Dear Colleague,

There has never been a better business climate for personal and professional growth. No matter the circumstances-a new job, the loss of a job, smaller teams with more work, or an unparalleled shift in what drives the market - change forces us to evaluate our strengths to become more nimble and better educated about our world.

Even without external forces, some leaders are driven to intentionally place themselves in a challenging situation, to seize an opportunity. They want big muscles and are willing to do the hard work. They launch a company, transform a brand, make a major career change in mid-life, or commit to a significant educational process.

But whether we actively pursue it or not, all of us are impacted by changing and turbulent times. There is job loss, under-employment, technology replacing people, the changing buying habits of customers, and unprecedented paradigm shifts.

As an example, who would have dreamed that social media would impact our buying habits in such a massive way? Groupon, LivingSocial, and Scoutmob have significantly changed the way customers purchase travel, services, and entertainment. New customers are born almost instantly as they try new cupcakes or restaurants. TripAdvisor and other websites have created a transparency where one traveler can easily and immediately share his/her experience at a hotel with another traveler seeking advice on where to stay. A few years ago, these sites were largely unknown.

Every crisis and circumstance presents opportunities. So stay flexible, commit to becoming better educated, having more self-awareness, actively acquiring new skills, and seeking out coaches, mentors and smart people.

Start small, think big, and move fast. It works.

A. Start Small: Solicit feedback in a systematic and honest way. Since we only have one set of eyes, we can only experience our world through a limited view.

Ask these 4 questions of at least 5 colleagues:

1. What are my strengths?
2. What do I need to do differently?
3. What am I blind to?
4. Where can I make the greatest impact and the biggest difference?

Two decades ago the formal 360 Degree Feedback Report was born. It addressed a critical question: "How can I get better when I don't have all the facts about myself?" It has become the standard for leadership development in most large and mid-sized organizations. However, companies of all sizes and in all industries can benefit.

The power of the 360 Degree Feedback Report boils down to this: Unless we are willing to look at the man or woman in the mirror, we can't get better. Nor can we claim the talents that others see in us. That's the beauty of getting 360 Degree feedback. There is no guesswork. We get a truthful and relevant report that can guide us in our future actions and decisions. Both natural talents and potential derailers show up. Click here for more information about Bixler Consulting Group's 360 Degree Feedback Workshop.

B. Think Big: Whether you are just starting out or have been in your career for years, think bigger. What else can you do? How can you take what you are doing now and leverage it? What are some great ideas that you need to share with your boss? Your peers? Your direct reports?

When Dr. Ted Stanley, an anesthesiologist, looked at how he was sedating monkeys, he took a big step. If a spoonful of sugar made the medicine go down easily and without stress to monkeys, what about children? With some additional counsel and advice from the University of Utah, he expanded his thinking and developed the Fentanyl Lollipop. This anesthetic lollipop has become the easiest way to sedate young children before a painful procedure. It is also used by cancer patients to help manage pain.

C. Move Fast: Technology has enabled us to move at lightening speed. It used to take almost 2 years to publish a book, and that was after it was completely written. Now it can be done in a very short time, using an e-reader format. Today, eBooks are out-selling hard and soft cover books by 50% on Amazon.

If the automobile industry had kept pace with technology, a Lexus today would go at the speed of sound, cost less than 2 cents, and go to the moon on a thimble of gas, according to John Naisbett, author of Megatrends. He wrote this in 1988. What would the analogy be today, 22 years later? It is hard to imagine