There’s only 11,316 women in the U.S. that hold Private Pilot certificates. Nearly a decade ago, I decided I was brave (crazy) enough to be one of those women. I tend to seek out challenges – the big scary things that force me to grow much more than is comfortable. Speaking to prospective pilots today serves as a stark reminder of how far I’ve progressed. On Day 1, I struggled to get my speed just right on final approach with zero crosswind. It was painstakingly difficult the first time my flight instructor gave me control of the aircraft. Pitch, power, aileron, rudder – it’s a lot to remember as you’re falling closer to the ground in a big steel contraption. Common sense tells you gravity is going to win. This year, it seems second nature to land at an unfamiliar airport, with a 12-knot crosswind, a crying baby in the backseat, at night with a landing light burning out on 5-mile final approach.
There were things that were painstakingly difficult at the beginning of my professional career that are now second nature. With hopefully many more decades in front of me, I often wonder what is difficult today that will be simple at the end of my career.
When we seek to keep learning, we find things much easier “down the road.” You probably know this concept as adopting a “growth mindset.”
A decade ago, Omnichannel was rarely part of our business conversations, yet today it’s rare to NOT incorporate it. Sometimes growth is forced upon us, but we ultimately have the choice of how fast, how often, and how much we’ll grow.
I once heard a saying, “the moment you stop growing, is the moment you start dying.” I suppose they call it over the hill for a reason. I ask myself often if I have reached the peak of my growth hill, or if I should keep climbing. Occasionally, there are areas or topics I choose not to devote my time to, but most often the answer is, keep climbing, keep learning.
I strive to learn from the experience and expertise of those a generation older. They’ve been through situations I haven’t. They have perspective that I don’t. I strive to learn from those a generation younger than me. Every semester I teach a Retail Link class to students at the University of Arkansas. There’s always one student who will answer one of my retail analytic questions with fresh new perspective I haven’t yet thought of or heard about.
I spent 16 years living in sub-Saharan Africa. I strive to learn from dear friends in Africa who face abject poverty with unexplainable joy. I learn from the homeless at the Salvation Army, who taught me how difficult it is to get a job without a cell phone number to list on job applications. I try to read books from all types of authors (although I admit I don’t like all of the content). One of the greatest benefits of diversifying your workplace/community/circle of influence is that we are all better when we can collect thoughts and ideas from people with all backgrounds and walks of life.
Every year, I ask my team to keep me accountable to one personal goal. The people I work with every day are the ones who are most likely to help influence growth in my life. If they’re comfortable, I do the same for them. January is notorious for goal setting. I say notorious, because resolution-setting is typically met with a dismissive eye roll. For me, it’s just another opportunity to reflect on who I’d like to grow up to be in the next decade, and continue my life-long pursuit of learning and growing.
In piloting, we make small corrections. If you’re off course, make a slight 2-degree shift, let it settle, then adjust again if needed. Most strategies in business don’t need major overhauls. Rather, we need small 2-degree adjustments. Most goals – relationships, career, health, financial, spiritual – could be met with small 2-degree adjustments. Those 2-degree adjustments would yield massive course corrections over the next decade.
Here are a few questions to ask as you consider a lifelong pursuit of learning and growing:
What have you accomplished in the last decade that was once difficult?
Do you have a goal that seems painstakingly difficult for the next decade?
Do you have a diverse set of influencers around you?
Are you dismissing a source of growth because you don’t think you can learn from it?
Jillian Cavness
*Director of Sales, Club and Mass – The Topps Company
*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.
The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.