Redefining success - on my terms

Re-engineering my life and career

I often get asked how I ended up moving to the country. Was it a spur of the moment tree change inspired by Covid? Did I grow up in the country??

The answer is actually neither of those. Greg and I talked and dreamed about moving regionally for years - I would say well over a decade.

We were those people who went on a regional getaway and would start looking at the local real estate, followed by the setting up of new property searches online. (I know you do it too)

A property would pop up that we completely fell in love with. Then came the delicious agonising of OMG can you imagine? Can we afford it? Can we do it? And then the inevitable ‘what ifs’ and all the reasons why it was too hard - usually attributed to my very intense executive roles that made the thought of commuting to a CBD office or to the airport for business trips completely impossible.

So then we would put the dream back in the box, and declare this was the last time we were doing this. Until the next time we drove to Bright in regional Victoria,?and declare it our soul country.

When we finally took the plunge, I was well out of corporate life, Greg was ready for a change, and the fact that I could run two businesses online was the clincher. There was still doubt and fear at the thought of moving, and I still?regret not buying the house I really fell in love with, because the bush fires frightened us off. But we eventually did it, and nearly 18months ago officially became the city slickers who moved to a country acreage with absolutely no idea.

There is another reason why we didn’t move all those years ago. And that was my boss.?I was a senior executive with a big job and even bigger hours. When I shared my idea that we wanted to move regionally, I was told in no uncertain terms - “that’s completely impractical.” In fact the advice that followed was this: “Work hard, push through and when you retire you can realise your regional dream.”

That dismissal really coloured my view of what was possible. For years afterwards, when we teetered on the edge of our tree change,?I revisited those words. What it amounted to was this: if I wanted a big career, if I wanted corporate success, then I had to choose. I couldn’t have both.

Fast forward to today, and I’ve been reflecting on this in the context of the last few years. Every day, I speak to many corporate leaders and team members. The leaders are grappling with how to engage and retain their talented people, attract new talent and are reflecting on what their Employee Value Proposition in a post Covid world needs to look like. It’s nothing new that remuneration is only one factor. A far bigger factor these days is the demand for true flexibility - not just in the hours we work but also in job design and life style. Surprisingly, some organisations are yet to accept that remote and hybrid working is here to stay, while the more progressive ones are working really intelligently to build a thriving organisational culture that is hybrid.

On the team member/employee side, there is a yearning. I don’t know how else to describe it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is where I get the most questions about how I re-engineered my life and career. How is it possible for me to live on the side of a mountain and run a big business? And these questions are what got me thinking.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing. I love that people are happy to see me ‘living my best life’ - but those of you who know me well, know that there is nothing I hate more than putting out a glossy, edited version of events that doesn’t tell the true tale.

The truth is, there is so much about our new life that is unbelievably ace. Every day we look out at our surrounds -?the nature, the space, the fresh air, the lack of traffic, noise, pollution. Nearly every day, I reflect on how lucky I am that the old definition of how we ‘had’ to do business - in person, in a boardroom, in the city, in a formal office, has been completely thrown out - forced by the necessity of a global pandemic, but such a relief nonetheless.

But there are also days when I struggle to adjust. Some mornings, I walk down the hallway to my home office and feel quite down. It can be very isolating working by yourself all day every day. It can be challenging to make those real human connections that energise you only through a computer screen. It can be overwhelming to stare at a to-do list or an overflowing inbox or a problem that is confounding you, and not be able to wander into a ‘tea room’ and jam with other team members - still the best way to clear a block that I know.

It also takes massive self discipline.

So yes, whilst I can take the dogs for a walk whenever I want and shape my day, I find that some days finding the motivation or productivity to do what needs to be done is really hard. So I’ve had to work harder than ever on my mindset, habits, routines and disciplines to make it work. That said, could I ever envisage not living and working here and going back to the old way of doing business? Absolutely not.

So this lead me to thinking about two things really. Reflecting on what my old boss told me - that dreams of a different life have to be put on hold if you also want a successful career, and what organisations need to consider if they want a thriving culture that is truly hybrid and supports their people in the best possible way.

As a leader, your team is never going to operate in the ‘old way’ again. Things are shifting so fast, and a new set of tools and approaches are needed to create flexible, dynamic cultures where humans thrive in remote and hybrid teams. In my experience there is no silver bullet here. It is about micro experiments, new ways of thinking, endless curiosity and a greater reliance on leadership skills such as adaptability, social and emotional intelligence, and the science and skill of community building to name just a few.

And for those of you who feel out of balance. Who are questioning whether this life or career is for you. Who feel stuck at a cross roads.?Don’t believe that myth that you can’t have it all. If I can re-engineer my life and career, so can you.

My passion is mentoring and coaching others. If you would like some coaching support to build your resilience and adaptability, and redefine success on your terms, send me a DM or email me at alex@alextullio.com