A consistent theme that runs across my life as an employee, leader, entrepreneur, and coach* is value creation. If I’m not adding value, I’m not doing my best. Yes, I’m aware that’s a high benchmark to live up to, but as someone who equips and leads people for a living, adding value is the most critical responsibility I need (and want) to fulfill.
Last year, my team announced a much clearer description of who we collectively and individually are: I’m a person of value who values people and adds value to them. I couldn’t have said it better.
If this sounds too ideal, here’s a 31-day challenge I would like you to try; don’t worry, it takes less than five minutes to do it. Here you go:
- Wake up
- Ask yourself, “how can I add value to my stakeholders and the ones who look up to me today?”
- Write down your response in a notebook/journal. You don’t have to write an essay, just a couple of sentences.
- Plan your day
I challenged myself to do this eight years back and noticed that my responses to the question weren’t any different, but they sure were precise. I didn’t stop and finished the challenge anyway. By the end of it, I not only did crystallize how I add value to others but also realized how important is value creation to what I’m doing for a living.
I’m pretty sure you will have a similar experience. What you need to understand, however, is that you don’t have to be a coach or a leader for this exercise, just someone who’s willing to push the limits and achieve significance.
*and even a family person… I didn’t mention because it’s obvious. Family first. 🙂