I felt trapped. I’d hit a plateau, and I just wasn’t engaged with my work. From the outside, it looked like I was at the top of my game. I had published a book, and I was on stage speaking at conferences, but in reality, I was trapped in my Zone of Excellence.

I had led the redesign of some huge websites like Marriott.com and the Trainline, yet there were better designers than me. I described myself as a designer, but in reality, I was a problem solver. My unique genius—as a modest Brit, the term 'genius' is hard to use to describe yourself, but I digress.

My journey to find my Zone of Genius was both slow and surprisingly fast. I will share more about it in this newsletter over the next few months.

What excites me and drives me is tackling increasingly challenging problems, the solutions to which create a huge impact in the world. I am proud to work with CEOs to help them find their Zone of Genius. That's my Zone of Genius.

Let's explore the definition of the Zone of Genius and provide you with some tools to discover yours...

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Find Your Zone of Genius

Have you ever wondered why some tasks light you up while others leave you drained? The secret to a truly fulfilling and impactful career lies in finding and staying in your Zone of Genius.

Inspired by Gay Hendricks’ The Big Leap, this concept helps us break down our work into four zones:

1. Zone of Incompetence: Tasks you dislike and struggle with. Delegate these to avoid unnecessary frustration.

2. Zone of Competence: Things you can do but don’t love, and others can do just as well.

3. Zone of Excellence: Activities you excel at and are often rewarded for, but they don’t energize you.

4. Zone of Genius: Where your unique talents and passions align, and you experience flow and fulfillment.

Many high-performing leaders get stuck in the Zone of Excellence—comfortable but unfulfilled. This leads to burnout and a sense of stagnation. The challenge? Moving into your Zone of Genius.

Start by listing tasks that energize you and those that drain you. What patterns emerge? What can you delegate? Remember: what drains you may be someone else’s Zone of Genius.

​I have more resources and ways to help you find you Zone of Genius in my signature library ​

Thank you and catch you soon,

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