PM Career Alignment Tip: The part of your personality you think doesn’t belong in your work, is probably exactly what your work needs. Embrace it. Show it. It’ll help your people find you.
Ok, so... Duality. Two parts of us the world says don’t mix. Opposites.
We’re taught to be one or the other. But we’re multifaceted—we can never be just one!
If you’re hiding 90% of yourself at work, 4 things are happening:
You’re exhausted.
You’re operating at a fraction of your unique power.
You’re missing out on connection and community.
Your people don’t know how to find you. Maybe you’ve been punished in the past for being yourself, esp. if you’re not a straight, cis-gender, white passing, able-bodied, neurotypical male.
If you can relate to any of the above, here's what I suggest:
Embrace your dualities. Then shrink yourself for no one. It’s a great way to build confidence, feel better, and incrementally stick it to the patriarchy.
My fave duality is one I call "Compassionate No-Nonsense." Two opposites, right? Maybe. But embracing BOTH means I get to take a beat when others (or when I) need it, and bring down the hammer, or let “No” be the complete sentence, when lines must be drawn.
It’s my winning combo. Each adds validity to the other.
When I embraced this duality, I noticed:
Huge improvement in team performance.
Projects were more successful and ran more smoothly.
Way more energy.
New relationships with my kinda people who were hiding in plain sight. Just had to embrace BOTH sides of me first.
Now get out there and help your people find you!
Which dualities do you notice in yourself? How can you apply them to your work this month?
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