One Cynical Thing...Lesson Three

Lesson #3: When you lose yourself, take a deep breath and trust in Dolly.

Dolly Parton famously said, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose”. ?Authentic Leadership is currently a popular phrase among leaders. Indeed, one Amazon search can overwhelm the best of us. Add in mandatory corporate e-learnings, TED Talks, and executive coach presentations and my head spins.?

I don’t believe in tips and tricks.?Authenticity as a tenet of leadership is not new. Authenticity means believing that you are already good enough. It means acknowledging what you don’t understand and knowing you are capable of learning. It’s having the self-esteem to help and let others shine.?It means remembering who you are – and being you on purpose.??

I never wanted to partake in the things that those who seem to rocket to the top do (team dinner anyone?).?While I may not present as a traditional introvert, socializing never came easily to me. Desperately trying to be someone “better”, I instead embarrassed myself in every way possible. I drank too much. I was an awkward know-it-all. I was obnoxious. I was loud - very, very loud. I was so scared I wasn’t “enough”, I continued to act in ways that did not highlight my strengths and attributes. I carry a lot of shame knowing I lacked the self-esteem to realize who I was and am, and will always be better than whom I tried to pretend (and failed) to be.??????????

Mystified Boomers continue to caution Gen Z about social media, but Gen Z doesn’t care. I assure you, a potentially embarrassing video pales in comparison to the live actions of an over-served idiot at a table of executives.??

Sharing my reality, warts, and all is my way to not only pay forward the help I received but also move forward the conversation of how a woman can succeed in whatever way she wants.

Holding space for the past, acknowledging the present, changing the future. All the while increasing self-awareness, compassion, and service for others.

What was the?#onecynicalthing?you wished you knew, did, or did not do?