Please Be Yourself

I always told myself I would gain experience and wisdom (as well as gray hair), but would not change who I was at the core. Sometimes, being myself has landed me praise, other times it has landed me in trouble.

In a recent Harvard Business Review blog the topic was seeing yourself as others see you. The crux of the story was to have real interactions with your peers, your manager(s) and so on. Essentially, if you are not establishing a real relationship with your coworkers, it is very difficult to know how they truly perceive you, as well as trust you.

I've seen many people feel the need to change who they are, how they act and respond when they are in work mode versus normal human being (AKA personal) mode. People know when this is happening. It comes across as unaware, fake or arrogant - among other things.

So please, just be yourself, and be true to that person – no matter what adversity you might face because of it. It will allow you to establish your own personal style and brand. It will allow people to feel closer to you and better understand, and in turn, trust you.  It will allow you to get to better know and trust others.....which will ultimately allow you to be the friend, colleague, manager, and/or leader you always wanted to be.

“This above all: to thine own self be true” - Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 78–82