Dr. Francis Eberle

Recently a client of mine who is a self-starter decided to change jobs. Moves like this take a great deal of effort. They disrupt your routines, your work style and sometimes relationships. For my client, the new position required moving to a new state and learning new roles, people and systems. As we talked, I realized she wasn’t talking about her Why: what drives her and why she wanted this position.

So I asked her, what about this position was worth all the transitions and new challenges? Without much hesitation she stated her reasons. It was not really a surprise that they were grounded in her principles and values.  

I tell you this because self-starters can often be quick to action. They can sometimes do things without asking or try new things to just to test them. Throughout my management career and coaching work, I’ve seen that it’s not just about the action itself. In fact, self-starters who are successful have a deeper, more intrinsic reason for their actions, even if those decisions are made quickly.