Ready for some inspiration?
Here’s a story from Eron Cummings, Vice President, Software Development and Architecture at Kaplan who was interviewed by Kim Galor.
“Like scores of other professionals who were loyally employed by the same company for more than a decade, I was beginning to experience a feeling of career stagnation. I worried about not reaching my potential due to not evolving and improving as a leader.
For the most part I was surrounded with people that had similar career backgrounds and had worked in the same industry. There weren’t any professionals in my circle that I felt I could tap into to broaden my horizons. Fortunately, I had a caring co-worker who’d worked with Nina Segura in the past and she advised me to contact her about the Strategy Master Program.
I felt lucky to have been given a great recommendation and figured this was going to be a great solution. Problem solved, right? Not so fast.
The Value of an Honest Coach
If you have had the chance to check into Nina’s programs or talk to her in person, then you know her as a refreshingly honest person. One point that Nina makes very clear is that she will tell you if she doesn’t think you are a good fit for her program. She wants to set every individual up to succeed and if her path isn’t a good fit for you she will do her best to make other recommendations.
During our initial consultation Nina was beginning to express that she wasn’t sure I was a good fit for the program. Perhaps it was ultimately my tenacity or desire to branch out beyond conventional boundaries that captured her attention and allowed me to win her over in the end. Enthusiasm and the willingness to act are qualities that Nina responds to and is an expert at facilitating in those she chooses to work with.
Who Do You Think You Are?
Before continuing my story, I want to pause and explain something that may speak to you. Many times, people live in a career or a job that is secure but not fulfilling, staying on a path that doesn’t allow them to exercise their full potential. I know from personal experience that concern about maximizing one’s potential or missing future opportunities is a heavy burden to carry daily.
Those who work long term for a company often get caught up in the feeling that the company is their identity. After over ten years with my company, I felt that my skills didn’t compare to the people I deemed as “successful” in the professional world outside of my industry. I had taken a positive trait, being humble about my own strengths, to a detrimental extreme.
If this (or similar reasons for feeling “less than”) is holding you back, I urge you take a chance and explore options with Nina. The group of people you will work with come in with an equal amount of challenges, insecurities and internal conflicts. The bonding experience of working through problems and goals together is what makes the team so dynamic.
Learning to ACTT
From my first introduction to the program, I found that providing honest feedback and helping others built confidence in my own skills and value proposition. My focus was sharper as I started the ACTT Blueprint and learned to identify my three most important values. I found it extremely empowering to set 30 day goals and then accomplish them with the support and accountability of the group. Capitalizing on my leadership SuperPower (referenced in Chapter 4 of Nina’s book Every Day is Friday) was another aspect of the program that was invaluable to me.
Perhaps the biggest “A-Ha” moment for me was the fact that my tendency to be humble was interfering with my progress. That honest feedback kept coming in my direction until I finally heard it. We must all brand ourselves and ours skills, we must sell ourselves to those who will be able to promote us or invite us to the next professional opportunity. This lesson is one that impacted the way I see myself as a leader and it is one of the most profound insights that I gained from my experience with Strategy Master.
Get Off the Fence!
My leadership style and my professional career have been positively altered thanks to the tools I acquired working with Nina and my group. I have experience with training programs both in person and online and there is nothing that compares to this one.
If you are currently on the fence about joining Nina, I advise you to immediate jump off the fence! A good primer would be signing up for her FREE course.”
Thank you Kim and Eron for sharing your story!