OK, I just had a thought on this: Maybe, just maybe, in an optionality-driven life, we are bringing our "whole selves" to our *life* across all our activities and endeavors, but only distributing *parts* of our self to each individual activity or endeavor?
Maybe I'll look at this thought later and think, "duh," or maybe I'll think "A ha!!!" ;)
Elisa - what a thoughtful essay on being our authentic selves - thank you for referencing this podcast too - I truly believe the more we step into who we are, the more our people will find us. NOW having said that, it's easier to say and do as an entrepreneur - I haven't worked for anyone for over 20 years - as I might have more freedom than someone in corporate. I do believe we can be our real selves in the corporate workplace and agree with and love your statement: "being “authentic” means that everything you say should be true, but you don’t have to say everything that is true." We can be strong in our values and beliefs and lead from there but we do NOT have to share everything (our world is oversharing at the moment!) and we need to read the room (like that admin you referenced - she did not read the room). I'm actually working with someone now who's in a male-dominated field, she has risen to one of the highest places in leadership by staying true to who she is and YET she's had to expertly navigate the politics and patriarchal systems in her field. She's realized by playing the game and rising into leadership she will have the most impact on other women in the field and which will then help them rise to positions of leadership. We could talk about this for days! In sum, we must stay true to who we are and lead from that place, but your entire life is nobody's business and sharing all of it is not required for success. Thank YOU for bringing these thoughtful discussions via Optionality - they are so needed!
I agree that it's quite a different equation when we work for ourselves. As I've done off and on ever since leaving traditional tech. It's really a risk mitigation factor to be working in and with lots of different sets of people. If you piss off one group, they don't take your whole business with them if they go. That being said, it can certainly feel *easier* to have a job and only one "boss" to please. The trade-offs are always going to be there is the point, I guess.
This is such a good topic! I think that optionality, for me, is as much about respecting my desire to bring all aspects of myself that I want to bring into work as it does managing the logistics of a multi-faceted work life. I loved your story, not just because I only know you as an incredible manager and communicator, and this was an early-practicing moment, but because the idea really resonates. I share your awe at how GenZs come to the work world much more aware of these aspects of themselves that we learned to "manage out" when we were junior employees.
OK, I just had a thought on this: Maybe, just maybe, in an optionality-driven life, we are bringing our "whole selves" to our *life* across all our activities and endeavors, but only distributing *parts* of our self to each individual activity or endeavor?
Maybe I'll look at this thought later and think, "duh," or maybe I'll think "A ha!!!" ;)
Elisa - what a thoughtful essay on being our authentic selves - thank you for referencing this podcast too - I truly believe the more we step into who we are, the more our people will find us. NOW having said that, it's easier to say and do as an entrepreneur - I haven't worked for anyone for over 20 years - as I might have more freedom than someone in corporate. I do believe we can be our real selves in the corporate workplace and agree with and love your statement: "being “authentic” means that everything you say should be true, but you don’t have to say everything that is true." We can be strong in our values and beliefs and lead from there but we do NOT have to share everything (our world is oversharing at the moment!) and we need to read the room (like that admin you referenced - she did not read the room). I'm actually working with someone now who's in a male-dominated field, she has risen to one of the highest places in leadership by staying true to who she is and YET she's had to expertly navigate the politics and patriarchal systems in her field. She's realized by playing the game and rising into leadership she will have the most impact on other women in the field and which will then help them rise to positions of leadership. We could talk about this for days! In sum, we must stay true to who we are and lead from that place, but your entire life is nobody's business and sharing all of it is not required for success. Thank YOU for bringing these thoughtful discussions via Optionality - they are so needed!
Thanks for inspiring this week's newsletter :)
I agree that it's quite a different equation when we work for ourselves. As I've done off and on ever since leaving traditional tech. It's really a risk mitigation factor to be working in and with lots of different sets of people. If you piss off one group, they don't take your whole business with them if they go. That being said, it can certainly feel *easier* to have a job and only one "boss" to please. The trade-offs are always going to be there is the point, I guess.
This is such a good topic! I think that optionality, for me, is as much about respecting my desire to bring all aspects of myself that I want to bring into work as it does managing the logistics of a multi-faceted work life. I loved your story, not just because I only know you as an incredible manager and communicator, and this was an early-practicing moment, but because the idea really resonates. I share your awe at how GenZs come to the work world much more aware of these aspects of themselves that we learned to "manage out" when we were junior employees.
"...that we learned to manage out..." yes, what a great way to put it. We self-edited as much as we were asked to edit explicitly.