Getting Naked

Getting Naked...

I love giving this book to entrepreneurs.

In fact, every new client CEO gets a copy before our first session, with one requirement: read it before we begin.

When I hand it to them, I usually get the same funny look and the same question:
“What is this?”

The title is provocative, and it is meant to be. But the message is clear, and it has shaped the foundation of my business practice for more than 15 years.

I first read Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni in 2010, and it has stuck with me ever since. Lencioni is one of my favorite business authors, and he wrote this book for coaches, consultants, advisors, and anyone who serves clients in a consultative way.

The concept is called “Naked Service,” and it centers around overcoming three fears:
The fear of feeling inferior.
The fear of being embarrassed.
The fear of losing the business.

As a Strategic Growth Partner, my job is to get over all three.
When I do, I am able to serve my clients in the way they need, value, and expect, whether they say it out loud or not.

That is not always easy. For me, the hardest one to overcome was the fear of losing the business. But once I got past that, I became a better advisor. I could say what needed to be said. I could challenge clients with care. I could stop trying to protect the relationship and start serving the relationship.

That is where the real value is.

One of the most important lessons from the book is to “tell the kind truth.” Another is to “leave empty.”

At the end of a client call, accountability session, or planning session, I often pause and ask myself:
“Am I leaving empty?”
If the answer is no, I stop.
And then I tell the kind truth.

That practice has changed the way I serve clients. It is one of the reasons many of them stick around for years. Not because the work is always comfortable, but because it is valuable.

And when the work is valuable, clients cannot imagine doing without it.

If you serve business leaders in any advisory capacity, I highly recommend reading Getting Naked.

And if you want to talk about what it looks like to build a business relationship rooted in trust, candor, and real accountability, reach out.

Keith