Letters to my 22 year-old self - Part XVIII “Authenticity - Finding your true voice"

“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”- William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Dear Shawn

Throughout your life you have had the privilege of working for some great people. They have come from all walks of life and possessed an incredible wealth of experiences. Although there are dramatic differences between them they all shared two common traits; transparency and consistency.

With respect to transparency I mean that I never had to try to interpret their words or try to interpret what it was that they were really trying to tell me, they spoke to me in simple terms, with personal stories and always made sure that I understood the point that they were making.

In addition to this they were always consistent in the way they communicated, the way they carried themselves and the way they treated others around them. You never had to guess from one day to another how they would react or respond and it allowed you to trust them and efficiently communicate with one another.

As you build your career I would encourage you to cherish these two qualities and to integrate them into your leadership ethos. Here are a few learnings to help you get started –

1 – When communicating with others start by expressing your thoughts in the simplest way possible. Let their questions and curiousity drive the detail and let them take you where they want to go.

2 – Be open about how you are feeling on any given day. Helping people understand how your energy is can really help them interpret your mood and better adjust their expectations of you.

3 – Be authentic in the way you communicate using humility and humor to make yourself more relatable and interesting

4 – Ask for feedback, thank others for feedback and demonstrate that you are integrating feedback in the way you evolve your thinking and actions

5 – Define and internalize your personal brand and represent it every single day. If you are challenger, folks will expect you to challenge. If you are a facilitator, folks will expect you to facilitate. If you are a deep thinker, folks will expect you to think deeply. Embrace your role!

6 – Get comfortable with saying “I don’t know” opening the door for others to see you as approachable and building a bridge for others to teach you something

7 – Complete a 360 peer feedback review every 5 years or so to understand how you are perceived, what people rely on you for and where your blind spots are. Share with your peer group what your development priorities are and ask them for ongoing feedback to help you achieve them

Find your voice, be yourself and be consistent every single day!

If you enjoyed this write-up here are direct links to the rest of the series.

Part I – “Keep an eye on the gas gauge”

Part II – “What’s the worst that can happen?”

Part III – “What’s the ONE THING”

Part IV – “Navigating the ups and downs of a career in sales”

Part V – “Don’t eat the marshmallow”

Part VI – “Not every mountain is Mt. Everest!”

Part VII – “Anchor your career with your towering strengths”

Part VIII – Do you choose the red pill or the green pill?

Part IX – “Managing your Monkeys”

Part X – “Attacked from Within”