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Getting your prospects and clients to take meaningful action can sometimes feel like pushing a boulder uphill. You offer them solid advice, smart strategies, maybe even a few clever analogies, and yet… inertia.
Let’s borrow a quick lesson from our old friend Sir Isaac Newton. His First Law of Motion tells us, “A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest tends to remain at rest.” In other words: people get stuck.
Some clients are stuck on a path that no longer serves them. They can be guided by outdated advice, ingrained habits, or the ever-popular “this is how I’ve always done it.” Others are stuck doing absolutely nothing. Heads in the sand. Paralyzed by the fear of making a wrong move. Frozen in indecision.
Now for the second part of Newton’s Law: “…unless acted upon by an outside force.”
That’s you.
By stepping into a financial leadership role, you become that outside “force.” You are the spark that jolts them out of complacency and into clarity, confidence, and action. You help them see what they weren’t seeing, consider what they weren’t considering, and take the steps they might never take on their own.
Sometimes you have to show them the “cost” of staying where they are – the cost of doing nothing.
Do you see yourself as a financial leader?
Here’s my definition of financial leadership:
Helping people make educated financial decisions that are in their best interest that they wouldn’t make without you.
Simple. Powerful. True.
And to show up as a real leader, you need two key ingredients:
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Context – Start with intentional curiosity. Seek to understand the full picture before offering advice. Without the proper context, even the best ideas can miss the mark.
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Courage – It takes guts to challenge someone’s beliefs—especially when those beliefs are holding them back. Ask the hard (but kind) questions. Gently confront the myths. Be willing to ruffle a few feathers in service of their long-term well-being.
When you combine context with courage, you create meaningful movement. You become more than just an advisor; you become a catalyst.
Bottom line? The best advice in the world means nothing if it doesn’t lead to action. Financial leadership is what turns good intentions into results. And the most successful advisors don’t just manage, grow, and protect their money; they help people move forward.
So, be the force. Be the spark. Lead them out of inertia and into meaningful action.
Related: Attracting and Retaining Top Talent for Your Financial Advisory Practice