Beyond the Obvious: Unveiling the Secrets to Sustainable Business Growth

 

 

Recently, I got a very thought-provoking email from one of my mentors. The headline read:

“The job of a great coach isn’t to answer their client’s questions. It’s to give them more powerful questions to unearth deep insights within them.”

He further suggested that we all pretend not to know what is holding us back from achieving greatness.

This got me thinking about how often we act in complete contradiction to our desired outcomes because we fail to look beyond the obvious or avoid the issues we know are causing undesirable results. 

Let’s start with failing to look beyond the obvious, or as my mentor puts it unearth deeper insights:

This is of course not a novel idea, but we know from working with thousands of clients that this is the best place to start because it typically reveals an immediate opportunity for increased profitability and sustainable outcomes.  

 

The first question a good business coach or strategist typically asks a client is “What do you want and what’s your why?” 

Let’s imagine that your business, like 98% of all businesses, is stuck below $2M in revenue and just can’t break through this revenue plateau. The obvious answer might be as simple as “I want to break the $2M barrier” and your obvious why could be, because I’m tired of working so hard without achieving the results I desire.” 

It would be easy to stop there and create a plan to increase sales because it’s in line with the SMART goal approach; It’s Specific and Measurable and can easily become Actionable, Relevant, and Time-specific. However, this often completely misses the mark if you don’t consider the deeper why such as “I’m completely overwhelmed,” “I feel lost,” or maybe “I’m afraid to fail.”

Once you have these answers, it’s possible to uncover the real gaps and create a holistic plan that includes all areas of your business and also considers your personal aspirations.  

It’s so rewarding to see our clients draw a big sigh of relief when they discover the real roadblocks and realize the solutions are within reach.  

 

Next, let’s look at the question; “what we pretend not to know.” 

It’s a subtle yet significant issue that can be challenging to unearth, as it’s typically shrouded by the beliefs and opinions we blindly accept as our own truths.

One of the prevalent reasons entrepreneurs feign ignorance is avoidance. Facing our limitations, gaps in knowledge, or areas requiring improvement can be uncomfortable and unsettling. It’s far easier to cloak these areas in a veil of ignorance rather than to confront them head-on.

Another element of this facade is rooted in our past experiences. We pretend not to know because we early on were labeled the know-it-all, nerdy, or worse. The stigma attached to intelligence can sometimes lead us to downplay our knowledge or expertise, fearing that it might alienate us from our peers or potential collaborators. However, as Steve D. Sims points out in his book ‘Go for Stupid:

 “My standards tell me that I need a room to challenge me. I need my environment to challenge me. There’s a common saying, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”   So, if you feel you need to shrink to fit in, it’s time to find a new room.”

 

At Legacy Leadership Institute we are proud of our record of successfully helping entrepreneurs and Leaders break plateaus, scale the gaps, and grow their business in a record time but what truly makes our approach extraordinarily impactful is our growth community. Our members recognize the importance of embracing vulnerabilities, seeking out challenging environments, and confronting blind spots head-on. They know that these are pivotal steps on the path to entrepreneurial excellence and the invaluable benefit of being surrounded by like-minded individuals or as the African proverb tells us “If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go with others.” 

So, if you are ready to cast a bigger vision for yourself and your company, I invite you to book a call and see if our Business Mastery Coaching and Strategic Growth Community is the right fit for you.

 

Here’s to your continued growth and success!