I Was Part of My First Squad This Past Year. It Was a Game-Changer.
By: Kristy Wallace
Squads is the game changer pushing me forward during these hard times.
I was part of my first Squad this past year.
I hadn’t signed up before because I thought I didn’t have the time… I thought I didn’t have anything to talk about…
I didn’t want to be vulnerable in front of a group of peers.
I was afraid of how uncomfortable it would be.
I was struggling to manage it all. Caring for three young children, supporting a team deeply impacted by what was happening in the world, speaking up for a community that was experiencing losses in employment, steering a business through uncertain times…
To be honest, I went into the Squads experience overwhelmed, feeling like I was failing, and unable to even commit time to my own wellbeing.
[Related: You Might Feel Like You’re Failing — But Your Squad Will Prove You Wrong.]
It’s not easy to admit that you have doubts in your abilities as a leader — or a professional, or a parent.
But it’s exactly what I was going through.
Being able to talk through the things that were keeping me up at night with peers from different industries, businesses stages, and functional areas gave me so many unique perspectives that I applied to my business and my life.
I came to realize that I wasn’t alone. We were all feeling the same way.
My Squad shared the tools they used to overcome these uncertainties and keep moving forward. They helped me reframe my perspective in a way that led to a powerful “a-ha” moment and helped me to get unstuck.
Yes, being part of a Squad is about being opening up, but they’re a safe space. My Squad turned out to be one of the most vulnerable, meaningful experiences of my life.
[Related: The Nine Types of People You Need in Your Success Circle]
The 30 minutes a week I spent with my group was time set aside just for me, and the impact was exponential.
Once I was in the thick of it, I realized how much I actually had to share, to learn, and to grow. I overcome challenges with hours of productive activity, crowdsourcing opportunities, and advice.
Yes — this may sound like a pitch for Squads, but I want to be transparent.
I hope you will apply for your Squad today — we only run the program twice a year, so don’t miss out.
Don’t make the mistake I made, don’t wait.
Kristy
CEO, Ellevate Network
[Related: How to Reach the Next Level in Your Career]
Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com.
