I’ve often been asked in training and mentoring how to figure out what you like to do and what you could do in life. Of course there are excellent methods and guides for this (e.g. Gallup Strenghts, birth chart, personality tests, human design, IKIGAI, etc.), but over time I’ve developed what I call test questions:
- What activities make you feel energised?
- What were the activities or situations where you felt energised at the end of it and didn’t know how to use it all?
- What are the activities where you forget the sense of time and everything just flows and runs itself without pressure?
- What do you do when you procrastinate (postpone other activities)?
- What are the activities where others say you could do more of it, it comes out so well and you seem to enjoy doing it?
Years ago, on my last day at Omniva, when Kai Kell told me that I could do some management training, I said, “Ah, what about me. There are so many good people in the market.” Now, about 3 years later, I am a management trainer, I will soon complete my first management book, I give a series of management lectures at the university, I consult management teams in developing organisations, I bring people-centred management and a holistic worldview to management through mentoring. I work with great partners and…. enjoying every second of my “work” and the life I lead.
Every time I come back from training and discussing leadership issues, I feel more energised than before the training. Time seems to fly in training situations. For many years, I was doing secondments in my main job, as the focus was on developing my own training competence. The feedback from customers is wonderful and new customers are constantly coming in through referrals. My goal is to one day perform on stage at the Nordic Business Forum with a slightly different and deeper approach. Years ago, I timidly went to the Training Conference as an in-house trainer at Swedbank, and these speakers all seemed to me to be at heights I couldn’t even dream of reaching, but today, on 10 November 2021, was the day I presented at the Training Conference myself.
Maybe … notice your strengths and put them to work for you. When you focus on your strengths, you are strong. If you focus on your weaknesses and comparing yourself to others, you are weak. Read a summary of my presentation on my LinkedIn post.
