In a blog post related to discovering your talent, adapted from his new book The Earned Life, the renowned leadership expert and bestselling author Marshall Goldsmith talks about when your native talents, skills or genius might arise.
Goldsmith writes, “Each of us assumes various roles in life: partner, colleague, parent, friend, sibling, son, daughter. We intuitively know that the behavior we display in one role is not necessarily productive in another role, which is one reason we don’t talk to our spouse the way we ‘talk’ to a direct report. But being in sync with our role requires more from us.”
Some people are born great, while others have greatness thrust upon them, to paraphrase Shakespeare. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s dynamic president, has assumed the rule of inspirational leader and exceptional communicator — positions few would have thought him attaining when he ran for president a few years ago, after a career as an actor and comedian.
But life throws curveballs, and President Zelensky’s leadership during the war in Ukraine has proved that when the time is right, the right person may be there to step up and lead the charge. One example of this is when President Zelensky recently saluted a small group of Ukrainian soldiers who reached the Russian border near Kharkiv — a powerful symbolic moment in Ukraine’s pushback against Russian invaders.
In The Earned Life Goldsmith uncovers the source of today’s existential crises, including regrets that stem from choices that irrevocably alter our lives, reroute destinies, and haunt our memories. These are particularly timely themes today.
With Goldsmith’s book as a guide, readers can close the gap between what they plan to achieve and what they actually get done—even in a world full of inescapable unfairness and curveballs—and live an earned life that is fulfilling in the long run.
You can read Marshall Goldsmith’s blog here.
About MARSHALL GOLDSMITH
Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized for years as the world’s leading executive coach and the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Mojo, and Triggers. He received his Ph.D. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. In his coaching practice, Goldsmith has advised more than 200 major CEOs and their management teams. He and his wife live in Nashville, Tennessee.
About THE EARNED LIFE
In THE EARNED LIFE (Currency Books), Marshall Goldsmith uncovers the source of today’s existential crisis: regret, the kind stemming from choices that irrevocably alter our lives, reroutes destinies, and haunts our memories—particularly timely themes as the pandemic and Great Resignation inspire people to seek meaning in their lives, get unstuck and make changes. With this book as their guide, readers can close the gap between what they plan to achieve and what they actually get done—even in a world full of inescapable unfairness and curveballs—and live an earned life too fulfilling to dwell on the “what ifs.”
If you’d like more information on Marshall Goldsmith, The Earned Life, and his work, please get in touch with Lyda Goldsmith.
