Do you feel like you're doing everything you can to grow your business, but you're not achieving the success you want? The truth is, you are the core of your business. So, success isn't just about working hard, it's about creating the right conditions so that you have the opportunity to thrive. Here's what you need to do:
- Imagine yourself as a seed, planted in the soil.
- Imagine your book of business growing like a plant, from that seed.
Give this metaphor a chance—understanding this concept is going to make your growth journey more comfortable, less stressful, and hopefully much more effective.
What Kind of Seed Are You?
A corn seed can't grow into a walnut tree, no matter how hard it tries. The same is true for you. Growth comes from embracing your authentic self, not trying to duplicate someone else. The key here is to think of yourself as a whole being—there is no “professional you.” A seed can't act one way sometimes and a different way at other times. It is what it is.
To better understand your unique strengths and purpose, consider these questions:
- What are your core values?
Your core values are the drivers behind your beliefs and behaviors. You have to be able to stand on these when you need to say no to the wrong clients or choose one path forward over another. - What drives you?
What is your why? Why do you work with certain partners and colleagues? How do you approach your work? How do you choose your clients? This should help articulate who you surround yourself with and why you're passionate about what you're doing. - How do you engage with others?
If you could articulate the transformative outcome of your client meetings, what would that look like? Who is your client before engaging with you (how do they think, feel, and see the world) and how do they transform as a result of engaging with you? This is the energy you should bring to every interaction.
As you think through your answers to the questions above, explore how you're different from your peers. Your differences make you who you are, and they bring an important variety to your environment.
Scientists are studying how bee health benefits from floral diversity. Put simply, more variety makes bees healthier. I'd argue that it's the same for financial services.1
Create the Right Conditions for Growth
Here's the magical part. Seeds don't need perfect conditions to grow, but they may grow better with certain adjustments—more sun, less water, more fertilizer, less nitrogen, etc. You must create the best conditions for growth, which may require some experimentation. And, there will always be some form of resistance:
- Internal limiting beliefs: How you think/feel about yourself, your differences, your strengths, and your potential.
- External limiting beliefs: How other people think/feel about you, your differences, your strengths, and your potential.
- General resistance to change: Few creatures, including plants, appreciate change that they perceive as fast or uncomfortable.
The only way to manage these challenges is to expect them. If you're challenging yourself to grow to a new level, you need a mindset wherein you are fueled by that resistance.
- Question your limiting beliefs. Are they true?
- Question others' limiting beliefs. Are their beliefs fair or true? Do their opinions matter?
- Question resistance to change. Is there a valid argument against the change that needs to be addressed? Or is it just about managing discomfort? Challenging seasons of growth make us stronger.
Embrace Your Authentic Self
What I hope you take away from this is that you, your authentic self, is what you need to succeed—as you are, with your unique qualities.
Once you understand and embrace all of who you are, you can make gentle adjustments to your environment and the way you do business to help enable growth. When the conditions are right, growth can come. They don't have to be perfect, and they likely won't be. Your journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's.
Clients, just like bees, are best served by a variety of approaches. You bring the most value to the table when you bring your authentic self to work. Be true to yourself, experiment, expect challenges, and you will find yourself ready for the right partners, colleagues, and clients.
Important Information
1. M.A. Parreño, C. Alaux, J.‑L. Brunet, L. Buydens, M. Filipiak, M. Henry, A. Keller, A.‑M. Klein, M. Kuhlmann, C. Leroy, I. Meeus, E. Palmer‑Young, N. Piot, F. Requier, F. Ruedenauer, G. Smagghe, P.C. Stevenson, S.D. Leonhardt, Critical links between biodiversity and health in wild bee conservation, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Volume 37, Issue 4, 2022, Pages 309‑321, ISSN 0169‑5347, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.013.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534721003335)
Financial Professionals should consult directly with your firm's compliance department to obtain precise advice based on their policies, procedures, and any industry‑specific regulations.
The views expressed herein may not be reflective of current opinions, are subject to change without prior notice, and should not be considered advice.
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