From Doing to Being: The Role of Identity for Motivation and Career Success
Leila Singh
Leadership & Career Development & Mindset Coach to High-Performing, Mid to Senior-Level Tech Industry Professionals - helping them to secure their next Promotion & Step into Leadership | Keynote & TEDx Speaker
Greetings and welcome to my Newsletter: Leadership in Tech - Your Competitive Advantage! – Here to Support Your Leadership Journey.
I'm thrilled to introduce you to this weekly newsletter, tailored exclusively for high-achieving, ambitious, and driven professionals like yourself - who are actively pursuing leadership positions, aiming for that next promotion, striving for peak performance, and seeking to cultivate an unmistakable personal brand that sets you apart.
In this issue -
?Featured Article: From Doing to Being: The Role of Identity for Motivation and Career Success
?mi-brand Hub: "Your Personal Brand is your professional reputation"
?Featured Podcast: Jeremy Suddards : On Ambition, Saying "No", the 'Power of the Collective', & Leveraging your Competitive Advantage in a Crowded Market!
?Ways to Work With Me
?Further Resources to Support Your Career Growth Journey
?Take a sneak peek into our upcoming newsletter content.
From Doing to Being: The Role of Identity for Motivation and Career Success
In the fast-paced world of the tech industry, where the next breakthrough or achievement is always just around the corner, it’s easy to get caught up in the relentless pursuit of goals. The pressure to perform and achieve can be immense. However, true motivation and sustainable success don't solely come from the actions we take but from a deeper understanding of who we are being.
This article explores the profound impact of focusing on cultivating our identity—our sense of being—on achieving goals, advancing our careers, and maintaining life balance.
??The Challenges Faced by High-Achievers
High-achieving professionals are often driven by a desire for excellence. Their ambition propels them forward, but it can also lead to burnout, frustration, and a sense of unfulfillment. The constant focus on doing—meeting targets, driving projects, and executing strategies—can overshadow the importance of being.
This relentless drive can result in:
Burnout: The continuous focus on performance without adequate reflection or alignment with personal values can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion.
Lack of Fulfilment: Even when goals are met, high-achievers may still feel a sense of emptiness or dissatisfaction if their accomplishments aren't aligned with their deeper identity.
Imbalance: The pursuit of career success often comes at the expense of personal life, leading to strained relationships and a lack of life balance.
These challenges stem from a common misconception: that success is only about what we do, rather than who we are.
??The Shift from Doing to Being
James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, highlights how goal setting and the actions associated with them are essential, but they’re not the whole picture. To achieve lasting success, it’s crucial to shift from a focus on doing (outcome based habits) to a focus on being, in other words, creating your identity and identity based habits.
When we concentrate solely on doing, we operate on a superficial level, driven by external motivations and expectations. However, by focusing on being—our identity, our core beliefs, and our mindset—we tap into a deeper source of motivation.
This shift allows us to:
Overcome Limiting Beliefs: By focusing on the creation of our identity, of who we are being, we can let go of the limiting beliefs and stories that no longer serve us, which often hinder our progress.
Create a Clear Vision: When we know who we are being, we can create a future that is aligned with our true self, leading to more meaningful goals.
Achieve Sustainable Success: Success that is rooted in identity is more sustainable because it is driven by intrinsic motivation rather than external pressure.
??Why Identity is Crucial for Career Advancement
For professionals in the tech industry, career advancement often hinges on more than just technical skills or achieving targets. It’s about leadership, influence, and the ability to inspire others. These qualities are inherently tied to identity—how we see ourselves and how others perceive us.
When we focus on our identity, we can:
Enhance Leadership Qualities: Leadership isn’t just about what we do but about who we are. By cultivating a strong identity, we can lead with authenticity, inspire trust, and motivate others.
Build a Standout Personal Brand: A personal brand, that is, your reputation, that is rooted in a strong sense of identity is more compelling and resonant. It differentiates us in a competitive industry and opens up opportunities for advancement.
Achieve Work-Life Balance: By aligning our career goals with our identity, we can make choices that support both professional success and personal fulfilment, leading to a healthier work-life balance.
Overcoming the Tendency to Overlook Identity
Despite its importance, many professionals overlook the significance of identity in their career and personal life. This oversight often occurs because:
The Pressure to Perform: In high-stakes environments, there’s immense pressure to deliver results, which can overshadow the need for self-reflection and identity work.
A Focus on External Metrics: Success is often measured by external metrics such as promotions, salary increases, or recognition, rather than internal alignment and fulfilment.
Lack of Awareness: Many professionals are simply unaware of the impact that their identity has on their career and life. They may have never considered the importance of being over doing.
Strategies to Develop Identity for Career and Life Success
To overcome these challenges and unlock the full potential of identity-driven success, you can apply the following strategies:
??Practice Self-Reflection: Regularly take time to reflect on your values, beliefs, and goals. Understand who you are at your core and how this aligns with your career aspirations.
??Let Go of Limiting Beliefs: Identify and challenge the beliefs and stories that no longer serve you. Consider working with a coach, using techniques like hypnotherapy or NLP, to help you overcome these mental barriers.
??Focus on Your ‘Why’: Instead of focusing solely on what you need to do, reconnect with your underlying motivations—your ‘why’. This will provide a deeper sense of purpose and drive.
??Cultivate Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices can help you stay grounded in the present moment and reconnect with your identity. This can be particularly helpful in managing stress and maintaining a balanced perspective.
??Embrace a Growth Mindset: Adopt a mindset that views challenges as opportunities for growth rather than threats. This will help you stay resilient and adaptable, which are key qualities for long-term success.
For high-achieving, ambitious professionals, achieving goals and advancing in their careers is often a top priority. However, true and sustainable success comes not just from what we do but from who we are. By shifting your focus from doing to being—by understanding and developing your identity—you can unlock a deeper source of motivation, achieve career success, and maintain a fulfilling life balance.
In a world that often values performance over personal growth, taking the time to understand who you are being is not just beneficial; it is essential for long-term success and fulfilment.
By embracing strategies that cultivate identity, you can create a future that is not only successful but also deeply aligned with your true self.
领英推荐
"Your Personal Brand is your professional reputation"
I always said that everyone is in sales, maybe you don’t hold the title of Salesperson, but if the business you are in requires you to deal with people, you, my friend, are in sales!”-Zig Ziglar
What about the prospect, the potential customer? Why do they pick a product or a service over another?
Is it really because a business is offering the best service or product on the market, OR is it because the prospect resonates more with the salesperson?
From my own personal corporate career and having witnessed the same with many of my clients, I have learned that people buy from people they know, like and trust.
Did you know that only 33% of buyers trust messages from a company, while more than 90% of customers trust recommendations from individuals over companies, even if they don’t know them? (Source: Nielson)
So it’s your job to make sure people know you and keep you in their mind at all times whenever they think of your industry or the services you provide.
This is also pertinent to your career growth when it comes to sourcing the right person for the job.
Personal branding is a great tool when it comes to this and just by tweaking and working on how you present yourself and how you are perceived, you can see amazing results!
And if you are seeking a new role, perhaps your job is at risk, or you are simply feeling stuck in your career, not knowing how to move forward, then I invite you to check out my recent podcast episodes filled with incredible value, sharing strategies and ideas for your career planning and growth journey, whilst taking a pro-active approach!
Link to my podcast -
Life Leadership with Leila Singh? - All things Coaching, Career and Personal Brand https://anchor.fm/leila-singh
Featured Guest Podcast: Jeremy Suddards: On Ambition, Saying "No", the 'Power of the Collective', & Leveraging your Competitive Advantage in a Crowded Market!
In this episode of the Life Leadership podcast, Jeremy shares with us –
How can you work with me?
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Book a free 30-minute “Career Growth Game Plan” Call with me –
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And here are FURTHER RESOURCES you can access -
-- which introduces you to the six pillars it is critical for you to master when developing your personal brand, essential for your ongoing career success, and includes best practices that you can implement right away, as well as a Brand Assessment to score where you are right now!
- where you can watch over 50+ Podcast Video Interviews with Outstanding Leaders from the Tech Industry who share their career journey, overcoming adversity and challenges, learnings and insights and what is possible when it comes to your career – awe-inspiring!! As well as a library of my weekly LIVES since January 2021, Personal Branding 101 Series, and much much more!
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3 个月Great newsletter Leila Singh I've certainly fallen into the trap of doing rather than being, but I've come to realise (like so many things) that you need both in order to progress and succeed by any definition. At times we need to "be"; at times we need to "do" and when the "doing" and "being" are intertwined is where the magic happens!