Change the conversation
Personal leadership is the belief that what you do matters. It’s faith in the power of your own hustle, a fire in the belly to achieve big, audacious goals, a willingness to step up and write your own story.
I first learned about personal leadership from my mom. She is a fierce leader who has taught me that actions have consequences, and you have to own them. You need to decide where you want to be in life, then behave the way that will get you there. If you succeed, you celebrate, and set your next goal. If not, learn and move on.
Adopting this mindset can have a massive impact on the outcome of your work, your career, and your life. You often hear people say hope is a feeling, not a strategy. In fact, researcher and author C. R. Snyder found that hope is much more than an emotion. It’s also a cognitive process that involves setting a goal, finding a pathway to reach it, and believing you have the agency to achieve it. If one of those elements is missing, change can seem impossible.
It’s time to give leaders the freedom to lead.
At FiComm, we always believe change is possible. After all, it’s our job. We’re in the business of transforming businesses. Every day, we help organizations make sweeping changes to their brand, their voice, and their strategy.
That’s why we look for strong personal leaders to work on our teams—curious, hardworking individuals with drive and tenacity, people who are willing to demand the best from themselves, take courageous leaps in the dark, and own the results. It’s amazing to see the faces of new hires when they realize they control their futures. Many, especially women, come from businesses that expected them to ask for permission first. Here, they’re free to take the initiative and ask for forgiveness later. It’s liberating, empowering, morale-boosting, and it inspires our team to go above and beyond for our clients.
Those people make me proud of the company we’ve built. After seven years in the business, we’ve had our fits and starts, and we’re still learning. But we still believe in ourselves and in this industry.
My only wish is that the industry believed in itself just a little bit more.
We can restore the industry’s faith in itself.
Today, whenever you read a trade publication, or slide up to the bar at a conference, or wander down the aisle at a trade show, you always hear the same word “crowded.” It’s a crowded marketplace, people say, with so many new entrants compared to a few years ago. How can anyone compete anymore? How can any brand stand out? Many firms stop trying. They trudge along the way they’ve always done, praying it works out for the best.
Why should anyone feel intimidated by all the new activity in the space? Celebrate it. Embrace it. Recognize that this is an exciting time to work in the independent wealth management industry. Acknowledge that the game has changed, figure out what it takes to win, and get it done.
That’s what personal leadership is all about.
Many business executives are already strong personal leaders. They see the same crowded field as everyone else, and they respond by bringing new passion and commitment to their work. They’re ready to move forward and ignite new growth in their businesses.
There’s only one problem: they lack clear direction. Even if you know your ultimate goal, the next step isn’t always easy to see, especially if your niche limits your perspective.
This is where FiComm comes in. We’ve taken our experience working with the full spectrum of financial businesses and launched a consulting service that helps clients catalyze growth through communications. We help clients harness the transformative power of great storytelling, creating strong communities of followers who can lift up their brand on their own shoulders. When we see them succeed, we know that what we do matters.
Change will never happen if everyone stands around waiting for someone else to make the first move. Why not be the one to step forward? Your passion will spark passion in others, and your courage will inspire others to be brave. That’s the power of personal leadership.