I often use the following quotation:

‘The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are …and what we could become.’

Dr B Herbster

The reason is that in my work I find it all too true. Now don't get me wrong, I work with some wonderful people, many brilliant at what they do. Yet it is rare that I find someone who has reached the limit of their potential – in fact so rare that I have not discovered one person who doesn't have more potential. A few questions, often create an ‘ahh! moment’, and wow, more surfaces and the person has unleashed a new desire to expand their horizon, develop their potential, go on a trip of discovery (even if that is a simple as a search on Google).

At one of my business schools much research had been undertaken on leaders across the world, by one of the faculty Professors. The questions were seeking to establish what someone wished they had known 10 years earlier in their career. What would have made them more effective at a personal and business level.

The expectation was it would have been much more to do with the established business skill sets of finance, strategic analysis or strategic thinking, perhaps marketing, managing people, even leading people or organisations, or more about technology and the way IT/IS would have created strategic advantage for them and their business.

When you think about the context of the research it is not a bad way for a business school to establish new programmes of study for students and executive education - to be sold at a juicy fee.

But NO! The answer from most of the people was ‘I wish I had known more about myself’ – or something similar.

This is why I love Insights Discovery and Insights Deeper Discovery. Initially it is valuable to look at ourselves as if in a mirror – to get to know the real ‘me’. Each Profile is full of valuable learning, often releasing something that we have forgotten, or choose to ignore. Yes, some celebration and also some comments that may ‘sting’ a little, just like antiseptic when it is doing good work cleaning a wound!

Once we know more about ourselves we can then work out the impact we have on others, and the impact others will have on us. So put a different way - how we may act and react. Now in life, let alone just business, this knowledge is priceless. I’ll leave you to reflect on situations with colleagues when, if you had you appreciated each other more, a better and faster outcome would have been achieved.

I’ll leave you to quietly squirm about a situation with someone you care about, in your non-work life, where the outcome could have been more positive….!

Now would it be useful to speed up that 10 year learning curve? Remember the people who were asked the question of what they wished they had known earlier in their career were all highly successful. Might there be a lesson for us all?

Go to the contact page of this website and send me an email if you think we can help…..and don't wait 10 years.

My best wishes,

Peter