Living life in the Arena

This is Theodore Roosevelt's 'The Man in the Arena Speech' delivered in Paris in 1910. More recently it was brought to life by Brene Brown in her book 'Daring Greatly' about embracing our vulnerability and having courage.

For Brene Brown this is about our willingness to be vulnerable, taking the next step without guarantees, embracing our imperfections, daring to show up and letting ourselves be seen. She also suggests we untie our worthiness from spectator evaluations as the people who we can depend on are already in the arena with us, including ourselves. Key ingredients to give yourself permission to get in that arena and play.

Vulnerability is not weakness - it is just our natural emotions showing up. Why is it we love to see raw truths and openness in others but we are afraid to let people see us? It is the courage to accept ourselves as we are, the boldness to take action and step into the arena whatever the outcome. This is the path of the Player.

WHAT WOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO DO IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD NOT FAIL?

or WHAT IS WORTH DOING EVEN IF YOU DO FAIL?

or WHO DO YOU NEED TO BE TO PLAY IN THE ARENA?

and ARE YOU ALL IN?

This is one of my favourite quotes because it reminds me it is all about getting in the arena - in a world where it is so easy not to. It is about using everything you have to live life full on.

If as Tom Bilyieu suggests - a large proportion of 'Ready Player One' is coming into our lives - it's time we all kept up with what it means to be a Player. Whether that is in an arena, on a pitch or in a virtual landscape.

It is so easy to be a spectator or a critic from the safety of the sidelines. But they are called 'sidelines' for a reason! It all depends on how much you want, what you want and what you are willing to do to get it.

It is also remind me of the courage it takes and how hard it can be to step into the arena. It is intense. Which translates to - always seek to offer compassion, praise and support not criticism, to those who do play in the game. Including yourself!

And yet, it should be easy, because the alternative is about regrets .....

Nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous or hurtful as believing that I'm standing on the outside of my life looking in and wondering what it would be like if I had the courage to show up and let myself be seen. Philosphers Notes: Daring Greatly

ONE BEING A PLAYER

Our role of Player is about using your talents, your character traits, your mindset and your skillset to deliver on your potential and vision. Your future self will thank you if you give it a 'must' rather than 'nice' to do. And if you don't - you end up living through other people's stories rather than your own where your list of regrets builds.

In this newsletter edition we are going to look at the foundations for what it means to be a player, the outlook required and the fundamentals you need to bring with you into the game. The other 3 roles Owner, Discoverer and Deliverer are really the support acts for the Player role. They are all focused on working on YOU and your skillset.

We all learn a lesson at Kindergarten that if you can't play well with others in the sandbox life gets tough. Player embraces this lesson. Player is about working and playing with others well. You are never too old to play! And it is worth getting good at it!

Life happens playing the game in the arena!

This Hikmaty Player grid includes:

1. 21st Century Player Outlook is about how you approach the arena. The mindset that gets you into and keeps you in the game - and the beliefs you bring with you to help you win on your own terms. We explore this further below.
2. Player Fundamentals is about knowing the game, your contribution and how to play it well. It is about focusing in on what matters most now, being bold, taking risks, being YOU, being seen, mastering your craft, delivering as part of a team, keeping score, learning and constantly adapting. Yep - a big list because the arena is where you are living life full on. More guidance on this Grid below too.
3. Persuasive Communication is about the vital modern communication skillset. Getting the fundamentals on messages, listening and body language right. Then shifting the lens to purpose, the impact of information overload and the power of persuasion with stories. Then building your personal PRO toolkit on writing, presenting, reporting, getting meetings right and embracing technology. This is the primary in demand 21st century future skill that you need to keep mastering.
4. Leader & Enabler is about serving, leading and enabling others. It is about being a Boss and much more than that. Whatever your role, having the ability to comfortably step in to lead when collaborating with others - will always set you apart. It means visioning, inspiring, engaging, building and enabling the individuals around you and the tribes you work with. You need to make sure you are learning from the best and keep developing your leadership styles for different situations. It encompasses your primary business and people roles as a Leader. It also looks at what it means to be a great role model and living by the standards you set for yourself. We learn in OWNER the importance of leading ourselves. Learning to lead ourselves and others should also help you learn to serve, follow and collaborate well too.
5. Collaborator & Connector is about getting what it means to be a team player - in how you work with and get the best from others and yourself. Great things happen when people work well together. You need to build the best diverse teams and find great tools that enable you to create this. It is about understanding, empathising and communicating within teams by working to your strengths, finding solutions, taking responsibility for mistakes and celebrating successes. It also means you enjoy building bridges for communities of interest and take time to connect people. You recognise the value of WE before ME - always looking for opportunities to serve.
6. Coach & Mentor Coaching is about being a catalyst for change and helping others find the best version of themselves. With mentoring you are advising more and sharing your knowledge, skills and experience. Listening is key for both. Coaching is focused on supporting the development of others and it is also THE primary Manager skill in a modern business. You can learn from the sports greats, enhance your people skills and build your own coaching toolkit. It is about taming your advice monster, developing brilliant questioning skills, learning to give timely and valuable feedback; and how to keep people accountable. Once you have crafted these coaching skills, experienced mentoring and are seen as a role model - offer to mentor others who are at different stages of their careers. It is rewarding to help others and you learn loads too!
7. Key Person with Impact is about building on your personal brand and taking it to the next level. By enhancing your reputation, using social media, public speaking, and building a body of work to get you noticed as a key player. It is often referred to as key person of Influence but we are more interested with your impact. If you are going to do this you might as well go BIG! It is about making a difference, your contribution in your world and the legacy you want to leave.
8. 21C Player Projects are the seven personal projects we build with you to hone these skills. If you want to change your habits and embed new skills the best way to learn is to pick a development need and create a live learning lab project. A few ideas include: A new role or job; a new coaching or mentoring relationship; volunteering to lead a new project; building the collateral to have more impact; connecting your network; rewriting your story; giving a TED talk; a sales pitch; a new business venture; a charity project or launching a podcast. Anything that gets you taking action in the arena.

TWO START WITH THE FUNDAMENTALS

There are some fundamentals that get you in, and keep you in the game as a player.

1. Be Bold - or Italic, never normal! A willingness to step up, stand out, take risks and be brave. As described by Benjamin Mee in 'We Bought a Zoo' - you are just looking for your '20 seconds of insane courage' to be bold. In these moments you have a choice to follow your doubts and step back into your comfort zone, or trust yourself and step forward into the arena! The arena is full of opportunities, risks and obstacles - a Heroes Journey. Boldness helps you thrive in this environment. It is not a one off '20 seconds of insane courage' - it is a habit!
2. A PRO Skillset - turning PRO - know the game you are in and how to play it well. Think professional sports and what it takes to succeed. This is about seeking to turn PRO, be the best you can be and master what what you do - not just get by with 'good enough'. The concept comes from a great little book by Steven Pressfield where he describes it as a decision you make to move from amateur to professional mindset - a hunger and commitment to yourself that changes how you do and perceive everything. TASKED is your Talents, Skills, Attitude, Knowhow, Experience and Deliverables. Track these six to build your brand story and focus your Pro training plan.
3. Be a Linchpin - as Seth Godin says by being unique, standing out, vital and indespensable in your role, making a difference, leading the way, connecting others and making your own version of Art! Indespensable relates to staying 'more than' relevant, looking to add value and have an impact in your work. This perspective and skillset gives you the bigger picture which provides the opportunity to create and connect = Vital!
4. Respectful Team Player - In the arena life is a team game. Even if you are a solopreneur! Work is a team game. This is about building your Tribe and actively participating in others. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. It is about working together and collaborating to bring out the best in everyone. It is not all about you and your story, but more about having the humility to respect others and their contributions, talents, stories and lives.
5. Vital Few Focus - once know the game you are playing - you can work out what is important and keep it simple. Then you must focus in on THE few things that make the difference. It is the Pareto 80/20 principle where 80% of your success comes from 20% of your actions. Get better at identifying that 20% early on and just focusing there. It is then about one brick at a time to build the wall - where you focus everything on laying that brick perfectly and then move on to the next one.
6. Take Consistent Action to Compound. It is not about just action but consistent small steps every day that compound into something significant. Consistency is the secret sauce. This changes the way you play the game over time and allows you to grow exponentially. If you do not know about compounding - go read Darren Hardy's 'Compound Effect' - it will change your life!
7. Keep score - Develop your own personal dashboard and consistently measure what matters. You need to measure your progress- you are looking to add value and make an impact - so it is about effectiveness not efficiency. Look for clues and feedback on what you are doing and keep adapting. Even if the goal moves you need the markers to understand how and the implications.
8. Choose YOU - be your own raving fan! If you do not believe in yourself, how can you expect others to. It is not about arrogance - it is about pride, confidence, belief in your story and the contribution you can make. Get comfortable in believing in and selling yourself. Find places to tell your story in a way that inspires and impacts others lives positively. To do this we come back to Brene Brown and Daring Greatly, because we have to embrace our own vulnerabilities to show up authentically, and let ourselves be seen. Be the first to tick your LIKE box!

THREE GET YOUR MINDSET RIGHT

So you get what it means to be a player, you master the fundamentals and then it is all about how you approach the arena. Elite performance is 90% mental - ask a PRO athlete. And yet how much time do you spend developing the right mindset and setting yourself up to win?

There are eight mindset shifts to play effectively:

1. Authentic Confident Owner - This is all the work you have done to be more self aware, take responsibility for your work^life, be congruent in living to your values, build a great reputation and brand - and then bring yourself, the real you, to the table! This is what you bring into the arena - passionate, driven, confident in who you are, how you add value and the impact you want to make. Hello World - This is ME!
2. In the Game - being present - you are bringing your energy into the arena, not a spectator on life nor a critic watching others. You know the rules of the game and you have mastered the fundamental skills required. When you are on - you are full on and present in the moment. You get it is a team sport where you join in and work together. With a commitment to yourself and others to consistently show up and play. When you get knocked down you get back up and when you win you celebrate.
3. Love the Journey - You love life! You are not to be so focused on a destination or score that you forget to enjoy the journey. You stay in the present, enjoy the moment and give it all you have got. You are grateful for the opportunity to be in the game and it shows. You are curious and open to making the best of whatever happens.
4. Hard Work with Grit - You Dream BIG and do lots of small to get there. You are?willing to do the work and take the knocks. You know it takes time and effort and that you will face challenges and setbacks. It is all fuel. You stay passionate and persevere when it gets tough and others would quit. You know it is a mindset game - you have to be prepared to lose to win. You are determined to stay in the game and win for the team.
5. Opportunity Creator and Taker - You have to be open to opportunities coming your way. You need to be always on the look out for them - grabbing them with both hands when they present themselves. If you get the chance to try something new - you evaluate your options and you are willing to take a few risks. If you are in the arena - this is how you progress. Have you noticed the more you put yourself out there and the harder you work - the luckier you seem to get! More options, more opportunities, more lucky breaks - you do not find these on the sidelines.
6. In Service with others - life is a team game. Commit to bring your best to each team you work with whether leading, collaborating, serving or following. You are here to serve others and you want to do it well by embracing diversity, equality and inclusion. You build and look for your tribes to make a difference. You work on getting the best from yourself and helping others do the same. You do whatever it takes and lead by example.
7. Winners Outlook - You are optimistic, focused on being the best (whatever that means for you) and setting yourself up to win - whatever it takes.?You are realistic, driven and very resourceful. You learn from the best who have achieved what you want. You use your mind to regularly imagine already having achieved what you want in the future in detail. You keep replaying it in your mind when you get it right NOT when you get it wrong! You say 'That is like me!' when it comes together and regularly rehearse doing it right in your mind. That is a winners mindset.
8. Add Value and have an Impact - focus your mind - you understand these are the two criteria that make a difference for others and your life - contribution that adds value and has an impact. This is what you look for and what employers or investors look for. As Stephen Covey says in his Seven Habits book - 'Begin with the end in mind'. You identify before you start the value and impact you are looking for. You set your destination as a guiding light on your journey. You then focus in on the stuff that matters now and moves the needle towards that outcome. If you are not achieving this - you are either, not in the right game or you are not playing well enough. You adapt what you are doing and go play again.

You then put all of your effort into mastering the process of PLAYING WELL in the moment - in the arena now.

When a professional soccer player walks onto the pitch - he wants to win and the team to score goals, but that is not what he focuses on. He focuses on his team role, using his talents to be the best he can be - and working with other team players to create or make the most of opportunities - to go for goal - in the moment. It is all about being present and crafting great process in the arena rather than that outcome.

That is why Player is so important. You are in the Arena. In action mode. Focused on what matters most now and your role in the team. Bringing the best of you and your talents into the present moment. Focused on the process of playing well. That is the only thing you can control. This is where you create goals or value or impact. It is about how you play the game, as a PRO and the mindset you bring to keep you in the arena away from distractions or events that take you out of the game.

Which of these skills or mindset shifts will improve how you play the game most right now? Think value and impact. Pick one. Why? - because you always need clarity on that why?

That is your starting point and focus - look at your current process and make improvements - baby steps and consistent action looking for 1% better on your process daily.

FOUR THIS MONTHS SMORGASBORD OF FINDS WORTH A PEEK

1. A new film: Hustle featuring Adam Sandler as a talent scout just out on Netflix. An inspiring and funny film about getting out there and making it happen in the world of basketball. Hustling. Making it Happen. In the Arena. Being a Player - is so relevant!
2. A great listen - Michael Bungay Stanier with Brene Brown on her podcast - on his coaching practice and taming your advice monster. It is really interesting to hear him coach Brene. You can also check out Brene's work on vulnerability on this site or that infamous TED talk here.
3. Nicholas Bate Blog on the Business of Life + Life of Business - I have been reading Nicholas Bates posts for over a decade. He is the master of lists, a lover of the beatles, a hater of powerpoint and a great thinker. In line with 20 seconds of insane courage here is his Bold 101 to get you started.
4. The Mind Cafe Magazine - Edition 6 on Happiness -just relaxed, inspiring articles about happiness from some really cool people. Mind Cafe are also on Medium. I have collected all these beautiful Editions and they are perfect coffee table reads!
5. New Newsletter I am subscribing to and enjoying - The Daily Coach with the some great insightful player sports analogies and lots of work tips.

WELCOME TO HIKMATY AND OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

I am the founder Jilli and this is my third LinkedIn 'Inquisitive Mind' monthly newsletter.?

I am passionate about helping career professionals take ownership of their Work^Life success,?explore their talents and master the crucial in demand future skills and the mindset that matter most now. I want you to unlock your potential, grow, grab opportunities, get noticed more, stay relevant and thrive not just survive in these uncertain and challenging times.

To do this Hikmaty has a series of frameworks and tools to help us guide, curate, synthesise, create, signpost and navigate the right content for your thriving Work^Life journey in the next decade. Yes, it is all very colourful because learning should never be beige!

Our Toolbox - I am guided by a grid of soft transferable future skill stacks to support my work and much more importantly your learning journey. At Hikmaty we focus on those 4 roles or domains and the skills that will help you thrive now and going forward. These roles are Owner, Discoverer, Player and Deliverer.

These are huge themes. The purpose of the grids is to help you stack the right skills to keep your career on track. For instance - It is easy to say employers want candidates to have good communication skills but what does that really mean? The grids are the guides on this.

Over each of the next few months newsletter's we aim take one of the framework roles and explore introductory elements of it to help you enhance your skills, stack new ones and plan your learning journey.

The next Newsletter in July will focus on what it means to be a DELIVERER - committed, organised, productive and compounding!

You can learn more about our frameworks, keep updated on our new learning community launch and get your FREE Career Story guide using the TASKED framework here

We believe that not only should learning be colourful, not beige - it should be community based too! Watch out for our new Hikmaty Hub Learning Community launching soon.

This is where our purpose, grids, frameworks and passion come alive to serve you in a new type of live lab learning community to build these skills. We hope to welcome you there as a Founder Member creating something special together.

Get into the arena this month, be a player and have a great learning journey.