So, What Is Greatness?

My mission statement, and the goal of Flourish Development and Consulting, is to Inspire, Encourage, and Empower Greatness. It is truly my belief that everyone is capable of being great and doing great things according to their own definition of greatness. But what exactly does that mean? “Greatness” is ambiguous enough that it could be anything, right? Is this phrase just a way to not actually specify what our aim is? And is it a cop-out to say greatness may differ from one person to the next?

Short answer: no.

Longer answer (which I’m sure you were expecting): I don’t use “greatness” as some nebulous term that can be molded to fit any situation to say, “Yay, we did it! You’re great now!” Instead, there are five main aspects that I address with clients—individuals and groups alike—and they all work in tandem to make greatness a reality.

Personal Picture of Success

Having a well-defined understanding of what constitutes being successful is critical in establishing goals and developing an action plan to make it happen. This is integral for most businesses and organizations, as their metrics for success are often defined by their industry or stated vision. However, this needs to be clearly and convincingly conveyed at all levels of the organization to unify the team and create buy-in.

For individuals, it is easy to default to whatever society deems as successful. The person who wants to be truly fulfilled, however, will consider how well this definition fits their needs, values, and personality. The likely outcome is that they realize it isn’t a perfect fit, and they set out to paint the picture of success for their own lives.

Desired Characteristics

How would you describe your career in its ideal state? What are the traits that are most important to you? Identifying the characteristics that you wish to define your life and career, and why they are important to you, will allow you to more clearly articulate what greatness means for you. It also helps you determine just how to pursue that. Do certain paths of action line up with your desired characteristics more than others? Take that as your North Star, guiding the way.

And this isn’t just for individuals. What words do you want people to associate with your business? What’s the vibe of your organization? Knowing the answer to this will help in decision making, from the small details—what font do we use on our letterhead?—to major aspects of the operation, such as how money is allocated in the budget and expectations for conduct with clients.

Skills and Talents

We are all equipped with some skills and talents, and saddled with a few weaknesses. What are those natural abilities that you possess? How can they be used to your advantage? Being able to tap into those natural skills, map out ways they intersect and figure out their optimal use means that you are one step closer to your unique brand of greatness.

Specified Goals/Purpose

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Your purpose isn’t generic. What you’re meant to accomplish isn’t simply “maintain the status quo.” But if you never take the time to consider your reason for existing, you don’t move any further than that. Your greatness means you have to take the time to ask yourself some pointed questions. Take note of the issues that bother you and compel you to act. Consider the things, people, and events that bring you joy. What would you do if money was no object? These are just a few of the clues about your purpose. Finding that purpose will allow you to choose goals and take actions that move you towards fulfillment.

Mindset

A negative mindset doesn’t yield positive outcomes. Even when things are favorable, a person who thinks negatively will only see and respond to what is not “right,” no matter how minute. Likewise, all the personal and professional development in the world won’t change things for someone with a fixed, inflexible mindset. To uncover your greatness, you have to believe that greatness lies within you. You have to be willing to learn and grow as you find that greatness. You have to be determined to face challenges head-on and see it through when it’s time to strengthen that greatness. Your mindset is the key to every other aspect of greatness.

So that is what I mean when I say I’m here to Inspire, Encourage, and Empower Greatness! If you are ready to start that journey, for yourself or your organization, contact me. I would love to discuss how we can work together to unleash your greatness.