By: Angelo Poli, MetPro Founder
One career perk of coaching is the opportunity to experience unique bits and pieces from life I might otherwise have never been exposed to. How so, you ask? Every day I get to waltz between time zones and lifestyles. From coast to coast, and country to country – I glimpse life through the eyes and ears of my friends and clients from around the world. While some say we are the sum of our life’s experiences, my personal goal is to gain at least one new insight from each person I work with.
While everyone’s path is different, walking with people day-to-day reminds me that there are common themes in our lives that rise to the top no matter what we’re striving for. Here are 3 core lessons I’ve learned along the way:
1. Lead by Example
Leadership is largely about taking initiative. It’s less about having all the answers, and more about pioneering the questions. People who are passionate take initiative to set an example in the areas of their life that matters most to them. Setting an example leaves ripples far beyond what most imagine.
By leading a life of values, those who believe the world is better with kindness show others how. They don’t just study it – they live it. They actively seek opportunities to practice it. They understand that their contribution isn’t just the good they do, but it’s an example they leave for others.
2. Love on Principle
Love can take many forms. Among the most important is principled love because it requires effort and intentional adoption. While some forms of love “happen to us” such as romantic love, or “surround us” such as familial love, principled love requires unique cultivation. Principled love asks for the belief that others are deserving of love. People who display principled love assign others honor, respect, and good will naturally. This, in turn, makes it easier for others to reciprocate in kind.
3. Live Honestly
Living life honestly extends beyond our dealings with others. It encompasses our willingness to be honest with ourselves. An honest evaluation of our own motives and actions can be unsettling – even scary at times, but progress and personal growth come from a mirror, not a window.
By exposing ourselves to truths in life and in the world, we learn and grow. We’re able to reflect and therefore improve. Those who are honest about what’s happened in the past are the most effective at learning and adapting in the future.
As a coach, my work is intrinsically tied to understanding where personal motivation intersects with the will to act. And while it’s different for all people, there’s one thing everyone has in common: our experiences, interactions, and relationships form the basis for our motivation. People matter more than things. Beyond food and shelter, things are mostly a platform for further interaction. Those willing to lead, love, and live honestly place themselves in line for some of life’s greatest experiences.
