finding my zone of impact and starting something new
In time, in these reflection pieces, I’ll pick up on something happening in the outside world and try to link it to how I can help others through my work. For this first substantive one, though, I think it’s worth having the courage (see what I did there? The first of my three Cs strapline…) to set out how it feels to be embarking on something quite different.
When I’ve worked closely with emerging leaders in particular, our conversations very often come round to what I call their ‘zone of impact’. That is, the part of their offer, skillset, superpowers that bring the most intense value. It’s different for everyone. Some people are superb planners, others are strategists, still more are amazing as part of a red team (more on that in a future reflections post no doubt). We all have a zone of impact but too few of us find the space, time and support to identify and explore it.
Over the last few months (if I’m honest, probably the last few years) I’ve been trying to find my zone of impact, sometimes minimised by me as “needing to work out what I want to be when I grow up”.
Intense and often challenging self-reflection recently, often taking place on very long walks in the beautiful Perthshire countryside where I live, has (alongside some valuable discussions with trusted friends and colleagues – you know who you are) helped me work out where I do my best work.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s when I unleash my often very different way of thinking about the world, give my opinions and set out how I go about finding solutions to problems. My zone of impact is in areas where I found most energy, most satisfaction, most personal validation and where feedback from others was always most profound.
Looking back over leaving cards, testimonials, personal messages I’ve received and sometimes unconscious pursuits into new projects without really knowing why, I now realise – as clear as the mountains against the sky – that my zone of impact is firmly in helping others find the courage, clarity and credibility to reach their potential and be as impactful as possible. Supporting leaders – particularly those who are new, returning, emerging or uncertain – to lead with that embrace of ambiguity that so many of us find so elusive.
So, with humility, trepidation and some excitement (as well as a personal crash course in website-building), I bring that offer to you, your teams and your organisations. If this resonates, if you think my zone of impact has the potential to help you through the next challenge, please do drop me a line for a chat. And if you don’t, please take a moment to think of others who might benefit. In other words, tell all your friends.