Karen lacked satisfaction and fulfilment in her job. She was enduring the grind of non-stop meetings and 24/7 digital connection. If something did not give, she risked burning out. She told herself she did not have what it takes to be a leader. But it disappointed her to accept less than what she knew she could achieve.
Cyber security was important to her because she wanted to make her business and the broader community a safer place. Karen invested in her own leadership development to put her self-sabotaging demons to rest. She gained a greater conviction that she could reinvent her problem-solving strength to address some of the enormous challenges her business faces. Her ability to bridge the chasm between the business and technology departments also makes her a prized asset.
Once Karen shifted her mindset, others caught the bug. She inspired the team to solve many of the tactical problems that had weighed her down. She connected with her team members and united them with their common commitment to protect their business and customers.
Now she has a greater sense of satisfaction and fulfilment and the bonus of being recognised for her leadership.
In his book, The Journey Beyond Fear, John Hagel III suggests people like Karen tap into the passion of what he calls ‘the explorer.’ It is a concept that emerged from his research into people who delivered sustained extreme performance improvement.
The explorer has three components:
✅ A long-term commitment to achieving increasing impact in a specific domain
✅ A questing disposition that seeks out new challenges
✅ A connecting disposition that seeks to connect with others when addressing new challenges to achieve greater impact
Hagel says, “People with this form of passion are motivated to learn faster and will be the most successful in a rapidly changing world.”
🙋 Which of the components of the explorer appeals to you? 🙋♀️
Best regards, Brian