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Ever felt like you're just another face in the crowd?

Struggling to make an impact on LinkedIn or with your clients?

What if I told you that the secret to standing out is already within you?

Today, we're diving into a brilliant concept. If you use it with intent, it will revolutionise your online presence and enhance your impact for the better.

It's called your "Zone of Genius".

And it's about to become your new superpower.

Intrigued? You should be.

Let's unlock this powerful secret together...

What is the Zone of Genius?

Gay Hendricks coined the term "Zone of Genius" in his book "The Big Leap".

He emphasises it's importance:

From this perspective, your Zone of Genius is far more than a buzzword. It's a transformative concept that can enhance your LinkedIn presence.

But it's much more than this. It will also have a major impact on your business, life, and sense of fulfillment too.

Your Zone of Genius is:

• The work that you're uniquely suited to do

• The tasks that light you up and energise you

• The skills that come naturally to you. You might even overlook them and not realise how special they are.

Sounds simple, right?

But here's the truth:

Most people never step into their Zone of Genius.

They're too busy trying to fit in, rather than stand out.

Are you making the same mistake?

Why Your Zone of Genius Matters on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn isn't just a platform – it's a stage.

And you're the star of the show.

When you operate in your Zone of Genius:

1. Your content resonates with depth.

2. You become magnetic to your ideal clients

3. You stand out with ease in a field of copycats.

But how do you find and leverage your Zone of Genius?

I'm glad you asked...

Uncovering Your Zone of Genius: A Simple 3-Step Process

Step 1: Reflect on Your Superpowers

Your superpowers are the unique talents, strengths, or abilities that you naturally excel at. They bring joy and fulfilment not just to you, but to those you serve too.

They are all about reaching an optimal state. A state where you operate at your highest potential, doing work that is both satisfying and impactful.

This means one clear thing: identifying your superpowers is crucial.

So, let's dive deeper using a proven method:

The Reflected Best Self Exercise, developed by researchers at the University of Michigan.

Here's how you can do it:

1) Gather feedback

• Reach out to 15-20 people who know you well (mentors, colleagues, friends, family).

• Ask them to provide specific examples of times when you were at your best

2) Identify patterns:

• Look for recurring themes in the feedback

• What strengths do people consistently mention?

3) Create a self-portrait

• Write a description of yourself that summarises these key strengths

• This is your "best self" portrait.

4) Redesign your work

• Look for ways to incorporate more of these strengths into your daily work

This exercise helps you uncover your true superpowers – the foundation of your Zone of Genius.

Step 2: Identify Your Interests (Not Just Passions)

Here's where you should be extra careful.

While passion is often touted as the key to career/life satisfaction, it's not the whole story.

Cal Newport, in his book "So Good They Can't Ignore You," argues that "follow your passion" is bad advice. Here's why:

1. Most people don't have a clear pre-existing passion.

2. Matching a job to a pre-existing interest doesn't always lead to satisfaction.

In his own words, Cal Newport says the following:

So instead of chasing passion, focus on developing rare and valuable skills.

Ask yourself:

• What skills am I naturally drawn to improving?

• What types of problems do I enjoy solving?

• What topics consistently capture my interest?

Remember, passion often follows skill development, not the other way around.

Step 3: Find the Intersection:

Your Zone of Genius lies at the intersection of your superpowers and your interests.

It's where your unique talents meet the work you're driven to excel in.

To find this sweet spot:

1. Create a Venn diagram:

• Circle 1: Your superpowers (from Step 1)

• Circle 2: Your interests (from Step 2)

• Circle 3: Market demand (skills and services people will pay for)

2. Look for overlap:

• Where do your superpowers, interests, and market demand intersect

• This intersection is your Zone of Genius.

3. Experiment and iterate:

• Try projects or tasks that fall within this intersection

• Pay attention to when you feel most energized and effective

• Adjust your focus based on these experiences

Remember, finding your Zone of Genius is a process, not a one-time event.

Be patient with yourself and stay open to discovery.

Applying Your Zone of Genius on LinkedIn

Now that you've identified your Zone of Genius, it's time to solidify it on LinkedIn.

Here's how:

1. Craft your profile around your Zone of Genius

Instead of a generic profile, express what makes you unique.

Pay close attention to your:

1. Profile picture

2. Headline

3. Banner

4. Featured section

5. About section

6. Experience section

7. Recommendations

8. All other sections and details

Make sure you prioritise them in that order too.

But why?

It’s simple…

The aspects at the top get seen the most. So they’re the most important.

2. Share content that showcases your expertise

Don't just post generic content – demonstrate your expertise:

• Share key moments in your life and how they shaped you.

• Create 'how-I' content that solves specific problems.

• Offer behind-the-scenes looks at your work process

• Share industry trends with your unique perspective

• Show before and after client transformations.

• Highlight your failures and lessons learnt.

• Share the insights only you can provide.

The thing that matters the most here is that you always bring your unique twist to things.

Your perspective, insights, stories, and more. They all matter.

Think of it like this...

If your content offers solutions or insights that a quick google search can find, then it’s useless. There's no form of value that your audience can't get elsewhere.

That right there matters.

Bring you to the forefront of your content because there's only one you.

Your audience can't find another you elsewhere.

Remember that!

So when you embrace your true self, you attract and resonate with 3 key kinds of people:

• Those who see themselves in you and what you do.

• Those who aspire to be like you and admire what you do.

• Those who need support in your area of expertise.

It's all about understanding that we all crave human connection.

That's what embracing your true self does. It helps people connect with you.

They start to know, like, and trust you, and there's immense power in that.

3. Engage with intent and authenticity

Comment and connect from a place of genuine interest and expertise:

• Comment on posts with thoughtful insights, not just generic praise.

• Offer help or resources without expecting anything in return.

• Initiate meaningful conversations through direct messages.

• Share relevant experiences that add value to discussions.

• Ask probing questions that showcase your expertise.

It’s simple, but it works.

People want the real you, not some fake copycat!

It’s you they resonate with.

4. Offer services aligned with your ‘Zone of Genius’

When your services align with your zone of genius, it shows. Your work feels meaningful, and you're enthusiastic with everything you do.

This genuine excitement, it drives your creativity and commitment. You become magnetic. You attract clients who resonate with your energy and values.

Aligning your services with your zone of genius isn't hard either. Just focus on what excites and energises you.

Then bring that to the forefront of your offer and what you do. Don't overcomplicate it!

Those tasks where time flies and work feels effortless, that's where your services should lie. So build your offer around these strengths. Then delegate or eliminate the rest.

There's one person who comes to my mind here. He embraces his zone of genius to a tee. Who's that person you ask? It's Gary Vaynerchuk.

How Gary Vee embraces his ‘Zone of Genius’:

Gary Vaynerchuk, or 'Gary Vee' as he's known, is a master at leveraging his zone of genius.

His superpower? Raw, unfiltered communication and an uncanny ability to spot emerging trends.

Gary's genius lies in his authentic, no-nonsense approach to business and life. He doesn't just talk the talk; he lives and breathes his message.

Whether he's running his businesses, investing, on stage, or posting on social media, Gary's energy is infectious. He's turned his natural talent for straight talk and motivation into a powerful personal brand.

But there's a key lesson about his approach:

Gary doesn't try to be everything to everyone. He focuses on what he does best - inspiring entrepreneurs, predicting digital trends, and building businesses.

The impact on your clients:

Like Gary Vee, when you operate in your Zone of Genius:

• You solve problems in ways that only you can.

• Your clients receive your best, most inspired work

• Your enthusiasm becomes contagious, energising your clients

The result?

Happier clients, better outcomes, and a strong reputation.

Moral of the story:

In a world of copycats, your uniqueness is powerful.

Why dim your light to fit in when you can let it shine to stand out?

As Gary Vaynerchuk says…

Your Zone of Genius is waiting. Are you ready to step into it?

Until next week,

Ryan