"Some people say they have 20 years' experience, when in reality
they have one year's experience repeated 20 times."
 - Stephen M. R. Covey

Remember the Slinky? That simple, mesmerising toy that could "walk" down stairs and perform countless other tricks? I’ve still got one lying around the house. Beyond its role as a childhood toy, it offers a profound metaphor for how we shape our years of leadership and life.

Picture a Slinky in its compressed state – a series of tight, overlapping rings. Each ring represents a year of your life, perhaps 80 in total. While the wire's length symbolizes your lifespan, the Slinky's height represents something more significant: your developmental growth as a leader and human being.

The beauty of a Slinky lies in its potential for expansion. Just as you can stretch the spring to new heights, you can choose to expand your years into periods of meaningful growth rather than mere repetition. Covey's wisdom is powerful: it’s the difference between genuine progression and stagnant repetition.

This metaphor is particularly relevant for more seasoned leaders: The most profound stretch often comes not from doing more, but from doing different. Consider:

When was the last time you fundamentally challenged your leadership assumptions? Not just tweaking your approach, but deeply examining the beliefs that drive your decisions?

The Slinky can expand in multiple directions, just as your growth can manifest in various ways:

• Mentoring the next generation, passing on not just what you know, but who you've become, and how you did it
• Exploring the intersection of your accumulated wisdom and emerging global challenges
• Diving into personal growth areas you might have postponed
• Creating space for deep reflection and meaning-making, transforming experience into wisdom

Like a Slinky, you're designed for resilience and expansion. Your years of experience have given you a robust foundation. My question to you is: How will you stretch into the years ahead?

The most impactful leaders I've worked with share a common trait: once they reach a point of ‘success’, they view their next stages not as a time to coast, but as a unique opportunity to make their most meaningful contribution. They understand that while the quantity of time ahead may be finite, the quality and impact of that time is entirely within their control.

Your professional journey has given you a wealth of experience. How will you transform that experience into a legacy that stretches far beyond your years?

The choice is yours: Will your remaining chapters be a repetition of what you know, or an expansion into who you might become?

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Got you thinking? Take me up on some one-on-one coaching sessions. I’ll help you:

• get piercingly clear on the impact you want to make now and in the longer term
• design a blueprint for how you pay attention to what matters most
• develop strategies for sustaining your energy and avoiding burnout

Please get in touch for a chat.

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