One of my greatest joys in being a leader is the chance to help other people do more than they thought possible, go further than they ever imagined, and climb higher than they ever have before.  There is nothing more exciting or rewarding than that.

So how can you reach unprecedented levels?

1. You have to dig deep to go high.

In our Discover My Best Focus workshops, we have an exercise where each participant goes back in time – all the way back to childhood – and begins to capture the things they’ve done well and enjoyed doing.  Each person ends up with  a rather long and interesting list, which seems pretty diverse and unfocused at first.

But then, the magic happens. 

When we filter through that list together, we begin to see patterns of strength that the person never saw before. One client says it took her 47 years and 30 minutes to figure out her strengths – 47 years on her own and 30 minutes going through this exercise.

2. You have to push forward. 

I won’t say it is easy. Reaching goals means pushing hard and never giving up. One thing that is essential is having a support group in life that will not let you give up, folks who will push you during the times you are too weary to push yourself. This is why mentoring is key – mentors are folks who are invested in your success. Have a mentor…and be a mentor.

3. You have to pull.

So you’ve reached a door of opportunity…now what? OPEN IT!!!

Every single day, I meet people who have incredible strengths and talents who approach a door of opportunity and stop. I urge you in my incredibly timid New York style to OPEN THE DOOR!! Don’t be afraid to try. The results will amaze you, and the path beyond that door will lead you to places of even greater opportunity.

4. You have to stretch.

You have to continually stretch just beyond your comfort zone; not your strengths zone, but your comfort zone – how you’re applying those strengths. Every day, you have to stretch just a little farther. And every day, your reach extends. We talked about change on our last Leadership Insight show. I suggest you listen to the replay – you will have to make some changes to reach new levels. Progressing to new levels requires growth and learning.

Perhaps you’ve heard the term,

“Love is a verb, and a verb shows action.”

Well, “live” is a verb, too. It also requires action.

Are you up for the challenge?