10 life changing lessons – Nr.1 – I have a story

My interaction with Marketplace leaders over the last 25 years has taught me a few lessons – lessons that might be the reason why these leaders are successful in their lives. In the 10 articles that I will be posting here, I will share 10 personal lessons that I have experiences and that I have seen prevalent in the lives of those people that I have interacted with over the last 25 years.

These 10 lessons are linked with the 10 topics I use in the Xpand Mentorship program (https://xpand.eu/sa/ for more info) where business owners and management get the opportunity to reflect, support and develop.

“Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.” -Dr. Howard Gardner, professor Harvard University.

Nobody remembers the grade you flunked or how long it took you to finish your MBA. What matters is the experience you have gained, the lessons you have learned and your “ability to fail forward” (John Maxwell). You have lived a story, gained experience and overcame insurmountable challenges, but can you share it with your peers, your colleagues, your fellow directors and even the people that work for you?

High powered leaders often seem unattainable, yet they are also “sticks and bone and not glitter and stone” (my late dad). Marketplace leaders need to show some vulnerability and be transparent. With all of this said, let me rather refrain from expanding into too much theory – steps you can take to “verbalise your story”.

Practical Exercise:

Step 1 – Tabulate your life into 4 scenes.

If you are aged 40 – age 0-10, 11-20, 21-30 and 31-40.

Give a title to each scene that will draw attention. For example, my life age 30-40 can be titled as “Over the Mountain” depicting my experiences around Maskam Berg in 2003 and what happened after that.

Step 2 – Lessons learned

Make a list of positive and negative lessons learned in each of those stages/scenes in your life. One positive lesson I learned was “resources are available”. A negative lesson I learned was “a lack of project planning could have jeopardised the outcome”.

Step 3 – Geographical surroundings

Spice up your story with smells, place names, scenery, people and sites that you have seen. My example – Hundreds of people crammed into the hall every night to see the show. Vanrhynsdorp, Maskam Berg and the smell of Rooibos Tea stained my heart with love for Gert, Johan, September and Anastasia.

Step 4 – Books, films, music and people

A book you read, a movie you watched or a song your heard may have had an impact on your life during that time – what was it? Include it in your story.

Step 5 – KISS

No, not a nice smooch on the cheek. KISS = Keep it Short and Simple. Compile your story, share it with a friend or spouse and then reduce it to an elevator version. Elevator? Yes, sometimes your only have 30 seconds to one minute to share a story that can change someone’ life.

So, what’s your story?

• I know you have one.

• I know someone wants to hear it.

• I know someone will benefit from your experience.

• Spend 20 minutes to write it down and change someone’ life.