Targeting The Roots

Years ago Tony Robbins made a powerful statement. He said, "Heal the boy, and the man will appear." Canadian author, speaker, and trainer Danielle Strickland says, "Transformation involves getting to the deep-rooted beliefs which feed values, create actions, and lead to results." These statements powerfully speak to the fact that fundamental, significant transformation begins with work at the root systems in a person's life.

As a mindset coach and leadership consultant, I often get clients that will share things in their life they are looking to get past. Inevitable struggles in the realm of their thinking become clear. Mental models are apparent that keep them strapped to behaviors not conducive for any kind of growth intellectually, professionally, financially, or spiritually.

Various coaches will address roots matters from different avenues of approach. Whatever the method, here is what never works: If we need to remove a fruit tree, going after the fruit never solves the problem. Fruit can undoubtedly help identify root issues, but if you want to remove an orange tree from your backyard, plucking oranges never works. If you deal with the fruit of a tree, when you return another time or season, the tree's fruit is still there. See, you have to target the roots. If you kill the source, you kill the tree because removing the tree was your ultimate goal in this example. If I coach or consult, I may observe the fruits, but I don't target them. I like to say "root assessment" always leads me to roots and patterns of thinking.

I may ask critical questions that help my client see fruits that raise the flag to an existing root system through coaching. Through consulting, I help them identify those roots. I can finally empower my clients to identify and transform their own thinking, mental models, belief systems or shifting their perceptions or perspectives.

"Transformation involves getting to the deep-rooted beliefs which feed values, create actions, and lead to results." - Danielle Strickland

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