What You’re Really Meant To Do

Key Takeaways

1. Getting started
   1. What’s your definition of success? Really think through this – design your ideal life and then try to reverse engineer it
   2. What steps can you take to reach your aspirations? Start with something ludicrously small – learn one thing, send one email, do one thing to get you closer
   3. Rules of the road – believe justice will prevail, act like an owner of your life and your choices, be realistic and adapt to circumstances, be open to learning
2. Assessing strengths and weaknesses
   1. The power of specific and actionable feedback – seek to both give it and get it. Vague feedback does nobody any good and is frustrating
      1. Make it clear how / what people need to improve on
      2. Seek feedback from both bosses and your reports
   2. Write down your 3 greatest strengths and weaknesses
   3. What are the top 3 capabilities required to do an excellent job in your current role?
   4. Seek to coach and find a coach
3. Finding your passions
   1. When are you at your best? Write it all down without editing. Then try to see how those skills, mindsets, times, habits could be brought together in work you love
   2. What are ‘get to’ moments vs. ‘have to’ moments for you?
4. Understanding yourself
   1. Write down your story – what did you learn? Any competing narratives? How do these narratives impact behavior?
5. Making the most of opportunities
   1. What are the top 3 tasks needed to succeed? Do you focus and spend time on them?
   2. Do senior people know what you’re doing and what you want?
6. Good vs. Great
   1. Do the work to figure out what you believe and have the courage to act on it
   2. Do you act like an owner in your job?
   3. Do you play the game with some degree of abandon (don’t play not to lose)
   4. Do you clearly know your values and ethical boundaries?
   5. Leadership is the ability to figure out what you believe and then summon the courage to appropriately act on those beliefs. These actions must be geared to adding value to an enterprise and making a positive impact on others
7. Importance of relationships
   1. Do you have a mall group of people who care enough about you to tell you things you may not want to hear but need to hear?
   2. Do you provide counsel and support to others?

What I got out of it

1. A pragmatic way to build self-awareness, using that knowledge to inform what