Path to Success: Allies, Challenges, and Clear Intentions

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Joseph Campbell, a researcher of the Hero's Journey, revealed that the path to reaching your dreams involves forming bonds with allies and facing challenges from adversaries. This still holds true today. If you wish to conquer obstacles and achieve your goals, you must forge stronger connections with those who will support your journey—your stakeholders. Additionally, you'll need to navigate through resistance and barriers that might arise when others oppose your plans or ideas.

To truly lift your impact, it's crucial to cultivate understanding and agreements with all your stakeholders. This diverse group may include your team, clients, boss, investors, as well as your family, friends, and wider community. Essentially, stakeholders encompass anyone whose role, whether positive or negative, impacts your journey towards your ultimate vision, your North Star. By aligning and inspiring each of these individuals in backing your mission, even turning skeptics into supporters, you pave the way for greater success.

Strengthening Relationships: Trust, Questions, and Listening

Building trust is a cornerstone of influence. While storytelling can inspire, true influence hinges on trust. Those you seek to influence must understand your character, your motivations, and be assured of your support when it counts. Think of the Shapeshifter archetype in stories, characters whose unpredictable nature keeps others guessing. An excellent example is Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series. Initially feared by Harry and friends due to stories they've heard, Sirius later proves his intentions are noble, becoming a trusted guide for Harry.

Ever felt like people misunderstand your intentions? In the world of constant promises from companies and politicians that often fall short, it's natural for others to approach new ideas with caution. Yet, as seen in Sirius' story, it's possible to transform doubt into trust. By being transparent about your intentions, you bridge the gap between uncertainty and belief.

Clarifying Intentions

Expressing your intentions clearly is vital, especially in situations where trust is lacking. When dealing with those who may not know you well, or are resistant to your ideas, answering these fundamental questions can lay a solid foundation for trust:

• Why are you here?
• What are your goals for this conversation?
• Why does this matter to you?

Consider the case of a woman I coached, a medical liaison aiming to have more productive discussions with doctors. While she was eager to share valuable data, some doctors were skeptical due to past experiences with sales tactics. Her role, purely scientific, often faced initial suspicion. However, by framing her intentions openly, she established trust. Her opening statement became, "Thank you for meeting with me. I deeply respect your insights on oncology treatments. With 12 years of experience and personal losses to cancer, I aim to share the latest data to aid more patients in living cancer-free."

This clear expression of her motives helped build trust from the outset, leading to more receptive conversations.

In essence, the journey to turning adversaries into allies lies is fostering trust and understanding. By communicating your intentions openly, you pave the way for stronger relationships and greater success on your path.

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This, and many other tools, exercises, and stories can be found in my new book Lift Your Impact, which is available here in the UK and here in the US! Bulk purchases can be made here .