How deep self-awareness will support your leadership development.

I had a really powerful session with my coach this morning.

I wanted to spend some time reviewing how my business has grown in 2021, and planning for 2022. I’ve been feeling a bit jittery and untethered, because I don’t know where I’m going next with my business.

My 2021 word of the year was OPEN. I had no plans, no goals, and set myself no financial targets. I just wanted to swim around in the waters of this work, and see what came to me. This was a deliberate choice. My strategy, if you will, was to have no strategy.

And, as much as you can make this statement when there were no measurable goals, it worked! I’ve had an abundant year - abundant in experiences, connection, opportunities, learning and financial reward.

And now I feel like I want more structure and definition to the business. Structure is my default - or at least it always has been until this year. But what I realised this morning it that I don’t have to choose one thing or the other.

We all operate along psychological axes.

We like to think we have defined personalities and character traits (‘I’m very organised / laid-back / direct / chaotic’). Giving ourselves these labels almost makes it easier to navigate daily life.

But the truth is this - where there is an extreme of one particular energy, the polar opposite energy is also present. Even if it’s completely in your blind spot. And developing the capacity to move between the two poles will open up a whole new world of possibilities for you.

Let me give you an example. In astrology (stick with me), the planet Neptune represents everything that is mystical, spiritual, creative, imaginative. Under certain conditions in a person’s birth chart, Neptune becomes ‘polarised’ (as it is for me).

At the two opposite ends of that pole, someone’s behaviour will be either:

#1 Confused, confusing, chaotic, lax, soft, dreamy, pacifying, drowsy.

#2 Scientific, orderly, rigid, tense, realistic, rational, intellectual, accusing, inquisitive.

For the majority of my life, I’ve hung out at end #12of the spectrum. But end #1 has always been present in my psyche (and often in my behaviour; I just hated it so pushed it away).

Since I have started exploring spirituality and intuition - and blending it into the leadership coaching I do with female leaders in the corporate world - I have really started to flourish. And since I chose this year to really step into my ‘blind spot’, my business have grown exponentially. Because I am allowing myself to access more of my potential.