5 Sparks to Fuel Your Week: The World Needs What You Have to Offer

Sometimes the words we need to hear find us in the most unexpected places. For me, they came on a handwritten coffee cup sleeve during a recent leadership workshop. A small hand-written artifact that reminded me of the importance of recognizing our own gifts, and the incredible influence we can have when we help others recognize theirs.

Spark #1 – Quote of the Week

Spark #2 – Thought for the Week

Last week, I had the pleasure of co-facilitating Communications Day for Leadership Prince William. One of the participants, who happens to hold the wonderful title of Chief Fun Officer, brought a collection of coffee cup sleeves with handwritten messages for everyone to enjoy. At first, we didn't even realize the messages had been written by hand. Once we did, we were encouraged to find one that spoke to us.

After 30 years in corporate leadership and organizational development, I've recently transitioned full time into my own business. I've long recognized the strengths and talents I brought to one organization. Now, I'm embracing the opportunity to bring those same gifts to many.

But it also got me thinking about something much bigger than my own journey.

• How many people are walking around with incredible talents they haven't fully recognized in themselves?

• And how often does it take someone else, a leader, mentor, colleague or friend, to help them see what's possible?

Throughout our careers, we encounter people who recognize something in us before we recognize it ourselves. They notice a natural ability, encourage us to take a chance, introduce us to someone who can help, or advocate for an opportunity we might never have pursued on our own. Those moments can change the trajectory of a career.

As leaders, we have an opportunity, and I would argue a responsibility, to be those people for others.

Sometimes that means giving someone a stretch assignment or encouraging them to pursue a new role. Sometimes it means advocating for their advancement, even when it means losing a talented member of our own team. Because helping people grow requires us to see their potential beyond the role they currently occupy.

And sometimes, a few thoughtful words are enough to help someone begin seeing themselves differently.

Spark #3 – Leadership Resource Spotlight

One of the reasons I'm so passionate about Emergenetics is its ability to help people better understand themselves while developing a greater appreciation for the people around them.

The Emergenetics Profile explores four Thinking Attributes (Analytical, Structural, Social and Conceptual) and three Behavioral Attributes (Expressiveness, Assertiveness and Flexibility). Together, they offer insight into how we prefer to think, communicate, engage and approach our work.

What I especially appreciate is the philosophy behind the model, including what we call the Language of Grace. It's a strengths-based approach that encourages us to recognize and appreciate differences without placing judgment on them. There is no good or bad Profile, and our preferences don't define our abilities or limit what we can accomplish.

For leaders, this creates an opportunity to become more curious about the people we lead. When we better understand how someone prefers to approach their work, we can explore what energizes them, appreciate the perspectives they contribute and create opportunities for them to use and develop their talents.

Spark #4 – Wanderlust Wisdom

One of the things I love most about travel is discovering what people and places have to offer, particularly the things I would never have known to look for. Sometimes it's a local guide who introduces you to a place you might otherwise have walked past. Other times it's a conversation with someone whose experiences offer an entirely different perspective.

Those encounters remind me how much we miss when we assume we already know what's in front of us.

I think the same is true of people.

We can work alongside someone for years and still fail to recognize the full range of their talents, interests and aspirations. Sometimes we become so accustomed to seeing people in a particular role that we stop imagining what else they might be capable of.

Spark #5 – Take Action

This week, I want to challenge you to move beyond recognizing someone's strengths and become an advocate for them. Think about someone on your team whose talents may be greater than the opportunities they're currently being given.

Then take three intentional steps:

1. Recognize it. Tell them what you see. Be specific about a strength you've observed and the difference it makes.

   “I've noticed how naturally you bring people together when things get complicated. Have you ever thought about how valuable that ability could be in a broader leadership role?”

2. Explore it. Create space for a conversation about where they might want to grow.

   “What would you love to do more of if you had the opportunity?”

3. Advocate for it. Look for a meaningful way to help them put that strength to work. Recommend them for a project, connect them with a mentor, introduce them to someone in another part of the organization, or encourage them to explore a role that better aligns with their talents.

Then, be willing to help someone grow beyond your own team. Their next opportunity may mean your team loses a valuable contributor, but imagine the impact of being remembered as the leader who helped someone discover what they were capable of becoming.