Endings...and Beginnings

This both is and is not a New Year's post.  So you can either relax or regret the narrative to come!

This post represents (another) new beginning for me.  And an end.  In early June 2012 I made my first venture into the blogosphere.  I had a lot of questions at the time.  Still do.  Back then there was a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in my life.  I had just been forcefully been "reintroduced to the marketplace" and effectively turned my back on a 25+ year leadership career in public sector healthcare.  I had opportunities to continue in my profession in the moment and in the months and years that followed.  At that stage, I'd like to be able to say that I was making choices with a clear and steady mind but it is much more truthful to acknowledge that I left embittered, jaded and cynical.

But I did indeed strike a new path.  I started to experiment.  Didn't know what it was to be a management consultant, nor did I even have coaching in my sights until later in 2012.  I look back now and honestly feel that I wandered rather aimlessly for much of 2012 and 2013 trying to figure what next and who I was.  And who I was going to be.

At this time I asked myself, "So why a blog about leadership?", "Why another leadership blog?", and "What more of value can I add to this subject that hasn't already been said?

Well coming up on 7 years of writing - and listening to others - I have found that the value in having a blog about leadership is that it has allowed me to "think out loud", engage with others, and build relationships in ways I never thought possible.  

When I first started writing I thought it took equal amounts of courage and arrogance to put my opinions and musings out into cyberspace.  Opening myself up for potential ridicule and criticism - "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt".  My hope was  that my perspectives would not be deemed foolish nor arrogant but rather helpful to leaders of all backgrounds and experience levels as they strove to make their mark.  

In those early days my vision and focus were rather limited.  At that point, I still carried my healthcare career with me and expected - and wanted to - carry on a conversation with like-minded individuals in healthcare only.  Since then, and because of the variety of my experiences in both the public and private sector, I have found that the leadership and human issues I so often help my clients through are more common than different across a variety of sectors.  

My fundamental motivation, however, has not changed - I have been and continue to be motivated to make a real and substantial difference in the lives of my fellow human beings.  Second, I believe in personal obligation to do my part to advance and support the quality of leadership as a critical lever in achieving organizational success and potential.  I bring a clear bias to this work in that I have a strong commitment and belief in the skills and abilities of those we lead (or purport to lead) and that the best means of unleashing their full potential is through effective and empowering leadership.  Finally, and certainly not least, I believe that all organizations can advance the quality and efficiency of their operations by simultaneously making a commitment to empowerment, continuous learning, and continuous improvement. 

So what's different going forward?  Well for one thing it won't just be my voice you hear in this blog any longer.  Rather you are going to be hearing from my BreakPoint Solutions partners and perhaps a few guest bloggers going forward.  So instead of hearing or being challenged by one lone voice with a few decades of leadership experience you will literally have the benefit of hearing from the a team of voices with many more decades (if not a couple of centuries) of experience.  

My hope is that you will still continue to engage in a conversation through this blog.  Your reaction and input has helped inform many posts over the past 6+ years.  The blog will likely continue to evolve, much like I have and much like BreakPoint Solutions has over the past year or so.  I believe it will still continue to be personal in nature, reflecting our lived experiences as leaders, coaches and consultants.  The blog will be a bit of everything because of that.  Reflecting our own continuous learning, our intention to be courageous for ourselves and our clients, and help us awaken to undreamt of possibilities.  

Ultimately, I hope that the blog will serve to support the work of other leaders.  I hope that it can be a starting point for many conversations with colleagues, friends and future acquaintances as we strive to make a difference in a variety of human endeavours.

Always an ending.  Always a beginning.  Be courageous, chart a vision, awaken to possibility.  Evolve.
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Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
Executive Coach/Leadership Consultant
President & Co-Founder
BreakPoint Solutions
gregh@breakpoint.solutions

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.