"It feels like leaping without a net."
Opportunity or career mistake?
By Shanti Joy Gold
I remember saying: “It feels like leaping without a net.”
While I was grateful that the company offered me the opportunity to lead a key sales initiative, I was also fearful.
The company had just signed a contract with an affiliate partner to represent them in a brand new territory located in the backyard of our well-established competitor. There were performance goals promised by specific dates. If successful, we hoped to expand with them nationally.
Here’s a bit of the to-do list from back then:
- Identify and train the team
- Recommend pricing and mapping for the new territory
- Create relationships with the partner’s clients (“nice to meet you, now let’s quickly renegotiate your contract to align with our offering”)
- Secure new business in a highly-fragmented and confusing territory where we had zero recognition
I wrestled with the decision. All eyes were on this initiative. If it didn’t go well, I could envision whatever reputation I’d built in the previous decade evaporating dramatically.
After I finished with my pros/cons list, I did a gut check. I went for it. I thought I’d regret it if I didn’t try.
It wasn’t the most-inspired reason to say yes. But immediately upon deciding, something clicked. Here’s what I focused on:
⦿ Visioning – I led with: “What do we want the office to look and feel like? What will we stand for and commit to?” This was a pivot from my knee-jerk response to pull out spreadsheets and point-A-to-point-B plans.
⦿ Connectedness – I assembled a team of people with shared values and energy, and entrusted them to lead the way in answering the questions above.
⦿ Authenticity and vulnerability – I didn’t pretend to have all the answers and celebrated each person’s superpowers. I sat back with a warm heart as they organically helped each other and shared best practices.
⦿ Hard work – Check!
⦿ Fun – Dr. Seuss’ “Fun is good” is the first quote I shared. The team voted on creating a game room, and we held “Throw Things Thursdays.” The office filled with good-natured banter; I’ve never laughed so hard in my professional career.
I shifted my lens from fear and “what ifs” to excitement about the possibilities we could build together. We exceeded targets.
I followed my heart, created a vision, identified supporting beliefs, put in the work – and trusted the team and the process. (Sure, spreadsheets were involved 🙂, but they played a supporting role).
I shifted my lens from fear and “what ifs” to excitement about the possibilities we could build together. We exceeded targets.
I bring these same principles to professional coaching – which I summarize at Grow with a Pro as “you got this, go play!” It’s exciting to work with high achievers to discover their version of this formula and achieve sustainable growth.
To this day, that adventure with that group of people is one of the highlights of my career. I’m so grateful I took the leap.