Reflecting on 15 Hard-Earned Lessons in Life and Leadership

𝟯 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼, 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗼. 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝟯 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.

No matter how daunting or uncomfortable, we all add on layers of learning as we move through life. If we pay attention, each layer offers new perspective, growth, possibility, connection, and experience that helps us move through the layers to come.

So much of my life has evolved since I was unexpectedly thrown into a cancer journey, forced to press the pause button on my tech career, learned unplanned-for lessons, chose to move on from the only career I had known, went all the coaching certifications, built new connections, friendships, clients, book, failure, growth, successes, and the building of The Lens Leadership.

𝗔𝘁 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝟭𝟱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗗, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 - 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺:

1️⃣ Spend time controlling what you have the power to control. Not what you can’t.

2️⃣ The power of PAUSE is one of the most valuable leadership skills you can practice.

3️⃣ Awareness in leadership is underrated.

4️⃣ Growth is an inside job, and it’s usually uncomfortable.

5️⃣ Curiosity is the key to connection.

6️⃣ Don’t know what to prioritize? Refer to your values (or your company’s values).

7️⃣ Life is about choice. You have the power to choose how you play your game. You own your results. Want a new result? Make a new choice.

8️⃣ Life is never guaranteed beyond this moment right now. Choose wisely. Now.

9️⃣ You can allow your circumstances to own you. OR you can choose to own your circumstances.

🔟 Sure, I can tell you how I might do something, AND great coaching is about empowering you to draw your own conclusions.

1️⃣1️⃣ There is always another possibility.

1️⃣2️⃣ You can make all the healthy diet and fitness choices, and STRESS is dangerous. Be mindful of it or it will bite you when you least expect it.

1️⃣3️⃣ You are not your career.

1️⃣4️⃣ Reading is fundamental and opens amazing new pathways.

1️⃣5️⃣ Canva might be the best marketing tool ever invented.

I'd love to hear from you! 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻(s) 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂? If you want to share, send me an email or a note through the contact part of this website! I promise I will be the one reading it!

#growthmindset #lessonsinleadership #layersoflearning