Ian Lock

I really liked Anni’s recent note on the power of committing to another’s success. Here’s my take on this topic.

Without the commitment of George – a leadership consultant with whom I worked for several years – my success today may have been very different. About twelve years ago, and after much soul searching, I decided that I wanted to become a leadership consultant and to make a real difference in the world. And so it was that I told George about the future that I wanted. My belief is that what happened next was crucial to the speed and power of my personal development over the coming years. He said: ‘I’m glad that you have told me, because I have been thinking the same thing about you and have been waiting for you to tell me what you want for your future’. He went on to give me nine reasons why he thought I would succeed at being a leadership consultant and one big reason why he thought I might fail. Both conversations were hard for me to hear but I knew that George was immediately committed to my success through his acknowledging and honest feedback. His response filled me with hope and possibility. It also helped me to see the size of the gap between my current level of development and what I wanted to make real.

Twelve years on there have been many people who have helped me on my way – but without George’s helping hand at the start of my journey and his commitment I would not be where I am today. Who helped you to get where you are today and how are you now helping others to realise their dreams and fill them with possibility?