Naive

A splash of thoughts for those who need to read this - I know I did at so many points in my career...

I’ve walked into so many business contexts bright-eyed, with open arms, hope and a fully trusting heart — only to discover that I probably should’ve been a bit more cautious.

Lack of trust, especially when it is towards leadership, destroys careers, teams, missions and even organizations. You can read a lot of articles around this topic, and I do advice anyone whether you are the subject of mistrust, or the party that is lacking trust to your environment due to founded reasons, to read and get advice / coaching on how to manage these situations.

It's a ticking bomb that hurts everyone involved.

My two cents:

1. Know your value - I made the mistake of doubting my capabilities so many times, and yes, sometimes I feel like an imposter to the business world: Having a moral compass a lot of the time makes people think you are naive. BUT - the future of business belongs to the kind, the enthusiastic, the optimistic. The world is becoming more connected, this means if you are that element that can bring the collective power together - you are a winner.
2. The worst punishment I have inflicted on those who underestimate me or try to beat around the bush, thinking that my head is actually in those bushes - is my absence, NEVER revenge! I try to restore trust - but after some experience in the corporate world, and considering that I am a female, so I am even more prone to be perceived as naive when having a positive attitude in the workplace - I've learned to just survive, always do my best work, then disappear - it taught a few people some lessons that they never forgot!

It's way better to be respected by the people that you respect, than by those that you actually would not have even accepted in your life if it wasn't mandated, or rather dictated by the professional rules of the corporate world.