Keep Moving Forward
per·spi·cac·i·ty: the quality of having a ready insight into things; bringing knowledge forward.
I first heard the word perspicacity when I met Deanna Farrugia, the founder of The Perspicacity Group. Being the founder of a company with a made-up name like Execuity, I had just assumed it was not a real world and there had to be some meaning behind it. When I asked and discovered that it was an actual word and the real meaning behind it, I found it to be a perfect description of Deanna and her role as an Emerging Leader Coach.
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Deanna as a guest on the podcast Wealth Empowerment State of Mind. She shared how difficult it can be to find your way as an emerging leader and how women, especially, need help to find that place of empowerment. Deanna shared how she found the turning point in her own career and discovered her desire to help people on their journey.
When asked, Deanna told me that her one word was “purpose”. She said she was always purposeful in what she did every day, but she felt the shift inside, and something was not fulfilled any more. “It’s corny, but you’ve got to listen to yourself or you will ignore what’s going to feed you in the future,” she added.
That’s when she started Perspicacity, because it became all about elevating people. The meaning of Perspicacity is “bringing knowledge forward” and that’s exactly what she’s doing. She realized that once we identify what feeds us, we become more purposeful with the right motivators. She realized she loved the human centric moments and seeing the growth that she was a part of, and there’s nothing more than that celebratory moment.
Imagining a ladder of success, she helps emerging leaders strengthen every rung, and that comes from confidence. That’s focusing on growing emerging leaders. Helping people understand who they are innately, helps them understand what they’re bringing to the table. Companies need active engagement to understand who their employees are. Imagine if you received a profile from someone you wanted to hire and it said, “Here’s how to motivate me. Here’s who I am as a human. Here’s my professional statement. Here’s how I can add value to your teams. Here are my blind spots. This is when you get the best of me.” That could completely transform the employee experience in matching people with their passion. What a benefit it would be to an employer by engaging in this manner with employees to understand their fit in the organization, not just their skills.
Deanna and I discussed what the most common challenges people have and how they can get to the place where they can embrace leadership presence.
Again, she advised that It’s a journey. Deanna told me that, for example, she didn’t have a mentor. She just always focused on who she wanted to be in the next five to ten years. She worked hard every day and was always a student of how to get to the next level and be in the right place at the right time in the right reason. She advised that you have to identify your purpose and values to connect it to your success. The intended consequence is to strengthen your confidence along the way.
You’re going to fall and that’s ok. Don’t be embarrassed. Everybody does. It’s just a matter of how you move forward.
It can be especially challenging for women to find their confidence for leadership. Deanna told me that suddenly it started to bother her that, at the corporate executive level, she was the only woman in the room. Women haven’t gotten that seat at the table yet, even though they deserve it. Where the confidence comes from is doing those deep dives within yourself, knowing who you are, and nourishing what you need.
She said she loves working with women who want to pay attention and be better. Now she has the opportunity to help elevate women. That’s the gap she can help with, and she wants to work with those who want to get there. “It is such a dynamic thing to be able to help strengthen what is amazing about women and help them be unapologetic and be unyielding,” she stated.
I asked her if you could go back where you first started your career, and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be?
Deanna said, “Always keep going because you’re going to make it. I’ve made a lot of great mistakes, failed, fallen, but I’ve also picked myself up and been better for it. So, I’ve had some very challenging moments in my career, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a behavioral positive anchor and I kept sailing. I just want to tell these emerging leaders keep going. You’re going to fall and that’s ok. Don’t be embarrassed. Everybody does. It’s just a matter of how you move forward.”
To find more information or connect to Deanna Farrugia:
Connect on LinkedIn, send an email to Deanna@theperspicacitygroup.com, or go to https://www.theperspicacitygroup.com
