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October 30 · Issue #39 · View online
Feeding the Passion for Transformation: Be it Talent, Culture, Work or HR
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Are our biggest “dream thieves and life vampires” the ones of our own making? If so, what can we do to hold them at bay?
John Cena, of WWE and “Are you smarter than a 5th grader” fame, was reflecting on the advice he got from a different former wrestler turned mega-actor, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as he was freaking out about preparing for an audition: “He gave me a piece of advice that still rings in my ears like he said it yesterday. I don’t even know if he knows this was such sage advice, he just turned to me as smooth and casual as he does with everything he says, and in such an inspirational tone, as with everything he does, he was like, ‘Just be yourself, man. That’s why they asked you there in the first place.’ And that message of ‘always be authentically yourself’ has stuck with me, and created the opportunity I have. Thank you, The Rock.” The surfing legend, Layne Beachley, talks about how despite being barraged by “ dream thieves and life vampires” - who attempted to reinforce negative self-doubts around why she would not be able to achieve her dreams of being a world-class surfer - her own personal vision and the fact that she chose to surround herself with people who constructively encouraged her to be better, allowed her to ignore the thieves and vampires. The writer Kahlil Gibran, is often known together with the quote: “And God said “Love Your Enemy,” and I obeyed him and loved myself”. Why is it that we can be our own worst enemy - and conversely, our own best coach? The hurdle is called Imposter Syndrome - which, simply put, is the feeling like you haven’t really earned your achievements and what is coming next might go completely haywire because you are not ready or have the necessary expertise to master the challenges at your doorstep. It is a hurdle that many of the most amazing people that I know struggle with. Heck, I myself am a card-carrying member of this crowd. Therefore, befitting to Halloween to unsheathe the “dream thieves and life vampires”, some thoughts and advice from others on how one can to tackle the very real self-driven challenge to personal growth and professional development. Where the actualization to ‘always be authentically yourself’ turns out to be a very good thing - and not a scary costume. |
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Me, myself and I: often our own worst enemy - and our best coaching partner.
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5 Different Types of Imposter Syndrome (and 5 Ways to Battle Each One) Melody Wilding
Which overachiever type do you fit into? The Perfectionist, the Superwoman/man, the Natural Genius, the Soloist, or the Expert? Melody takes a quick look at Dr. Valerie Young’s research on the topic and gives advice for overcoming each one.
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The Mental Book of Racing - Dr. Kristin Keim - Medium
“Before you can win, you have to believe you are worthy.” For all the athletes out there - or musicians, or, or, or - this is an excerpt from her dissertation “Athletic identity: Hercules’ muscles or Achilles heel?” where Kristin dives into societal norms, what one strives to be and finding ones own way to be a better version of oneself.
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Imposter Syndrome: What Every Intern Must Know Before Disaster Strikes
What every intern should know about “what to expect when you are interning” before disaster strikes in the self-esteem department. Even if you are no longer an intern, the recommendations are still valid.
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Why does a successful person feel like a fraud? | Portia Mount | TEDxGreensboro
Even many of the most successful leaders and managers feel like imposters; that they don’t deserve to be where they are and might be found out. This is a personal - and I find relatable - TEDTalk from Portia Mount, who is a Senior VP, on her own journey with Imposter Syndrome and what she is doing to proactively address. To supplement this talk, Oprah has a nice compilation of empowering quotes from successful women. |
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Billionaire CEO Sara Blakely Says These 7 Words Are the Best Career Advice She Ever Got | Inc.com
“What did you fail at today?” Making mistakes is part of trying - CEO Sara Blakely dives into the career advice continues to advance her both professionally and personally.
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How Early-Career Setbacks Can Set You Up for Success - The New York Times
To the aboveforementioned point, a good article in the NYT on how early career set-backs better set oneself up for success later on. ( Or as I like to say - it is better to get a bad grade in school and learn that it is not the end of the world, then to freak out about the potential of getting a bad “grade” for the rest of your life.) |
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The Power of Self-Belief | Layne Beachley | TEDxStHildasSchool
You may have asked yourself what is up with the “Dream Thieves and Life Vampires”? Well, Layne Beachley - the top surfer ever - asks “What would your world look like if you had the ability to shape and create what that world would look like?” A great story about self-belief and surrounding yourself with people who make you into a better version of yourself.
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If You Struggle With Imposter Syndrome, Scientists Might Have an Odd Solution
To Layne’s hypothesis that surrounding yourself with constructive supporters is a good thing - research says she has a valid point - and to get those supporters outside of that particular arena. (A big shout-out of thanks to mine!)
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Brittany Packnett: How to build your confidence -- and spark it in others | TED Talk
“Confidence is the necessary spark before everything that follows,” says educator and activist Brittany Packnett. She shares three ways to crack the code of confidence – and her dream for a world where revolutionary confidence helps turn our most ambitious dreams into reality. A HBR article is a bit on the nose - to seem more competent, be more confident - but it does have some very good insights and tips. |
How to Keep Criticism from Undermining Your Confidence
“Give yourself time to process it.” Ok, ok, the article gives some other pieces of advice - but it is very true that feedback is a gift. How you choose to unpack it is up to you.
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This past week, I had the honor of being the Chairwoman for a Global Learning and Development summit in beautiful Barcelona (#cpgld). The topic of Imposter Syndrome came up whilst discussing the incredible experiments in learning folks were conducting for their organizations. A common thread of advice came out - which was “just try it” and if you need help, actually ask for it. Simple and effective - and with powerful learning opportunities behind it. So, all of the “dream thieves and life vampires” we bid you adieu - and we say hello to all of the risk-takers, game-changers, and learners out there. It may be scary - but it is a very welcoming space! Wishing you all a very Happy Halloween with only the best candy in your bags! All my best regards, Liz
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Elizabeth Lembke, Transforming Talent Consulting: www.transformingtalent.co and www.transformingtalent.de
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