"Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself"

Thank you to whoever coined this quote. There is still debate if it's Shaw or not.

When our kids are little we think of all the things they will achieve in life. We dream about what they will accomplish and we usually see things like astronauts, CEOs, rockstars, the President, etc. We envision all in which they can achieve- if they want it.

What takes strength is recognizing - they are not simply an extension of us. And what we see for them may be vastly different from our journey and/or our perception of what is best for them.

We tend to do this when seeking employees as well. We envision where they fit for us. We align them to generic job descriptions and compensation based on their resume. We even use AI to do this for us. We don't often look at the complete human and ask what they would like to do. Each employee is unique with their own history and future path.

Employees are not simply an extension of their leader and not just a cog in the wheel.

If we do not understand our people's vision, goals, purpose, and passion, we will never know how to help them create their path to personal success. And that is a catastrophic loss to any organization. When an employee feels successful your organization will benefit.

If your employee is looking to stretch or change direction but you think they are better in a different role or that they should stay in their current role because it serves your agenda- you will likely lose that employee.

Be a leader, listen, and work for your employee. Allow them to create themselves.