoir/part leadership guide, opens with Powell’s “Thirteen Rules” – the overarching principles that have guided arguably one of the most influential leaders of our time. From “Share Credit” to “Get Mad, Then Get Over It,” he offers the guidelines that served him as he rose to four-star general in the U.S. Army and eventually to Secretary of State, with many other notable milestones.

Throughout the book, Powell places a hefty emphasis on one critical, but often overlooked, leadership principle: Optimism. “I have always tried to keep my confidence and optimism up,” says Powell, “no matter how difficult the situation.” Sharing stories from his military experience, he demonstrates how “perpetual optimism” strengthens the success of individuals as well as an overall organization, which research by Martin Seligman, Barbara Fredrickson, and others clearly supports.

Yet although Powell clearly favors hoping for the best, he doesn’t suggest putting on blinders and ignoring realities. With characteristic wit he writes, “I try to be an optimist, but I try not to be stupid.”

I wore out a highlighter on It Worked For Me, so narrowing down to three takeaways proved quite challenging! Here are key guidelines that you can apply to your current leadership role as well as build upon for future roles:

1. Insist on clarity.

Powell always held high, specific expectations of his team but also insisted on making those expectations extremely clear. He describes conversations with new staff, warning them that the first few weeks will include continuous correction and nitpicking but will ultimately lead to success. Leadership experts consistently emphasize this need for clarity; in her outstanding bestseller Reality-Based Leadership, Cy Wakeman goes so far as to state that ambiguity is the source of all conflict. Have high expectations, but make them very clear. Set up your team for success.

2. Hire for potential, not just performance.

While past performance offers the backdrop, it doesn’t necessarily predict future success. Powell lists several characteristics he would look for in new hires including competence, intelligence, and previous accomplishments but also qualities like “toughness with empathy” and “ability to inspire.” Look for a superb track record of success, but gauge for future potential.

3. Always be kind.

Kindness, this decorated military leader explains, isn’t “being soft or a wuss,” nor is it a weakness. On the contrary, kindness shows confidence.“Taking care of employees is perhaps the best form of kindness,” Powell concludes. Choose kindness. Always.

I found Powell’s thoughts on moral courage, true victory, getting over failure, and servant leadership especially fascinating, and his unique positions throughout his career offer a perspective most of us wouldn’t otherwise get to experience.

While you won’t necessarily agree with all of his strategies, the title of the book clearly explains that is not his expectation. Extraordinary leadership stems from influencing authentically: take pointers from those you admire but don’t attempt to mimic them.

Perhaps the most significant point reminds us that although leading others is important, your most important leadership role is that of being the leader in your own life:

Always do your very best. Even if no one else is looking, you always are. Don’t disappoint yourself.

What do you believe has made Colin Powell such a celebrated leader? Share your thoughts below, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day – and flourish in meaningful work.

Click “Join Our Mailing List” above to receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Learn more to lead and succeed with meaning and purpose on Facebook and via Twitter.

Leaders Inspire With “Why”

Christi Hegstad September 8th, 2014

CLARITY KICKSTART: September 8, 2014

Great leaders inspire people to act. They give people a sense of purpose or belonging that has little to do with any external incentive.

Simon Sinek

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Do you inspire others?

Or do you feel like you need to be loud, charismatic, or hold a certain position in order to inspire?

Leadership doesn’t have to be as difficult as we tend to make it. It also doesn’t require a particular title or level of professional clout.

What it does require is the ability to passionately share a vision and inspire others to act. As Sinek writes a bit later in his fantastic book Start With Why, “Great leaders lead with WHY. They embody a sense of purpose that inspires those around them.”

This week, get clear on your professional WHY. Why does your organization exist? How do you make life better for others? Why do you, your coworkers, and your employees put in the long hours and hard work?

Becoming crystal clear on your WHY will help you inspire your team in terms of motivation, morale, and energy, even when (especially when) times are tough. To paraphrase Viktor Frankl, once you know your “why,” you can endure nearly any “how.” It starts with you!

CLARITY tops our agenda at Spark! We are almost full – click here to join us!

What’s your professional WHY? Share your thoughts below, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day – and flourish in meaningful work.

Click “Join Our Mailing List” above to receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Learn more to lead and succeed with meaning and purpose on Facebook and via Twitter.

Are You A Courageous Leader?

Christi Hegstad September 1st, 2014

CLARITY KICKSTART: September 1, 2014

Integrity in leadership requires courage – including the courage to do the right thing, even when it’s hard. To see this kind of courage in the lives of those around us inspires us all to be more courageous.

S. M. R. Covey

Coaching Tip for the Week:

On a scale from 1 to 10, how courageous are you as a leader?

Do you routinely stand up for what is right, hold the difficult but necessary conversations, keep commitments, and make hard choices?

Or do you fly under the radar, wait for challenges to ‘work themselves out,’ and avoid anything that may rock the boat?

There’s an old country song with the lyrics, “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.” Standing up for something – whether for a tough but needed decision, for someone who’s been wronged, for the truth, or for one of your core values – takes courage. It’s much easier to act oblivious or rely on the tired standby, “That’s not my job.”

This week, prove your courage to yourself. Initiate a conversation that you’ve been putting off, respectfully voice your views, say YES to an opportunity that excites you even if you don’t know 100% how to pull it off yet. If it’s been a while since you’ve flexed your courage muscle, start with something small and work your way up.

With every small, courageous step you take, you will strengthen your integrity, serve as a model for others, and trust yourself and your leadership more and more.

COURAGE is one of our focal points at Spark! Click here to join us – we’re nearly filled up!

How have you seen a leader show courage? Share your thoughts below, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter!

Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day – and flourish in meaningful work.

Click “Join Our Mailing List” above to receive helpful articles, resources, and 5 insightful audios – for free! Learn more to lead and succeed with meaning and purpose on Facebook and via Twitter.

Values-Based Success: Meet Tabby Hinderaker

Christi Hegstad August 27th, 2014

On the first of the month, each Acceleration Masterminder sends me an accountability journal highlighting, among other things, wins from the past month. At 5 minutes after midnight on August 1, I received one Masterminder’s journal along with this email:

I’ve been so excited I almost sent this to you a week ago, but I’m so glad I didn’t because so much more awesome stuff has happened! My heart bursts with gratitude and my whole body tingles with excitement.

What better way to introduce Tabby Hinderaker!

Tabby joined the Acceleration Mastermind just a few months after starting dailyARC Coaching and Consulting, the venture she began upon leaving corporate America. Like all the Masterminders, she set professional Bold Goals at the start of the year with a commitment to maintaining family time, self-care, and service to her community. A “recovering perfectionist and workaholic,” she clarified her values at Spark last year and realized she wanted to ignite her business success quickly – but not at the expense of all else.

Early on in the Mastermind, Tabby experienced a big Aha:

I set a very aggressive revenue goal for my business but realized that was driving the wrong behaviors. What I really wanted was to fully integrate my core values into my life and business so I could become more of my true self and attract the clients I am meant to serve. The Mastermind helped me see that I was stuck in an old mentality that fit my prior career and industry, and I realized that money didn’t have to be my goal but could instead be one of many measurements I might use to gauge success.

From that point forward, Tabby has been unstoppable – and her business is flourishing. She is coaching her ideal clients (who, in turn, are thriving), consulting, speaking to groups, writing – all activities that utilize her strengths and align fully with her values. In addition, she will hold her first retreat this fall – another Bold Goal she set early in the Mastermind. In just over a year, her business has gone from “great idea” to a vibrant and joyful practice.

I have been blessed with countless fresh ideas, new perspectives, and many “light bulb moments” every time the Mastermind meets. I have made significant changes to how I structure my day, how I prioritize my time, and how I approach “selling.” Most importantly, I have made these amazing new friends and am a better person because of them.

Whenever you work with a coach you experience some surprises, often coaching around something completely different than what you had originally thought. Tabby’s biggest surprise:

My biggest surprise was learning how little I trusted myself. “You say ‘I think’ a lot,” Christi noticed during one of our coaching sessions. As I reflected on this, I realized just how often I was over-thinking and over-planning, and how much valuable time this was wasting. I started experimenting with my time and began trusting my intuition, then facilitated one of my best workshops ever! I now feel more confident and am a much better coach and facilitator because of it.

What’s more, Tabby has experienced incredible transformation in her own personal growth:

Even though I’ve worked hard, I’ve also allowed a significant amount of time for play – which is a big deal for this high-achieving workaholic. I am developing my spirituality, mending relationships that have been neglected, and this closed-off, hard-hearted woman is learning to love myself just as I am.

Tabby has fully embraced a mindset of abundance and gratitude, which you will easily see demonstrated in her work, on social media, and in conversation. You can learn more about Tabby and her coaching and facilitation work at www.yourdailyarc.com.

Interested in joining the Acceleration Mastermind? Enrollment will open in early October – sign up for our Do What You Love! newsletter (click “Join Our Mailing List” in the upper right corner) to be among the first to hear about it! Learn more (and meet Tabby in person!) at Spark – click here!