Our present world is changing at a much quicker pace than we’ve ever seen.

Technology is forcing businesses to adapt faster than ever.

As globalization is making more products and services available for everyone, it is equally making health, social and political challenges in one part of the world available to other parts of the world. 

And this, in turn, requires business leaders and entrepreneurs to explore and implement constant innovation in order to survive, but Exponential Innovation in order to Thrive.

Just when you thought the world was beginning to normalize the existence of Covid-19, then came the events of the senseless killing of George Floyd, and then the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

The one thing you can be sure of in such a globalized and more dynamic economy is Uncertainty.

When you think things are going one way, that is when you find it going another way.

This can be frustrating for any business leader or entrepreneur, especially after putting in blood, sweat, and tears to build your business to a place where you thought you would be proud of what you had managed to accomplish.

Rather than being proud of the business you’ve built over the last few years, you find yourself in a place you never imagined you would ever be.

You begin to question yourself:

• Do you have the capacity to make the right decisions?
• How can you be sure what the right actions are that you need to implement?
• Are you being innovative enough to survive and thrive?
• Are you being bold enough to make some needed changes?

If you’re experiencing yourself dealing with the situation I just described, it’s because there are underlying blocks that were being masked by the success you were experiencing albeit stagnant.

 I have been coaching business leaders and entrepreneurs for more than 12 years now, and have come to identify behavioral and mindset patterns that block them from creating the results they want to create in the world especially through challenging times.

Take a moment to thoroughly review each of the 11 behavioral and mindset patterns below to see which one you’re being affected by:

1. Self-doubt - this is where you feel like you have to have everything perfect before you can make a move.
2. You have a big vision, but don’t know how to translate it to reality.
3.  Multitasking & overwhelm.
4.  Stress & Burnout.
5.  Lack of focus and procrastination.
6.  You feel like you’re always on the clock.
7.  Don’t know how to prioritize.
8.  You don’t know how to manage your energy or motivation.
9. You neglect their personal life and health.
10.  You don’t ask for help or don’t know whom to ask.
11. You feel like only you can do it, so your team is overdependent.

For some entrepreneurs, it is a combination of 2 or 3 of the above patterns that hold them back; and for others, it is just one.  But whether you’re being held back by one pattern or 3, until you identify how you are being affected, and what you can do about it, you will continue to be frustrated.

It begins with Knowing Yourself  first as a person, and then as an entrepreneur and business leader

The greatest way to break the limiting patterns that hold many successful entrepreneurs and business leaders from getting to their next level is to truly discover who you are, and gain absolute clarity around what you are really good at and enjoy doing.

In his book, The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks talks about four zones that we tend to

operate from:

1. The zone of incompetence, 
2. The zone of competence
3. The zone of excellence, 
4. The zone of genius.

Many entrepreneurs start their businesses around their zone of excellence. You may be reading this right now and thinking “yes that’s me”.

So you’re really good at something, and then you start your business around that thing. And for a while, things look great, you’re creating success. And then one day, it stops. You’ve reached the peak. You’re successful. You should be celebrating right? But you’re not.  You feel there’s more, and there is. You try going for it, but you can’t.

That’s because your Zone of Excellence will only take you so far.

To get to that next level, you need to operate from your Zone of Genius. From the zone of genius, you’re only doing that which you’re SUPPOSED to be doing. You’re taking advantage of your natural talents and doing what you earnestly enjoy.

The problem you may be faced with right now is not that you’re not an expert at anything, but that you’re too good at too many things. You know too much, and it paralyzes you because you can’t choose between good, better, and best.

I know because I’ve lived in that place myself.  And every so often I find myself slipping back there.

The key is to find your genius zone - the area where you can contribute something truly unique.

Your unique gift is your unique power. It is THE  one-of-a-kind quality that you bring to

life and work, and lets you do certain things better than almost anyone else. It is the one thing you’re deeply passionate about, and want to keep growing and expanding in this area. It is

what makes you who you are and shows up in your skills, talents, personality, creativity, and habits.  It can also be the one or few things that scare the shit out of you.

How do you uncover your Zone of Genius?

There are a number of ways to uncover your Zone of  Genius; however, I’ll share two of them with you.

The first is to list all the things you do in or on your business.  EVERYTHING. Then go back to that list and identify 1-3 things that make the most impact on your business. NOT MORE THAN THREE

The second thing to do is to do an energy audit:

• Draw a line in the center. 
• On the left-hand side, you are going to make a list of all the things that energize you. The people, the places, and the habits that you have to fill you with energy. •
• On the right-hand side make a list of the things, people, places, and habits that drain you of energy. This exercise will bring you back a ton of energy. • 
• Remove each item from the list of things that drain you from your life. You can either delete them completely or if it’s necessary for business operations, then assign them to someone else.

So what's the key to keeping your small business thriving during challenging times? Well, in case you haven't figured it out yet, here it is:

Identify Your Genius Zone, and leverage it to create unique values!

If you need help identifying your zone of Genius, or you are at a point where you know your business could use some help in getting to the next level, I’d love to help you figure out what steps you need to take to get there.  Simply click here to schedule a complimentary 45 min connection call . My promise is that you will leave that call knowing exactly what you need to do within 24 hours to get you closer to your goal