Discovering Your True Self: The Key to a Fulfilling Career
Who are you anyway?
In your life, and more importantly your career, understanding who you are, what you're capable of, and what you stand for is crucial to your success. Without a strong sense of self and self-awareness, it's difficult to make progress.
We all have titles; some we don’t know about.
Daughter, sister, friend, boss, mentor, manager, advocate, lover, technology evangelist, ally, adversary, bitch, savior, leader, teammate, loner. I’ve been described by all of these titles and then some. Without a deep understanding of my core identity, it would be easy to fall into the trap of believing I am who others perceive me to be. And since this changes from person to person and adapts to the circumstances, it would be dizzying to fall into this trap.
You are who you believe you are.
In my career as a tech leader, I’ve personally experienced what it’s like to be told that I’m “too much of this” or “not enough of that” to be successful in achieving my goals. “You will never have a successful career in tech as a woman and you will be relegated to supporting roles.” I can’t tell you how many times I heard something along these lines when I was starting out in the 90s. “You can’t possibly lead engineering teams since you’ve never been an engineer.” I still hear this today, even with more than 15 years of leadership experience if you can believe it! Ask any engineer that’s ever been on a team I’ve led and they will tell you that hands down, I’m one of the best leaders they’ve ever worked for; in part because I’ve never been an engineer and I create a strong sense of ownership in my orgs that allow them to do some of the best work of their careers. “You’re too old to start your own business.” And here I am, launching Insight Rising.
Some would call me defiant. Others would call me persistent. And yet others would call me a bold visionary and thought leader.
So, what's the secret to my resilience and success?
Developing a profound self-awareness that anchors me in my understanding of myself and my capabilities while humbling me enough to learn from feedback about my weaknesses and blind spots. This strong sense of self allows me to withstand others' opinions and stay true to my beliefs and goals.
Clarifying your motives
I have formally, and informally, mentored and coached leaders and engineers around this very concept of developing self-awareness to root the decisions they make in their careers around who they are at their core. Countless times, I’ve had engineers come to me and tell me they want to become a leader. When I dig deeper into the motivations around this, I often find one of two things happening: 1) Someone, somewhere along the line told them they should become a manager if they wanted to develop and advance in their careers or 2) Someone, somewhere along the line told them they would never be able to earn more than they presently do if they didn’t become a manager. While these might be truths for the well-meaning people who planted those seeds, it is not true for everyone and neither of these are great reasons to become a leader. In fact, what engineers who have worked with me have learned is that, in many ways, they already are leaders; just not with direct reports. Conversely, I’ve had leaders I’ve worked with tell me that there are parts of their leadership style and approach that they need to be doing even if it isn’t driving the results they are looking for because of some feedback or story they were told along the way. Helping them uncover their natural intuition about how to approach being a leader and showing up in a way that helps their teams thrive is fundamental and all begins with a strong self-awareness of who they are.
Don’t let fear drive you!
Groupthink, especially during times of economic uncertainty, can hinder individuals from making informed decisions. The fear of the unknown can drive people to conform to prevailing opinions, particularly on social media platforms where the loudest voices are amplified. To avoid getting swept up in this echo chamber, it's essential to develop clarity around your identity and values.
Maya Angelou once said, "You can't know where you are going until you know where you have been." By identifying who you are, what you are capable of, and passionate about you will be able to see where you want to go. With the self-awareness you cultivate, you can confidently face the naysayers and stay true to your path. The road less traveled might be more challenging, but ultimately, it's worth it when you achieve your goals, knowing you remained true to yourself and your desires rather than merely following the pack.
I hope you have enjoyed the first peek into Insight Rising! Follow us for more tips about how to manage your time, create the balance you need in your life and career, how drive high-impact performance, and more!