Summary: Most breakthroughs don’t begin with a grand plan. They begin with one small moment of awareness, a GLIMMER. Discover how curiosity transformed one executive coach into a jewelry designer and how your next chapter may already be waiting for you.
“Sometimes the smallest spark changes the direction of an entire life.” —Sylvia Lafair
Most people think a Glimmer is simply a moment of insight. I see it differently. A true glimmer is the instant when we notice something inside ourselves that has been quietly waiting to emerge. If we pay attention, it often leads us somewhere we never expected.
That happened recently with my friend and CEOptions, Inc. coach Joclyn Goss.
Like many successful professionals, Joclyn built her career helping others grow. She is thoughtful, creative, and deeply committed to making a difference. Yet there was another part of her that had been patiently waiting for its turn.
Curiosity Is An Integral Part of Leadership
One day she picked up a piece of metal. Not because she planned to become an artist or because she was looking for another career, simply because she felt curious, and that curiosity, as I teach, is often where Glimmers begin.
As she experimented with shaping, hammering, heating, and polishing metal, something remarkable happened. The process quieted her mind. Hours disappeared. Instead of feeling drained, she felt energized. She wasn’t just making jewelry. Rather, she was discovering another part of herself.
Today, Joclyn creates beautiful handcrafted metal jewelry as a part-time business owner and fine arts teacher. Each piece carries the fingerprints of patience, imagination, and craftsmanship. What began as curiosity has become another way she expresses who she is.
Watching her journey reminded me of something I have observed throughout my decades of coaching leaders. We often believe our next chapter will come from a carefully written strategic plan, but sometimes it arrives because we follow one small Glimmer. The same is true in leadership.
>> Read Joclyn’s thesis: Creating From Within
Curiosity Is The Fuel. GLIMMERS Are The Spark. Together They Change Lives.
For example, a leader notices they become defensive whenever their ideas are challenged. Instead of reacting, they become curious. Then they follow my 5-step Triggers to Glimmers Plan and find new, fertile territory for growth. That, my friends, is a Glimmer waiting to ignite.
A manager realizes she spends more time proving herself than listening to her team. Aha, another Glimmer. A CEO finally understands that the pressure he feels today echoes expectations he carried since childhood. Yet another Glimmer.
The greatest GLIMMERS often appear when we realize today’s reactions aren’t just about today’s challenges; they are echoes from our first organization, the family, and once we notice them, we finally have the freedom to choose differently. Every transformation follows a predictable path.
Trigger → Pause → Notice the pattern → Move through the Ugly Middle → Choose differently
These moments seem small, but they amass to great changes in our awareness.
One Moment of Awareness Can Redirect an Entire Career
Think about a Glimmer as a way to repair a relationship or uncover talents that have been hidden for decades. That is why I often say transformation rarely begins with dramatic change. It begins with noticing.
Joclyn didn’t wake up intending to become a jewelry designer. She simply followed her curiosity long enough to discover another calling.
I wonder how many of us dismiss those quiet moments because they don’t seem practical enough. Maybe we tell ourselves we’re too old, extremely busy, or simply too successful to begin again.
>> Take my GLIMMERS Self-Awareness quiz and see just how self-aware you really are!
What If The Very Thing Calling Your Attention Today is Preparing You for Tomorrow?
One small Glimmer. An unexpressed interest. It may only be from one conversation or one decision to say “yes.” That is often all it takes.
The same thing happened to me. Years ago, I wasn’t looking for a career in leadership development. During a family therapy parenting group, one man quietly asked if I would work with his executive team. I almost dismissed the invitation. Instead, I said yes. That one conversation changed the direction of my life and eventually led me to discover what I now call The GLIMMERS Effect™.
The GLIMMERS Effect™ isn’t about becoming someone different. It’s about becoming more completely yourself. So today I’ll leave you with one question: what quiet curiosity keeps showing up that you haven’t given permission to explore?
It might just be the beginning of your next great adventure.
To your success,
Sylvia Lafair
P.S. If this story made you stop and think about your own life, you’re exactly why I write these weekly reflections. Each week I share practical ideas about leadership, self-awareness, and the hidden patterns that shape our success, along with stories you won’t find anywhere else.
And if your leadership team is ready to move from reacting to responding with confidence, let’s have a conversation. Sometimes one call is all it takes to discover the next GLIMMER.
Sign up to receive the introduction to my new book GLIMMERS at WORK: The Self-Aware Leader’s Advantage™ and start noticing what you’ve been overlooking.
