What is the first thought that comes to mind when you think about who you are at your natural best self? Is there a specific time when you felt most proud of what you accomplished? How did past experiences shape who you are today?
Allow yourself to explore the lessons learned and the wisdom that guided you along the way. By freeing your mind to accept that both success and failure contribute to your organic growth, the pattern of what sets your soul on fire will start to form. If you plug along traditional norms, the actions may not always align to your internal compass which draws less than ideal energy. But aiming high and putting people first, will unleash collective power and potential to generate optimal outcomes together.
Knowing what is possible based on factors that have contributed to the current state will determine how the vision of your life unfolds. Through the grit and the grind, you will own many things, but no one other than yourself, will own your identity and choices. These two elements in life may shift from time to time depending on how you let society change the course of your journey. Bottom line, don’t let anyone or anything take over the narrative of your story.
Take a moment to pause and pen your thoughts. What is practical to develop a growth mindset? The criteria and foundation that comes to mind will reveal your why. To dive deeper into self reflection and discovery, check out the book “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. Understanding the conditions that allow you to thrive in will lead to experiences that fulfill you because everyone is their best self when they are aligned to their core.
Sometimes taking a moment for self reflection can surface roadblocks–discover the depth you can grow by being the true authentic self you are designed to be and make an impact to build a better tomorrow for all.
Taking the time to discover your why will help understand what fuels your energy in the things that you do everyday. Before I read the books, Start With Why and Find Your Why by Simon Sinek, I already knew the elements that make me fulfilled in my professional journey, but the examples and stories solidified that I am on the correct path.
There were times in my executive assistant career that I dropped into a slump and reflecting back, the environment and conditions I was working in did not align to my core sense of purpose. Understanding what connects you to the very existence of your being will help identify the things that matter most both personally and professionally. I have learned that the collective power of the people are fueled to action when there’s a common or mutually agreed upon vision–we all understand the destiny but our paths to get there can vary greatly. For instance, the latest trending Wordle game has brought co-workers, friends and family to share their status and winning streak–everyone can start with a different word of choice but ultimately will land on the the right one for the day or not.
Through a discovery process, think about what comes naturally and releases a positive flow of energy. Pen your thoughts, highlighting the areas that allowed you to thrive and marking the ones that blocked your sense of impact. Take it a step further and note the people you were with, the environment and how the experience made you feel–by documenting a week or two will show where your internal compass was aligned to your being. Furthermore, the patterns will reveal the conditions to avoid and the ones to focus on that will allow your fullest potential to shape who you are designed to be.
Explore and discover what sets your soul on fire will solidify your passion and emanate the positive flow of energy–shining the light on your why too!
The hustle and bustle of Corporate America is where some of the most powerful and influential leaders shape the future of organizations–behind these walls the executive assistant bridges the strategy and vision the executives form to grow and remain competitive in today’s ever-changing market.
A blockbuster movie with a stellar cast, The Devil Wears Prada, captivated the fashion industry–the narrative gives a glimpse into the hustle behind the scenes of how supporting an ambitious executive is never the same on a given day. While some of the scenes are over the top, there are multiple performances that the executive assistant can relate.
In the profession, there is no task too small or impossible to help level-up the executive’s office to rise above the challenges that come with a highly visible and demanding leader. The TV sequel Suits is another storyline that brought dramatic scenes in a law office to light and the character Donna Paulsen, who knew her worth, went from a paralegal to chief operating officer. Over the course of the six seasons, the narrative unfolded the role of an assistant and how emotional intelligence is key to recognizing areas that needed attention to maintain a cohesive office.
Both of these dramas show that having thick skin is critical for an executive assistant to thrive in the trenches and turn chaos into order. Focusing on driving meaningful progress and hone in on the bigger picture can be exhausting but also very rewarding while trying to juggle and balance the life outside of the office to remain at the top in the field.
An ultimate game changer who rocks the walls of Corporate America is the executive assistant who empowers the influential leaders to build the foundation and motivate the workforce to execute against the strategic initiatives–a powerful partnership and force multiplier can break-down barriers and disrupt the way we work.
While we figure out new ways to work, technology continues to advance and automation is being weaved into our everyday lives.
The way of the future is accessibility with simplicity in mind to bring a seamless experience by leveraging technology to fill in the gaps. Today’s workforce is changing and people are being selective in the careers of choice to focus more on the value of life. This is creating a shift in the resources available, resulting in skill gaps and reduced manpower available to fill jobs.
AI will automate a number of jobs but it won’t replace everything as outlined in 6 AI Myths Debunked published by Gartner. Taking stock of what needs to change now will prepare businesses to thrive for years to come. For instance, self-check-outs are increasing and grab-and-go models are being introduced. It will be interesting to learn how this will impact retail and grocery store shopping.
Business enablement will reengineer the traditional ways of working, shopping and traveling by implementing the latest advances in delivering, selling and servicing. The Forbes 1000 summit opened up conversations on how small businesses can thrive and propel forward with the right tools and resources. While the pandemic created a number of businesses to close, there were a record number of new small businesses created in 2020.
“Small businesses accounted for two-thirds of net new American jobs before the pandemic. Our Next 1000 Summit will empower the brightest small business leaders who are driving the economy forward, disrupting industries and challenging the status quo,” said Maneet Ahuja, Senior Editor, Forbes.
Reshaping the future of corporate functions as identified in this McKinsey report will redefine support roles and create new ones as organizations adopt and streamline operations. The future of workforce ecosystems will evolve and become increasingly important for environments inclusive of humans and machines. Solving for the customer and employee experience now will not only drive growth but also attract the right talent to support the collective vision and build a culture aligned to what matters most.