The Moment | Tracy Hutton
We believe that life is a collection of Moments. Some ever so big, some fleeting, some small. It is in these Moments and the choices we make within them, that shape the people we become and what our lives will stand for.
We are reaching out to the most interesting, inspiring & successful leaders around the world to ask them about their Moments. In the spirit of our number one value, collaboration, our goal with this series is for you to experience development and enrichment from today's most inspirational leaders.
If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Tracy speak, coach or facilitate, you're missing out! As the VP of Coaching at The Marcus Buckingham Company Tracy travels the world influencing global leaders through her work focused on strength based leadership. Tracy holds her Masters Degree in Leadership and has held leadership positions at companies such as lululemon athletica and Intrawest, however it is her captivating, authentic presence that will impress you most. We were fortunate enough to get some insight on Tracy's biggest life lessons and what keeps her motivated.
Tracy, tell us about the time…
You realized you were in the presence of a great leader/teacher…
In 2005, I heard Marcus Buckingham speak live. I felt like I was the only person in the audience; like he was speaking directly to me. His message: your greatest opportunity for lasting contribution lies in leveraging your strengths not in fixing your weaknesses - settled in my heart and motivates me daily. I consider it a tremendous honour to work with Marcus and pull hard for his mission to transform the world of work.
You knew you were on the right path in your career…
The first opportunity I had to facilitate leadership content for a group of managers, I felt authentic and excited, motivated to bring my best, open to the group’s feedback and immediately started prepping for my next session. I really had no idea what I was doing – ha- but I was driven to learn. When individuals started to seek out 1:1 time with me for advice on how to lead their people effectively, I instantly felt responsible and excited to learn as much as possible so I could be of greatest service to them. The motivation to do my best was purely intrinsic. Nobody had to dangle anything in front of me to draw me to the work.
You failed…
At my father’s funeral, when given the opportunity to address the audience, I decided not to speak. I was afraid of not doing a good enough job of representing what an extraordinary human being he was. I let my fear of not being articulate enough, of not finding the right words, stand in the way of honouring my Dad by expressing what was in my heart. It’s the only thing in my life I regret.
You chose something different than what was expected of you…
At 18, I quit university after 6 weeks and moved to Whistler. I had always been a model student, dedicated to academic excellence, and other people had set goals for my career. I’ll never forget the day that I stood up in the middle of a lecture, walked out of the hall, got on a bus and headed to my Mom’s office to tell her that I was quitting. She let me know that while she knew that I would feel pressure to not quit from people who care a great deal about me, (which I did!), that she believed in me and knew I would find my way. Which I did.
You wake. And the ritual you have to start your day…
RPM. Rise. Pee. Meditate. I also read, every day without fail, a quote from his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, “Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.” I also have an evening ritual. I write 3 things I’m grateful for in my journal. And the last thing I do before I fall asleep is say to myself: “I forgive you for anything and everything that didn’t go as planned today.” Peaceful sleep ensues.
You made your best hire…
I’ll cheat a little on this one, not so much a moment but a principle that never lets me down. Be clear on the activities of the role and find people who love to do those activities. It seems so obvious and yet, many times I’ve hired people who I like very much and who I hope might grow to love the work they’re signing up for… and they never do. Be clear on what the person will be doing every day and find people who are deeply invested, capable and curious about those activities.
You felt the most successful in life…
Is it too cliché to say giving birth to my beautiful boy? Because that’s certainly the moment that I felt most alive. And for me aliveness is success.
You received feedback that was hard to hear but worth listening to…
A former manager wondered whether I understood that I had the ability to impact the ‘mood’ in the room. She said that I literally (but really figuratively) changed the temperature in the room depending on how I was feeling that day and that she needed me to be more responsible with how I showed up. I regularly recall those words. It’s not that I fake being happy if I’m not, it’s just that I recognize that my energy is my responsibility.
You chose to walk away from someone or something…
At 31, I chose to leave Whistler and get serious again about discovering what I was here (like, on the planet) to do. Many people thought I was crazy to leave a really good job in one of the most fun places on earth. Life was good, yet I could no longer bear what I, at the time, called the burden of my potential. There was a constant voice in my head that was saying: “there’s more to do here” and I could no longer ignore it. It was uncomfortable. It was almost painful. I moved to Vancouver, went back to school, worked my tail off and designed a life that I’m proud of. I do not regret those early choices – they were essential to where I am today.
Bit off more than you could chew…
I was working full time during the day, had a 1 year old child, and after I put him to sleep at night, I would start my second shift coaching clients in Asia Pacific. I would take client calls at 9, 10 and 11pm at night. While I loved the coaching, I was so tired by the time I was speaking to my 3rd client, I was not even close to bringing my full attention to the call. Really, nobody was getting my best. I had to get real with everyone about my actual capacity. I’m not super proud of that – I wish I could have a do over for some of those calls!
Saw yourself and your true potential…
In drama class, grade 10. Our assignment was to choose a monologue and perform it for the class. I decided to write and perform my own. I was so absorbed in that performance, I lost myself in it completely. I was unaware of the audience completely. When I finished, and looked up at my teacher and my class: they didn’t clap. They didn’t move. I panicked for a half-second – did I just mess that up completely? And then I noticed their tears. And then they stood. And then they cheered. I was embarrassed at first, and then I felt deeply honoured.
You understood advice your parents gave you (what was it?)…
The advice was actually from my grandmother. She would say “Don’t wish your life away”. I never really understood it until my late 30s – realizing how much of my life I’d been distracted, worrying about upcoming challenges thinking “I’ll be happy when that’s over” or ruminating over past decisions and fretting “I wish I’d never done that” and often stepping over the simple and beautiful that were unfolding right in front of me. I’m so grateful for every moment of my life. Good and bad. All of it. This opportunity to be alive – this precious
human life.
May I make a difference in the lives of others, moment by moment.