Recently, a client asked an unexpected question:
“What would you say your zone of genius is; what’s your wheelhouse?
Without skipping a beat, my answer was this:
“Seeing what others can’t see clearly.”
I found her question unexpected because we’ve been working together for more than a year. By now, I’d hope she’s experienced my zone of genius firsthand! (And she has, just not in the way she was expecting. More on that in a moment.)
But rather than being offended by her question, I got curious. I asked her a few follow-up questions, and we ended up having a very robust, productive session—one where she walked away with a clear marketing and lead generation strategy.
So why am I sharing this with you? Because you might be doing the same thing she did…that we all tend to do from time to time.
Lead vs Lag
Yes, your financial health and wellbeing—both personal and business—are at the center of my work. Whether you are a coaching client; in the audience at a speaking engagement; reading my emails/blog posts; or listening to my podcast, that focus remains constant. But that doesn’t mean every conversation I have with you is explicitly and solely about money.
Money shapes and is also shaped by other factors. And sometimes, people wonder, as my client did, why are we talking about things like marketing and lead generation? Why aren’t we spending more time on the numbers?
But, hidden in her curiosity of “why this and not that”—without naming it at first—was the difference between lead and lag indicators.
A lag indicator is the outcome you want—revenue growth, profit, financial security.
A lead indicator is what you proactively do to bring about that result. If you want more clients and sales (which she does) you have to focus on what drives those results—networking, making offers, following up, refining your marketing, etc. If you don’t, you risk staring at your revenue numbers in frustration, wondering why they aren’t what you want…or why they aren’t improving.
This same dynamic isn’t just true in business—it applies to your personal finances as well.
A healthy bank balance and long-term wealth are lag indicators. The lead indicators? Regular saving, mindful spending, and intentional investing. The challenge is that lead indicators require consistent action with no immediate reward, while lag indicators are the measurable outcomes you desire—but by the time you see them, it’s too late to change your actions retroactively.
So…
Where in your life or business are you focusing more on the lag indicator while short-circuiting the lead indicator?
More Than One
Here’s something else to take away from my client’s question:
It’s okay—and actually wise—to seek answers from more than one source.
I like to remind my clients that I am on “team them.” This means I fully expect that they are working with other professionals, alongside me, to help them achieve their goals. (Often, I am the source of that referral.) Because, while I know I’m smart, I also know I don’t have ALL the answers or expertise. (Plus in some instances, I’m not licensed to give certain advice.)
For example: My client recently hired a fractional CFO. And I think she started to wonder if the advice that person gave her is advice I should have given her. Ironically, the CFO’s advice was completely aligned with some of my own financial practices, which is why I wholeheartedly supported it. However, given how that advice tips over into tax territory and I am neither an accountant or CPA, that’s not advice I should give.
So…
Do you often look to just one or two people to have ALL the answers for you? Or, do you have a mini-cabinet of professionals and “advisors” to help you navigate questions, choices, and challenges?
Discover Your Way
One of the things I believe about money, I believe is true for everything else, too:
I don’t subscribe to a “one-size-fits-all” philosophy.
It’s always best to discover what works for you, so you can do “it” your way.
My client is an introvert and traditional marketing activities take her way, way out of her comfort zone.
By the time we finished our session, though, my client was energized. One of the reasons is because we brainstormed ways she could tailor some “traditional” marketing and lead generation tactics to better suit her personality, style, and preferences.
And that leads me the third takeaway from my client’s question:
When things don’t look (or feel) the way you expected them to, you can get in your own way—often without realizing it.
You can get stuck in thought and action. But that actually isn’t the problem; staying stuck is.
In my client’s example, she was stuck trying to reconcile what she was seeing vs. what she thought she’d see. Spending as much time as we have on marketing and lead generation didn’t comport with what she expected from my role as a “financial behaviorist.” But as you’ve likely heard me say before (and I’ll say again): Success with money is never just about the numbers.
So…
Can you think of how you might be stuck and getting into your own way—right now?
Never Be Afraid to Ask
There’s nothing wrong with asking the professionals with whom you work, “What would you say your zone of genius is?” Because it gives you a chance to proactively reaffirm the relationship is working for you!
So, kudos to my client for asking the question she did.
If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to show her how she was getting in her own way, by expecting our work to improve her bottom-line and pipeline to be focused exclusively on the numbers.
What I helped her to see more clearly is…
how the work we do that isn’t explicitly about the numbers is just as connected to the numbers as when we are talking dollars and cents.
I’d love to help you see what you might be missing, too. After all, seeing what others can’t see clearly is my gift. 🙂 Use this link to schedule a discovery call.
