Big Accomplishment, Now What?

My new book, Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company, launched today. 

In theory, I should be elated to have reached this milestone. And while that is true, I must confess I am at the launch point of the S Curve of Learning™ when it comes to celebrating my accomplishments. 

Some of you might be thinking, "What? The book you wrote has launched; I would be jumping for joy!" Others of you may be more understanding of my challenge. Based on my conversations with colleagues and clients over the years, I know I'm not alone in this struggle. In fact, it's surprisingly common.

For far too many, a nagging voice lingers, telling us that our work isn't as 'good' as it 'could have' been - negating the win. Tune that voice out. When you scale an S Curve and devote yourself to a project, you pay a price if you don't pause to enjoy what you have accomplished.

Not acknowledging your wins makes work harder, even a drudgery, and that has a psychological toll on you and your family. It also has a significant impact on your team and your organization. It is demoralizing if leadership is never satisfied with a result, regardless of its remarkable accomplishment. I coach others on the value of pausing to celebrate and reflect, and I am ready to commit to doing it myself. 

So, this time, I'm learning from my team, several of who are good at this. I'm embracing the journey, enjoying the process with my team, having fun in whatever happens, and celebrating the wins. 

And, we have had some great early wins. Smart Growth received a nod from the New York Times and other authors and thinkers who I deeply respect. So, to keep my commitment, now––here are some of those wins. 

Cogent...insightful...practical...inspiring.––Publishers Weekly

"This book is tremendous. I couldn't stop reading. An elegantly simple framework and a seriously smart book." -- Stephen M.R. Covey, The New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of "The Speed of Trust."

"Whitney Johnson has few equals when it comes to the topic of personal growth. And now, she has offered a true masterpiece. Her model is instructive and straightforward, but that's the least of it. I love, love, love, the case studies. The people she has visited with and the stories they have given to her deserve the word 'peerless.' Yes, it is a serious study, but it is also a true, genuine page-turner." --Tom Peters, co-author of the classic bestseller "In Search of Excellence."

"If I were a CEO, I'd want every one of my leaders to read this human, engaging and realistic book about building high-performance, high-growth human teams." – Rita McGrath, Professor, Columbia Business School, world-renowned expert on strategy and innovation, Thinkers50, bestselling author of "Seeing Around Corners,"

"Growth and change can often feel frustrating and slow, both for ourselves and our businesses. Whitney's expert advice changes this with Smart Growth! Full of powerful stories, research, and thoughtful insights, you'll walk away from this book armed with all you need to grow successfully. A must-read!" – Marshall Goldsmith, NY Times #1 bestselling author of "Triggers," "Mojo," and "What Got You Here Won't Get You There."

As disruptors, of course, we will look back to figure out what we could have done better. No process is perfect. There will be errors, and we can learn from those. But I'm saying it out loud––they aren't going to distract me from enjoying the amazing experience of launching a book.

It's not easy to start on a new S Curve, but I'm grateful to have this opportunity to grow myself, grow my team, and grow my organization.

_______

P.S. Remember to get your ticket for our online gathering - Begin, Grow, Pivot, Learn on January 20. Guests include Apolo Ohno, Pamay Bassey, Michael Bungay Stanier, and me for a 90-minute interactive experience. Leave with insights and tools to grow as you hope to in 2022. If you order a book, you will receive a free ticket.