Potential--Realizing A Future Bigger Than The Present
I remember as a young boy my parents always told me I had great potential. I didn’t understand what potential meant at such a young age. On my journey of personal growth and development I have come to understand potential as that which is not realized.
My potential is the distance between what is today and what can be. Very often this is interpreted to be a negative. In some instances where we see people waste their potential this is true. But, for most of us it is a call to become more, attract more and have more.
In my personal business coaching practice I have the privilege of collaborating with many talented people. And, they have great potential. One of the keys in coaching success is to help them realize more of their potential.
Like me, they have a good life, yet they realize that in developing their potential that business and life can be so much more.
Potential—The Motivator
The first thing to understand about potential is that it is a motivator. When others see something in us that we don’t and encourage us to realize it, we have been given the gift of encouragement to become more.
When we become more we can offer more to others. That is living up to our potential. In giving more to others more can come back to us. Striving and being motivated to realize our potential is a wonderful thing.
Potential—Playing At The Top Of Your Game
How many kids say, “Someday I want to play second string on the baseball team or be vice-president of the United States”? If a child has aspirations he wants to play first string or be President of the United States.
Or maybe they want to own their own business and realize their potential in running a small business. Whether you are a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur, solo professional or an individual seldom do you strive for the middle.
The truth is that most people will never be the top leader in their organization. One of the lures of running your own business is that you can be at the top of your organization. The key to having small business success and continued small business growth is to understand your potential as a leader.
In coaching success I see business owners who are at the top of their organizations but who are not playing at the top of their game. Their days can be dominated by things they don’t enjoy or are not good at. And, in the instances I am referring to, these things can be easily delegated.
The organization, the employees and these individuals would all be better off if the owner understood his potential and played to it or played at the top of his game.
Potential—How Are You Plugged In?
When you are working in your strengths you are realizing your potential. Interestingly, when you do work in your strengths is when things are most likely to go well for you. Unfortunately, I see many self-employed business owners who are not plugged in properly to their business. Maybe they are great at sales but are still intimately involved with accounting, which they don’t enjoy.
In this case, they are not realizing their potential and neither is their business. Whether you own your own business, work for a company or are an individual seeking greater reward, understand your potential.
When you understand your potential you will see how you need to be plugged into business and life. Then you can take your business and life from what is, and start working toward something that can be. That’s your potential.
