Authors: Gina Amaro Rudan,Kevin Carroll
Initially focusing on branding and marketing my clients’ unique points of differentiation was putting the cart before the horse. I had to go back to the drawing board and identify what my “horse” actually was—it was helping people, teams, and organizations identify and cultivate
genius,
which was the unrealized asset so clearly missing for all of them. The marketing and branding—the “cart”—could come only when this singular asset had been identified, cultivated, and set in motion. Once I understood that the crux of my work was identifying and unleashing their genius, everything began to click. So what was an astonishing personal discovery for myself became the basis of a brand-new approach for professionals who were just as ready as I had been to realize their true potential.
Here’s how I know I’ve found my “it”: Since the start of my business in 2009, when I launched the “practical genius” concept into the world, I have been traveling around the globe, working with organizations and individuals on where to find practical genius, how to master it, and what to do with it to transform their lives. The ability to recognize a need, change directions, and start a movement around the importance of modern genius was
my
moment of genius. This book will show you how to find
your
genius and share it with the world.
Practical Genius
is about going to the edges of who you are and making it happen for yourself—and not waiting for illness, disease, or temporary blindness to do it. It’s about owning your destiny—which for me is akin to constantly hearing a symphony of my passions in my head. It is a buffet, every day, of all your favorite foods. Owning your own destiny and waking up to do what your heart, mind, and soul
were intended to do is liberation. For me, that is the end—and the beginning. It is the Promised Land. It is freedom.
Do not be mistaken, however. Finding your personal genius is no small task. Identifying and realizing your own dreams will be hard work. It is risky and sometimes painful, in the way a really difficult, intense workout can be. But it’s also good, it’s healthy, and it’s based on pure passion.
So many of us compromise our passions for our strengths and end up working at what we do best rather than what we love to do. It doesn’t have to be that way!
Practical Genius
is about intertwining your strengths, your passions, and your values to establish the complete, original formula for
your
success. All too often, it is only when we are faced with the fragility of life that we realize that wasting twelve hours a day doing something we don’t love doing is a mistake. In reality, it shouldn’t take something radical or revolutionary happening to force us to stop letting life degenius us.
If you’re one of the people who think you don’t really have a choice and simply “have to do what you have to do” to survive or support your family, this book is for you. You
do
have a choice. You just haven’t stepped up with your practical genius because of fear or because you’ve been conditioned to believe that there are certain choices that are simply not available to you.
I’m not just going to shower you with platitudes. In
Practical Genius,
I’m going to show you how to do it.
The first step: you must take inventory of your strengths and passions and analyze your current reality. Are you living your most authentic purposeful life, or is there something missing? I work on changing the lives of my clients every day, and when I get them to push beyond their comfort zones and to commit to their innate genius a little each day, it’s always amazing to hear how, over time, step by step, they change and the circumstances around them change for the better.
Let’s start by taking a little snapshot of who you are and where you are right now. This diagnostic will help you measure some common challenges and opportunities before we begin your journey to genius. One of my mentors, Sheila Wellington, used to say, “Gina, we treasure what we measure,” and I have learned over time how true that really is. So, before you begin your genius journey, let’s benchmark how close or how far you are from living a practical genius life right now. This five-minute test will be a wake-up call for you and should be viewed as your very own personal genius starting block.
Directions: For each item below, circle the number that most closely describes how you view yourself today. Then add up all of your answers and compare your total to the interpretation key at the end of the test.
1 = The statement on the left best describes me
10 = The statement on the right best describes me
My values are often superseded by the values of others in my professional and personal life. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
|
I am motivated by extrinsic (material) values rather than by intrinsic (internal) values. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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The values of the organization I work for are very different from my personal values. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I used to know what my passions are, but today I am not sure. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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My passions are not a priority in my life; I nurture them only when time permits. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I do not participate in activities at work or at home that nurture my passions. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I exercise my creative abilities at home more than at work. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I am not sure what my creative talents are. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I do not think creativity matters in my personal life or in my work. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I use the left (logical) side of my brain more than the right (creative) side. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I do not seek extraordinary, personal growth-oriented experiences. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I consider myself a novice and rookie in my industry and market sector. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I have never been rewarded or recognized for my expertise. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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Although I am an expert in my field, I do not leverage my expertise outside the requirements of my job. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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My strengths are not being fully utilized. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I cannot articulate what my three greatest strengths are. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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I am not able to leverage my strengths at work on a regular basis. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
|
My skill set has gone unchanged in the last ten years. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
|
My professional development is more important to me than my personal development. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
|
I work in my current role and occupation because I have to, not because I want to. | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
|
Interpretation of Practical Genius Factor:
| 0–44: | Coma. You are far from living a life of practical genius. Immediate action is required. |
| 45–69: | Serious. Fear is a major dynamic, and you avoid expressing your genius, which is a formidable obstacle to your growth and well-being. |
| 70–94: | Stifled. You feel helpless and stuck. Your talent and energy are not in play. |
| 95–119: | Barely tolerable. You are showing up for life but are apathetic both intellectually and emotionally. |
| 120–144: | Comfortable. You are creative and things get done, but there is little “spark” to take things to the next level. |
| 145–169: | Satisfactory. You are striving toward performance, and occasional strokes of genius appear. |
| 170–194: | Great. You are engaged, energetic, and innovative. This is fertile ground for exceptional results. |
| 195–200: | Excellent. Practical genius is in the house! |
Practical genius is your jillion-dollar personal portfolio of brilliance. It’s the secret code within you that only you can crack. But once you do, the possibilities are endless.
Contrary to the traditional beliefs about genius, practical genius is based on the truth that each of us possesses genius deep inside and it’s just waiting to be activated and set in motion. That’s what practical genius is all about: identifying and leveraging both the soft and hard unique personal assets each of us possesses. Of course, it’s also about using those assets to open doors, attract opportunity, leverage personal power, and succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
Identify your genius.
This means consciously acknowledging and taking active responsibility for your unique strengths, skills, expertise, passions, creativity, and values. Hint: the intersection of these quantitative and qualitative characteristics is where your practical genius lies. It requires a particular kind of self-assessment, a series of reflective exercises that enable you to identify the genius ingredients that you possess. This extraction phase of work represents your very own genius full-body scan. I promise it won’t hurt.Express your genius.
The greatest challenge for most people—which is rarely addressed in leadership models—is visibility. If you are not actively, purposefully sharing your unique narrative with the world, you’re compromising your personal and professional impact. This chapter is all about your story and how you share it. Think of this as a long-overdue opportunity to tell the
real
story.Expressing your genius is about turning that sweet spot where your
hard and soft assets meet into the story you tell others. A person without a story is invisible. It’s here that I will ask you to consider a range of aspects of your expression, including your narrative, your themes, your vocabulary, and your visuals. Expressing genius is about not leaving any side of yourself out of the game. It all matters. Enough with the same narratives; here we will push the bar and begin to tell new provocative, daring, inspiring stories about who you are and why you matter.Surround yourself with genius.
You are who you walk with. Raise the bar, and build your network with others who are living purposeful, inspired lives. This is about reaching out in a nontransactional way and cultivating meaningful, deeply valuable relationships. Raise your expectations, elevate your standards, and surround yourself with people who are a positive reflection of your genius.We have many kinds of relationships in our lives, and who we spend our time with is critical to improving and building upon our goals and experiences. This chapter will introduce you to the kinds of relationships we should be cultivating every day—our Yodas (mentors), our ambassadors (cheerleaders), our “fat brains” (smart young people), and a tribe (our crew). Once you have identified who is on your wish list for each of these types of relationships, I will walk you through a simple process that has opened many a door in my own life. These are the rules of engagement and a blueprint for building the genius relationships you want to have.
Sustain your genius.
Living your practical genius requires rededicating yourself to its mastery every day. This means cultivating a constant focus on committing to a practice that naturally suits your genius. And as with any successful behavioral model, it requires applying measurements and personal accountability. Broken down into practical terms, this chapter offers you new daily routines that will keep you healthy, productive, and prosperous. It’s one thing to decide to reach for greatness, something else entirely to sustain it. What it boils down to is resilience, staying focused on growth, and holding yourself accountable to your own genius. This
means making the right choices for your body and mind, keeping your professional and personal lives deeply connected in order to reap and enjoy the benefits of a life lived within a genius zone.This chapter is the most important; without constant sustenance, we fall back upon bad habits. Sustaining genius involves a range of factors, from incorporating brain food into your diet to exercises that work your creative muscles to establishing rituals that stimulate your intuition. You’ll even create a mantra to help hold you accountable to your daily genius life. Sustaining real smarts takes discipline and commitment. I never said it would be easy.
Market your genius.
This is where the game really changes. When you project and broadcast your genius consistently, with clear purpose and passion, your personal and professional dynamic shifts into crazy growth mode. This chapter is dedicated to leveraging what is distinct and original about your genius to attract, engage, and grow your natural audience. When you are living and working at the intersection of all your assets, you’re marketing your genius on all frequencies.