The Power in the pivot
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Have you ever found yourself at a pivot point?
Maybe you were headed in one direction when, bam! – you hit a wall. Maybe you got to a fork in the road and just weren’t sure which way to go.
Or maybe you knew exactly which way was the right way for you, but from where you were standing, it looked like you were about to jump off a cliff, out into open space.
And so, you hesitated.
You have more influence than you know. Every pivot is what you choose to make of it. Know that you can do hard things and come out better for them.
I know that feeling all too well. For a year, I held onto a manuscript of a book I wrote based on the powerful leadership lessons I gleaned from hosting the Being [at Work] podcast. I knew I wanted to publish it to make a real impact on the lives and livelihoods of leaders at all levels. But I hesitated. I thought it wasn’t ready. I thought I wasn’t ready.
But then I discovered a community publishing company that specializes in helping women bridge the gap between entrepreneur-who-writes and published author-preneur. That’s when I knew it was time to take the leap and bring The Power in the Pivot: Leadership Lessons from Being [at Work] to Take You from Chaos to Clarity to the world.
I wish I had known earlier in my career the power of a bigger picture focus, the power in my relationships, and the power in staying in the hard moments. Life is a series of pivots, and it’s easy to get sucked into the confusion and chaos of transition. But there is so much power in those pivot-moments when we can lean into them instead of running away.
For example, my pivotal moment of deciding to go ahead and publish my book led me to realize that not only am I ready to become a published author, but I’m also ready to publish an entire series of books based on the amazing stories shared on the Being [at Work] podcast by leaders of all stripes.
Whether or not there’s a series of books inside of you, waiting to be released, you might be amazed at what you find when you embrace the power of the pivot. I’ve learned there is often confusion and chaos during transition that then leads to clarity. You get there by focusing on the big picture, leveraging relationships, and staying in those hard moments. You can learn a lot about yourself and your leadership when you follow these three steps. And by leaders, I don’t just mean executives, I mean anyone who is willing to step up and take a position of leadership in any situation. We are all leaders!
It takes discipline to keep the focus on the bigger picture and the relationships and not get hooked by the stuff of life, so it’s important to step back and remember that life isn’t happening to you. Life is happening through you.
Who do you want to be through the challenging times in your life? You get to choose.
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Andrea Butcher is a published author, podcast host and CEO of a successful leadership development company – HRD. She facilitates growth experiences for leaders at all levels, empowering them to recognize the influence they have in all aspects of their lives.