Too often I come across people who try too hard to be what they’re not. We all do it sometimes – put an exceptional person or idea up on a pedestal and aspire to be more like them.
One thing to remember though is that every person has that unique spark that makes them an inspiration to others. Some might call it your “talent”, or in the corporate world, your “USP” (unique selling point). I like to think of it as the best version of yourself.
We all have a set of values and guiding principles that we live by. We all have something that excites us and sparks joy. We all want to do well in our everyday lives, recognising that every person has their own paramateres for defining this, and to feel proud of what we do.
I say bring that spark to the forefront – wear it like a badge of honour, and cast off the carefully crafted and cultivated outer layer of organisational culture – you know the one, it makes you say things like “we need to do more with less”, and “do I have your buy-in on this?”, or “We need to empower our staff to make better decisions”…. No. Just don’t.
Be your authentic self and you will not only be respected as an authentic and trusted member of your team, but believe it or not, you will also sound smarter and be a more pleasant person to work with. You will then be the one who others look to for leadership, even if you’re not in a leadership position.
Then you can crack on with changing the world!
Nexus Sustainability 