In 2012 I was hurtling down a path that would ultimately end my executive career. I lost a lot of my self-control and did some very stupid things. I was not entirely cognizant of the psychological and emotional impact a very public and dramatic resignation would have on me until it was too late.
But out of the dark state I had inadvertently threw myself in, I slowly found my way to a new and better understanding of myself and the world. I ultimately became the wise man I knew I was supposed to be.
When I look back over the last 11 years, I’m surprised at how seamlessly the three major strands of my journey fell into place:
1. Defining My Goals: The day after I stormed out of the annual meeting of the trade association I was running, my overarching goal hit me and stuck. It was an easily achievable, albeit small, almost trite goal. But it is as relevant to my activities today as it was 11 years ago. I wanted and still want to “remain independent for as long as I can without bankrupting myself.”
2. Pursuing a New Career: While the “remaining independent” part of my goal was easy, the second part – to not bankrupt myself – required some thinking and examination of what I really wanted professionally. I knew I needed/wanted to make money, but I also wanted to stay relevant and active intellectually. I also knew that at the age of 54 if I strayed too far from my previous professional experience, I would waste too much time trying to retool my skills.
I had no interest in continuing down the strategy consulting path and doubt that anyone would have hired me anyway.
I was more driven to explore and understand leadership and develop those skills in myself. I decided, therefore, to focus on what is the most important and impactful aspect of consulting which is building trust with your clients. Under the right circumstances this opens the door for a very productive and meaningful relationship. I soon learned this career path was called Executive Coaching.
After a month or two of making that decision, an email arrived from a recruiter at a company named Vistage. Vistage develops coaches (or Chairs as they call them) to put together and run groups of leaders of small and medium-size companies that help them build substantial businesses. “Would I consider having a conversation about becoming a Vistage Chair?” the email asked. The answer was clear: yes!!
The rest, as they say, is history.
I will talk about the third, more difficult transition in my next post.
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