One of the most rewarding hires that we see on a regular basis is the right hand of an executive. Through time, official “titles” have evolved to more than we can list, and they boil down to the same thing- your partner, your builder, your go-getter, your protector. How do you know if you found that person though? What should you look for? Should they be just like you?
Let’s talk about that by sharing 4 (arguably) fun facts we have uncovered through experience.
#1- (Probably the least favored one) What you think you need is probably not what you actually need.
(Gasp!) I know, sit down, and take a deep breath, we’ll get through this. The default when exploring a hire of this nature is to want someone just like you. You want them to think like you, work like you, dream like you, hire like you, produce like you, and…do you actually, though? This person should be your BALANCE, not your MIRROR. You need someone who thinks about what you may NOT and poses questions that you may not have even thought of. You want someone to hold you accountable, keep the vision, keep the momentum, and fuel the growth. Make sure you are super clear on who you are and how you show up and what you NEED to move your business forward before you accidentally hire someone just like you. The vision is beautiful and the ideas are plentiful, and if there is no execution or implementation, the vision never comes to life, it lives in the “dream” phase.
#2- You actually do NOT know everything there is to know about them by reading their DISC or behavior assessment.
Personality assessments have made a huge debut in recent years as preliminary supplements to applications, with nearly 68% of jobs requiring them for submission for review. These assessments provide an outstanding baseline for conversations, clarifying questions, and learning more about your applicant (and quite frankly- yourself!), and they do not tell you everything you need to know about a person. Hypothetically, a candidate could be a low match in assertiveness yet a high match in protective instincts, and employers may interpret that as a lack of being able to make decisions on behalf of the business and its best interest, and I would ask, does that protective instinct show up as assertiveness when they are acting on behalf of the business and the team they are building with you? I would like to know more. Reducing someone down to a description solely defined by their personality assessment gives you a sea of space to miss great talent.
#3- You actually may NOT want someone who has had their own business before.
This can be easy thought to lean into, after all, someone who has run their own business knows the day-to-day, and what needs to get done to be profitable, right? Sure. Does that necessarily always make them a good fit to partner with you in your business? Nope. When seeking out this person, you need to be really clear and dive into their entrepreneurial spirit and goals. Do they want to ultimately have their own business again? Are they looking for a Segway? Do they want to build something alongside someone and enforce the structure and strength of being a backbone? There are so many different facets to diving into this to gain clarity without assuming that previous business owners are an easy “plug and play” to make your business more successful.
#4-You actually may want someone who IS growth-minded. They may NOT eventually leave you for a new opportunity.
Being growth-minded and driven does not translate the same for everyone, the first step here is understanding what their vision of growth looks like. Where do they want to be? Why do they want to be there? Does this align with your goals? Together, can you create a world big enough for these things to happen? Just because someone wants growth does not mean they will “outgrow” you, it means they are committed to creating a big world for you, themselves, and the future. Stay intentional about that, they will too, and opportunities (in your world) will continue to be endless.
Finding the right person is the key here, it may not always feel quick, and frankly, it shouldn’t. Partnering with someone in business is huge, especially at this magnitude. Honor yourself, your values, your time, and your future in being confident in finding the person you need.
Mindset?
We talk about it constantly. Right? In the world we currently live in, it’s not uncommon for people to ask you how your mindset is, how you’re feeling, “where your head’s at”. Diving into how mindset, performance, relationships, and growth tie together can get pretty uncomfortable, yet enlightening. Let’s talk about it.
Your mindset is determined by your surroundings. WRONG.
Determined? No. Influenced? Yes. You get to make a conscious decision, every second of every day, how you choose to approach, execute, deliver, and maintain your day and how you show up. If you allow yourself to accept the idea that you are “just that way” and “that’s just the way it is” then that’s what you’ll be and what it will be, the funny thing about your brain is that it believes you, and it will manifest whatever you tell it that you believe to be true. Be careful what you tell it, it takes it’s job very seriously.
Self care is only necessary when you’re tired or overwhelmed. WRONG.
Do you wait until you are completely out of gas and broken down on the side of the road to add gas to your car’s tank? Do you wait until every dish or piece of clothing in your home is dirty before you start washing? Of course not, you know the process and the cycle, and you know to be proactive, you need to wash the dishes and the clothes to ensure you never run out. Here’s a big one, do you let your phone completely die before you plug it up? Ouch, right? I highly doubt that’s the case. Why should your self-care or recharge for yourself be any different? You are proactive in the pursuit of making sure the things in your life have what they need to continue to run and move forward, yet you ignore the signs that you also need that.
Some days I don’t choose my mindset or how I show up/feel, I am just existing and going through the motions. WRONG.
Whether you consciously say, I’m going to have a great day or today sucks, you are still making a choice. Making an effort puts you in control of your day and your mood. Ignoring it or choosing not to acknowledge it, does not mean it does not exist or is not relative, it just means you are choosing to take a reactive approach that will likely create frustration and chaos and leave you in a constant state of overwhelm and burn out.
Your mood and your mindset are the same thing. WRONG.
Moods are the emotions we feel. A mindset is the thoughts and ideas that go along with that mood. In order to understand how these two interact, you need to pause and think about what you’re feeling and why. Put those feelings into words, like, “Goodness, I’m really upset right now” or “I’m feeling really lonely.” After you have identified the WHY, you must then accept what you feel. Whatever you feel is OKAY- let yourself feel the feelings- it is normal to be annoyed when it rains every day of your vacation. It’s part of being HUMAN. What you do next is the pivotal piece. Choose how you move past it. What comes next for you to shift? How are you going to change the narrative around the rain? Go dance outside? Read your favorite book? This is where you get to decide. Choosewisely.
Growth always comes with pain. Wrong.
Growth will come with discomfort, you are venturing outside of your comfort zone. Growth can happen in your comfort zone and outside of your comfort zone. Reflection and self awareness often comes within the bounds of your comfortzone. The key factor is being willing and receptive to the growth, you have to embrace it and absorb it, uncomfortable or not, discomfort is temporary, growth is permanent.
Everyone who loves you will always support your growth. WRONG.
Ouch, right? That one stings. Let’s be clear here- people who love you, likely support you and your success, and that does not always mean that they support your growth. The funny thing about growth is that often we find that people, relationships, habits, and hobbies that we may have had our whole lives no longer serve us or bring us joy, and when you make big transformational changes like that, it makes people around you uncomfortable. The case here is usually that people see this as a “sudden” change, they don’t see the internal process you have gone through to come to your decisions and the revelations you have made to get here, and they become defensive because they feel like it’s personal. The only thing you can do here is what is best for you and who you are becoming. This piece of growth and success is likely the hardest, be steadfast, it will be worth it. Learn to be okay with the fact that not everyone will be a “life long” part of your story.
What steps can you take TODAY to shift your mindset?
The way you talk to and about yourself, let’s start there.
Replace/eliminate words that have negative connotations.
- Want vs. Choose (Ex: I want to be better vs. I choose to be better)
- Try vs. Will (Ex: I try to improve vs. I will improve)
- Eliminate just (implies lack of importance) (Ex: I just need to. I just want to. I just have
to.)
- Give some day, soon, one day, later a timeline for self accountability purposes. Nail down a timeline- don’t leave it out in space.
Our mindset influences every conversation, interaction, relationship, and step we take every day. It is such an important piece of achieving your goals to be who, where, and what you want to be. It is the key to the car that will get you to that place, make sure you are utilizing the power in that key- it is far more strenuous and exhausting to push a car than to just put the key in and drive.
