The journey to genuine success
By Patrick K. Magyar & Bernhard Mikoleit
The practical basic framework has been drawn from leading and observing performance-oriented individuals and teams. This process has revealed five stages for the strength-based journey to success. Each and everyone can master them:
The 1st stage: Self-knowledge
The process of perceiving, of recognising your self is the first step to success. Planning and acting successfully requires knowledge of your strengths, knowledge of what you can be sure about yourself. Identifying these – often subconscious – strengths is not easy. But the Visual Implicit Profiler (VIP)® will start you off. The entire process is embedded in the interaction between at least two involved parties: individuals and their team, their family, a coach, etc. Thus, in dialogue, a positive epistemic space is created that enables individuals to recognise and – at a later stage- utilise their talents and strengths.
The 2nd stage: Recognising diversity and otherness
If you are precise, work methodically and strategically, you are not necessarily creative, spontaneous, and empathic at the same time. And if you start exploring, first your own and then the strengths of others, you will most likely come to the following conclusion: There are people who are more talented than yourself in certain areas, and you are more talented than them in others. Diversity and otherness are not only defined by your origins, your skin colour or gender. Diversity starts with personality. No one can ever be successful alone.
The 4th stage: Trust
Closeness and acceptance form a foundation to build trust on. Such a foundation cannot be achieved by words only, actions are important. And role models are even better. Your acting in a manner you would expect from others to act will inevitably lead to trust. And your failing to match your actions with your words will destroy trust quickly and without fail. Trust is an incredibly powerful emotion, comparable only to fear probably. But who would want to achieve success via fear?
The 5th stage: Decision
Being successful implies a goal in mind – for you as an individual or for a group of people. The first four stages of the journey to strength-based success can only be expedient, if you decide to use your strengths purposefully – for yourself, your team, your group, your business. The road to success may be simple, but it is never easy. Recognising your own strengths and the strengths people around you possess, and then banking on such individual and common strengths will give you the best chances to experience the full journey of success.
The 3rd stage: Accepting diversity and otherness
In a next step, we have to accept diversity and otherness. Three things are required to achieve this: First of all, everyone will have to have explored their own strengths in order to muster the necessary confidence. Secondly, each and everyone will need an opportunity to contribute their strengths. And finally, we need closeness: To deal with other people personally increases nearness and creates intimacy. This leads to closeness first and, eventually and automatically, to acceptance.