The Pilgrim Leaders Journey

Pilgrim is an old-fashioned word to use in context to today’s fast-moving business. Think about it though. Pilgrim means to journey into a foreign land. And isn’t that exactly what traveling from your lower management positions into the territory of leadership is all about? No question the leap from one realm to another is shifting your mindset into a foreign landscape. Three tips to being a successful Pilgrim on a leadership track.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Hi, everyone. Welcome to thrive with Nancy, a podcast for executive women intended to untangle every career concern you might bump into along the way. You'll hear tips for achieving your dream promotions at and salary increases. I know you must be questioning how our podcast topic, the Pilgrim leaders journey is relevant to you. Trust me, it is spot on. Oh my gosh. It was, as I was reading David whites chapter Pilgrim in his book consolation, and that this podcast burst into my brain almost fully formed. And I only saw the word Pilgrim immediately. I began jotting ideas down fast and furiously as they streamed tripping logically one after another in my brain. But then can you anything less from an Irish poet with such an imagination and most particularly David White, I promise the insights will leave you measuring your career pathway with new ideas. And by the way, I did read the chapter, which added a bit of flavor to what we're about to talk about today. Yes. I agree with you. Pilgrim is an old fashioned word to use in context to today's fast moving business. Think about it though. Pilgrim means to journey into a foreign land and isn't that exactly what traveling from your lower management and into the territory of leadership is all about no question. The leap from one realm to another is shifting your mindset into a foreign landscape. Let's press into the concept. Pilgrims. Number one are often seen as passing through David White called it a quote world of impending revelation. Aha. Yes, that is so true. Those who don't receive the leaders revelation sadly rarely expand their career past middle management. Isn't this precisely while you're li listening to solidify that you're one of the women executives on the rise. You see leaders value the stages of the career, but identify each as a quote unquote passing through experience, they appreciate and acknowledge that to carry on. Hire in any organization requires a consistent giving up of skills and behaviors that are comfortable performing now. And also they're consciously taking on new ways of being and thinking essential for success in the next territory. The next level they intend to inhabit leaders have a hoped for destination concerning their career projection. And they're willing to take on new challenges to achieve their dream. There's a fluidity and their development plan here that from one knowledge skillset into another, with little resistance in their own self, they're always journeying with a question who do I need to be to win at this stage of my career when you're committed to the leadership journey, there's always what's next in your mind. Pilgrim's tip two, loosen their grip on their quote unquote, already knowing the reality is is I coach clients in some way or another to stop leaning only into their already knowing too much of such an attitude. Has you seen as rigid actually, has you being rigid? Isn't that the last classification you want your boss or your company to have of you, especially when you consider flexibility and resiliency are touted as a much sought after attitude in leaders, in today's marketplace. I found through the work and the interaction I've had through the years that head learning alone in some way, locks you into this already knowing reaction without you even realizing it. I know, I know this must be confusing because much of your early expertise true was accumulating and using this method to gain recognition in your organization. Let me explain what I'm talking about. Try stretching your arms out straight in front of you or envision doing so with your hands open to receive information. Now, picture holding this new knowledge at arms length, see yourself, examining the data analytically with a magnifying glass to pick it apart. It's tapping into your intellect to assess whether you believe the information or you don't believe in it. When I see someone taking in knowledge in this manner, I know aha and breakthroughs will be limited. If you're only willing to incorporate new knowledge, you believe to be true. You'll never grow. You'll never become big enough to be a leader. And that just frankly breaks my heart. Now let's envision the other side, envision your hands overflowing with new ideas. Some you may agree with and other pieces of the information are contrary to what you believe to be true. But instead of holding it out in front of your body to examine it, your arms draw the data inside you to explore for truth with more than your head alone, it is using your heart and your gut as well for discerning that merely because something is uncomfortable or irritating because that's what growth feels like. It doesn't invalidate the innovative idea that's coming your way. You can do only this because you have trust in yourself. It's paying attention to expand in your range and contribution. It's choosing to take the filter of your already knowing from your brain's eyes. It is trusting yourself to grow and leave behind your comfort, to struggle and gain competency in whole new areas. What you are supposed to incorporate to begin. The process of transformation is always seeing something newly and believe me, anything that rings a false clanging tone in your head and heart and gut thrown away. It isn't for you at this time. Pilgrims three move afraid. Rarely is anyone ready to Trek into the unknown, but the brave few who determined to exert more control over the lives, do that all the time. It is a matter of stepping out excitedly about new possibilities. It is a rare, our quality. Think about all the potential pilgrims in England who were just as frustrated and who wanted more yet never gambled on an ocean journey to a new land. What kind of life did they have remaining safe and never forget what a Pilgrim attitude has done for us through leaders who carved out new territories, such as Jeff Bezos risking his stable job as senior vice president of a hedge fund. He gave up everything. He gave up all of it to finance his crazy idea, call to Amazon that he had working out of his garage. What propelled him as he said, I don't wanna be an 80 year old cataloging, a bunch of major regrets in my life. Do you wanna be listing your regrets? I don't think so. Or how about 40 year old VE w who risked her secure job and stellar salary at Ralph Lauren to launch her label? Huh? Without which I challenge you, would any of us have known her name and would it ever have become the watchword of glamor? It is today. Can any of us forget trailblazers throughout business history who chose to be pilgrims despite the warnings of others leaders like bill gates and Microsoft mark Zuckerberg and Facebook who Fred Smith and FedEx, Steve jobs of apple, Sarah Blakely, a spanks or Elon Musk of well, a litany of companies, which we all know and follow today. Think about what they would have missed in their career for them cells. But more importantly, had they not risked all think about all we would never have experienced today. So really hang your hat on this one, not taking chances is harmful. Just imagine what our country would look like, have the pilgrims wearing their con cats, never landed on these shores. I picture it would be a bit lackluster in innovation and growth. Don't you generating positive transformative results. Always, always rest in the choices you make. You have to understand in that your rise to the top is always in your hands. Even when sometimes it doesn't feel as though this is true. Your willingness to become a Pilgrim in your career is an essential first step and second step and third step. Every step of the way, a how committed are you to developing a mindset of a Pilgrim? Are you planning on developing a passing through mentality or to loosen your grip on already knowing, or are you moving forward even though you are afraid? My desire for you as a Pilgrim is that you experience every day filled with joy, fulfillment and purpose, and that your Pilgrim journey opens doors to a fulfilling, continually expanding career into new territories. Aren't you ready to bring a strategic Pilgrim viewpoint into being to support all your goals and dreams? I, I hope so. By the way, if you're looking for more, I'd love for you to check out the, your strategic edge program. You can partner with me, an executive coach who has aided thousands of men and women in unlocking secrets for expanding their careers into the unknown. I can do this for you too together. We explore diverse ways to bring possibility into being for you to realize your professional aspirations, check out www.thrivewithnancy.com/executive/ I'd be delighted and thrilled to support for you. Remember no one ever makes it to the top or even arrives at a new destination alone.