How to Keep Growing

How much have you changed in the last three months? How much do you actually want to grow, personally and professionally, this year? Is it really important to you that you become a better version of yourself for your family, for your friends, for yourself and for your organization? When I think of changing and growing, there's a time in my life that comes to mind. I had moved from middle of New York City to Istanbul, Turkey, and I had never lived in the Middle East before. I was working at the W Istanbul Hotel, so I knew the brand. I knew the company, but I was completely out of my comfort zone. And even though I knew it was going to be an adventure, and it was going to be uncomfortable and it was going to stretch me, I was not prepared for the growth and change that was required in order for me to be successful.

You see, I had all of these preconceived notions about business, about how you communicate, about how you get things done. And what I very quickly realized was, what I knew was how to get things done in the United States, how to communicate in business, how to negotiate in the United States. And although there's a lot of things that are the same, Turkey is very different than the United States. And I had to grow and change. Otherwise, I was not going to be successful leading the marketing and leading the public relations efforts for that hotel. And I felt frustrated. I felt challenged. I felt overwhelmed. But wow, that experience, those two years of living in Istanbul, strengthened me and prepared me for huge challenges that I would face after that experience.

So, I ask you again, how much do you really want to grow and change? In my book, Be A Happy Leader, I write a lot about development for leaders and for the team, personal development and professional development. And it is vital. It is key. There's an age-old saying of, "If you're not learning, then you're staying the same." And who wants to stay the same?

So, here are five ways that you can ensure that you are focusing on your development, right now. So, the first is, ask for feedback from your boss, from your colleagues, from your partner, from everyone that's close to you, that you're working with, that you're living with. Ask for feedback. That's going to help you grow. The second is, I want you to read every single week. I am devouring business books and happiness books and culture books. Every single week, I want you to read, even if it's just 10 pages a night, and I want you to be watching TED Talks and getting that educational stimulus. And you might want to take an online course or two as well.

The third is, I want you to seriously look at, if you haven't, hiring a professional or life coach, looking at working with a consultant, a mentor. Find people that can help you on your journey. Number four is, make sure that you have a vision for yourself. What do you want your life to be like 10 years from now, 20 years from now. People with a vision are able to grow and develop faster. And number five is, I want you to see your professional development and your personal development as fun. I want you to have fun with it. I want you to see it as play. You know, adults, we take ourselves too seriously. So, have fun, play, stretch, and grow. Think about the Istanbul story, and see how you can really focus on your development and your growth, right now. If you liked this video, hit subscribe. I have a new YouTube video every single Friday, at 10:00 AM Pacific, to help you arrive at happy, both personally, professionally, and in your leadership role. I'll see you again next week.