Fitting In or Standing Out?
What's your natural inclination? I know mine has been to try to fit in.
✓Fit in to the expectations of what I was supposed to want or do at each phase of life;
✓Fit in to the way I thought I needed to dress or speak;
✓Fit in to how people were doing things I wanted to do.
Over the past few years, I've started recognizing that this desire to fit in may be limiting me from fully becoming the person and business leader I want to be.
I thought about this topic today after seeing a colleague's reaction to a social media post that didn't go as she had hoped. Her takeaway with the poor post performance was that the topic she was covering was one that might not fit the medium. Whether it is or isn't, she was ready to consider an approach more aligned to fitting in. But her work is not about fitting in; it's about being bold.
We are often triggered to shrink back to who and what we think we should be.
Are you fading into the fabric or standing out?
For me, I'm focusing on:
🙋🏻♀️Being confident about the work I do and why it's different from other coaches and consultants who may have similar backgrounds.
🙋🏻♀️Talking about the topics I care most about…including being comfortable saying the "s" word without worrying if it sounds ok. Work shouldn't SUCK.
🙋🏻♀️ Owning the look that feels like who I am as a business owner.
When we try to fit in, we don't fully express our potential. Extend this topic to the workplace.
If everyone is trying to fit into the mold…
🤔 Do you miss out on the diversity of perspectives and approaches?
🤔 Do you miss out on people sharing the strengths that their job may not require today?
🤔 Do you miss out on fully engaging and retaining your team members because they don't believe you want to really know them?
My challenge to you for the week is to reflect on these four questions:
❓Where are you trying to fit in?
❓How is it serving you?
❓What would it be like if you were willing to stand out?
❓What will it take for you to stand out in the crowd of people who do what you do?