Transformational Thinking

It’s always a joy to interview a friend and colleague. My guest today is Dr. Terry Jackson. He is a dynamic executive advisor, thought leader, TEDx speaker, and organizational consultant. Terry is a member of the prestigious Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches Group (and a bit of a humblebrag, that is how I came to know Terry). He was also recently chosen by Thinkers50 as one of the top 50 leaders in executive coaching. His credentials go on and you can read them all here, but know that he is more than qualified to be here today! 

Let’s dive in.

The Origin Story

Can you imagine knowing what you wanted to do when you were a kid? Terry knew he wanted to be in business. He LOVED sports, but deep down? Knew he would rather run a business that dealt with sports rather than playing the actual sport. Business has been in his mindset since the beginning. Enter his pivot point. His undergraduate career made him realize that everything in life is a sale.

The Psychology of Sales

You’re trying to get into the head of the other person to use your goods and services. For many, the biggest roadblock is getting out of your own head. You’re not some sleazy salesperson. You are making connections. You are here for the conversation. Listen to people’s stories and narratives. There is a deeper system in play. Knowing how that system works can play a critical role in overcoming the roadblock. 
 

Oh My Messy Metamorphosis

Transformation is about becoming a different being. Taking the caterpillar and creating a butterfly. It’s about challenging all of the old assumptions, but understanding who you want to be while not basing it on who you were.

“Change is past-based, transformation begins right now and transformation is a journey. It doesn’t have an end.” 

If you read the textbooks on change, it would imply that there’s a nice linear step-by-step booklet to follow (HA, I wish!), but transformation can be messy. Efforts often are not as successful as we would like because we study the failures when we should be studying the successes. Understanding the foundation is key to increasing your probability success rate. You have to be courageous during transformation, otherwise, the likelihood of succeeding is slim. 
 

Are You Stuck?

We’re creatures of habit. After all, if it works, why change it? I only need to reflect on my exercise routine (or lack thereof) to know that I’m a creature of habit! But did you know that by changing up our routine, we create small wins that allow the uncomfortable to become more comfortable? Change is a part of transformation, but transformation is not necessarily a part of change. (All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares, you see?) It’s natural to experience fear when creating new paths because you can’t know if it’s the right one for you. You’ll find out along the way. Courage is necessary for transformation. 
 

Mind The Gap

So, how do you close the gap between a vision and selling it to engage with the hearts and minds of the people impacted? Well that’s where I’m going to leave you today, listen or watch the podcast to learn how you can close the gap by leveraging the 11 P’s of Transformational Thinking.

Last spoiler: Embrace the messy metamorphosis. We’re all human and we’re all in this together.