Real Transformations
Dauntless
Jeremy was a senior partner in a large professional services company.
This year he was asked to take over the clients and accounts of a retiring colleague.
But not just any colleague, this was the company’s star performer. Thirty years in the business, people described him as a Titan of the industry.
And Jeremy had to step into his shoes.
Most people in his position would have felt the weight of expectation. It would have been natural to feel pressure, comparison, or even the discomfort of being judged against someone legendary. The stakes were high and the spotlight was intense.
Anyone in his role would have felt the responsibility of protecting long-standing client relationships and maintaining the reputation that came with them.
But Jeremy was not anxious or even worried. He stayed cool and levelheaded.
He was excited to take on the challenge and never felt the need to mould himself into a carbon copy of his predecessor.
He felt capable, grounded and genuinely dauntless. His confidence felt justified because he knew he had already built the internal foundation to handle whatever came his way.
This behaviour was typial for Jeremy, and he didn’t have to work at it. No pep talks in the mirror, no psyching himself up.
Five years earlier, Jeremy had taken the Inner Success transformation programme to prepare himself for his senior partner role.
Inner Success had given him automatic self-regulation, so even on the busiest days he felt calm and in control.
He’d removed the triggers to reactivity, which kept him present, fully grounded and clear-headed even in high-stakes moments.
Jeremy had cleared away blocks to high performance, leaving him focused, efficient and a creative problem solver.
So although taking over his colleague’s work was a big step, Jeremy felt dauntless, and loved it!
Mastering The Board
Stephen was uncomfortable. He had been promoted from COO to CEO in a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company.
After a merger, the new board’s first choice for CEO had been the Chief Scientific Officer, but the shareholders vetoed that appointment because they wanted to keep his talent focused on development. So Stephen was made CEO instead.
Stephen had always felt confident in his skills and leadership, but knowing he was the second choice unsettled him. In this situation, it is natural to feel replaced before you even begin, uncertain of how much trust you truly have, and anxious that every early decision will be scrutinised. Stephen felt undermined and exposed, and he worried that he might be quickly replaced if he didn’t prove himself fast.
The stress started to show up in his work. He worked longer hours but felt less productive. He isolated himself and stopped doing the connecting walkabouts he had been known for. Board meetings became something he dreaded. Each report felt like a test he was going to fail, and he walked in convinced they would fire him.
He knew he needed to take action, get back to his normal self and then increase his resilience.
Thirty days into his Inner Success programme, his board meeting experience was completely different. He felt that he belonged again and saw the board members as peers rather than judges. He had not procrastinated or lost sleep over his report. He walked in calm and confident. Stephen felt like himself again.
But it didn’t stop there.
After completing the full 90-day programme, Stephen prepared for another board meeting. This time he was not simply submitting a report.
He was calling board members ahead of time, discussing goals, collecting opinions and making suggestions. He was building alignment before the meeting, bringing forward his vision and long-term strategy.
Stephen felt energised and steady. He handled the board meetings with clarity and presence and began making the impact he had always wanted to make