You’ll make the best financial decisions for business growth when you understand your behavioural type. This is how to use your hard wiring to excel and be happy.
It’s entirely possible to make good financial decisions for business growth AND stay true to your purpose. In fact, it’s the best thing to do.
Why?
Hardwired behaviour is 85% deeply ingrained by the age of three and 95% by the age of seven, which means unconscious habits and go-to thought processes from our early years can blow us off course. What if we were to understand, harness and adapt these things without losing our uniqueness, mission and values?
What would we unlock?
We would excel at what we’re best at and ensure we’re creating the best outcomes at the same time.
In the latest episode of the Sparks by Ignium podcast, we spoke to Behavioral Finance Strategist Hugh Massie about making the most of your innate hard wiring and experiences, whatever they are.
He’s someone who knows what he’s talking about. His journey from Chartered Accountant to founder of DNA Behavior International has given him a great deal of insight. Having created the only behavioural profiler of its type, the heart of his mission is a desire for everyone to live their unique design without regret.
Here are five of our favourite things we learned from the conversation. How will they impact you?
- Understand that your personality type will affect your business decisions because financial behaviour fits into the mix in unexpected ways.
For example, success isn’t always driven by money, we know that outcomes come from people. If a business is struggling with innovation, it needs products. Who is going to solve that problem? People. Your ingrained habits may impede hiring and retaining your A-team even though you’re making good decisions on paper. ‘Behind every business problem is a human behaviour, problems don’t just happen.’ Hugh says.
- Your leadership culture is your company culture. An aligned, optimally functioning board doesn’t have to be composed entirely of members of the same personality type. In fact, it’s in this mix that a rich culture is nurtured. Different approaches to financial decisions will give rise to a balance of long-term and short-term solutions, for example, as well as action-focused and people/relationship-focused outcomes.
What matters is that you’re working towards the same purpose with an understanding that others will have different priorities within that – and that’s healthy. You’ll have the tools you need to flex, comprehend, delegate and evolve.
- It’s possible to avoid drama and thrive through stress. By getting to grips with your personality type and where your unique skills, talents and experience fit into your story, you’re able to build a picture of where your strengths are.
Of course, if strengths are overplayed they become a struggle but by gaining clarity, adapting or learning how to delegate we save our energy to create first-class outcomes.
- Remember that being comfortable and being fulfilled are not necessarily the same thing. In the podcast, Hugh relates how he made the brave decision to move from a good life in Australia to America to stretch himself.
‘I thought if I can impact a lot of people probably that would have a big financial impact as well’, Hugh relates. ‘You have to think, what’s my driver?’ Hugh desired to self-empower people so that they could live happy, healthy, and successful lives with less stress and drama.
What’s your desire for the greater good?
- Where you start doesn’t have to be where you end up and you can choose to take others on that journey too.
In the podcast, Hugh talks about his difficult start in life. His father died when he was just one year old and his brother was not yet born. Did that hold him back? ‘I made a decision, was I going to be a victor or a victim?’ he says.
Taking this one step further, he founded an organisation that impacts the outcomes of young people who’ve had a similar start in life. Using the power of his Initiator personality type, he’s able to show up in his own way to make the world a better place.
Finally, we asked Hugh to share his life’s motto.
‘Live your unique design in harmony and without regret.’ he says. Does that mean he’s never made any mistakes? ‘I’ve made a few,’ he answers. It’s how you deal with them that matters.
What’s behind DNA Behavior profiling and what are the Initiator and Engager types? Which one are you? How can you make the best financial decisions for business growth – and stay true to your uniqueness and purpose?
Listen to the Sparks by Ignium podcast by clicking here or search Sparks by Ignium on your favourite platform to find out.
Coming up soon – Hugh interviews Ignium’s Phil Rose on his own podcast to discover his behavioural type and how it affects his decision-making. Stay tuned.
Turn your insight into targeted and meaningful action by working with a business coach. At Ignium we have a team of friendly, experienced people ready to help you lift your enterprise to the next level. Get in touch today and let’s have a chat.
P.S. Remember tickets for our November event The 7 Keys to Successfully Growing with Purpose are available now.
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