How Often Do You Fill Your Leadership Cup?

Anyone who leads anything has a leadership cup. Be it your family, your team at work, the small group at your church or the group of gals you coffee with each morning at the coffee house - you lead in some way, shape or form.

From a pure logic standpoint, your capacity to lead is likened to a cup. You can only pour out what you have inside. Once the cup is empty, it's pretty tough to keep going, effectively.

Today's question is designed to challenge you to fill your cup. For me it is a no brainer. And it's that time of year again.

Every August since 2006, I refill my leadership cup at the annual Global Leadership Summit put on by the Willowcreek Association. It is two full days packed with lots of teachings, interactions and activities designed to strengthen me as a leader. I cannot imagine my year without it. It is not the only leadership cup fill I get every year but it is the most significant. It is a signal to all around me that my personal development is a priority. No calls, no meetings, very little email interaction - 100% focus on growing my leadership capabilities. GLS 2012 is a special year as it marks the first year I'm attending the GLS as my own boss.

It was at my third GLS that the possibility of owning my own business even became a major thought. I've said many times and I highlight it again in my upcoming book, I am an unlikely entrepreneur from a long history of family members who are good at working for others. However, my commitment to growing and filling my leadership cup every year in an intense and intentional way led me to my current place. In between summits, I read voraciously - blogs, books, articles to help me grow. I also speak at and attend several other conferences. I interact regularly with other committed growing leaders. Lots of tactics and lots of time invested in filling my leadership cup.

I find that keeping my cup full increases my capacity to extend myself to those I lead. I cannot function well as a leader without my cup full.  Everyone is different. For me, full = ready. Ready to lead. Ready to jump on opportunities. Ready to be more compassionate to those around me. Ready to do what I was designed to do - revolutionize relationships on planet Earth.

What about you?

How often do you fill your leadership cup?

What are your tactics for keeping it full?

The Unlikely Entrepreneur: A Tale of My Relationship With My Talents

Talent is a natural born or acquired ability &  you need to use yours

As I look back at my 18 month journey to entrepreneurship, the one thing that just jumps out at me is the fact that I am an unlikely entrepreneur.

At the beginning of this whole deal my goal was not to have my own business. Nor was it to "stick it to the man". Or make tons of money.

It was simply to use my talents fully, every day.

That's it.

I had a good paying progressive marketing career that started in non-profit, moved to agencies and entertainment properties finally working in corporate entities. I was happy. Making more money with each move and meeting great talented people all along the way. No intentions of ever working for myself. My family is made up of hardworking people who work for others. That's what I'd looked forward to as well. I'd envisioned a VP of Marketing title at some huge place some day. Then about 4 years ago, something happened...

I noticed that I was not doing what I was good, no,  make that BEST at on the regular. It was weird. I was in my highest paying job to date and being severely under utilized. Now it coincided with a huge strain in my personal life so I welcomed the opportunity to channel some of the energy I'd normally be exerting at work to my more pressing,  home life. However, coming out of that crisis, I was miserable vocationally speaking. And I'd engaged an executive/life coach, Rachel Weinstein just before all the personal turmoil hit and it was the best investment ever. During our time together it was clear that while I did not know exactly what I needed to be doing, I needed to be using my talents more.

So I started doing just that.

First, pitching myself to facilitate a parks and recreation workshop for women who want to tap into their passion.

Next, was running for and winning public office in the municipality where I live.

There were so many things I started doing. And each month,  I got a little closer. Until last fall, I actually ended up exactly where I started. In marketing.

Funny - I describe myself as a Wife. Mother. Marketer. Public Servant. In that order.

So it should have been no surprise to me that marketing myself as an independent marketer would be a success. Yet there I was wandering around for months trying to figure out exactly what my company should be doing.

The lesson of this tale...

Identify your talents and then commit yourself to engaging them daily.

Period.

Got a job and "they" aren't using your talents? So. Then YOU need to commit yourself to developing and utilizing your God given or acquired talents,  every day.

Who knows where that journey will take you?