Wondered a senior client as he gathered his thoughts for our first appointment.

Known for a warm heart, cool head & containing catastrophy (his words), often called in to build teams and turn services around.

A little too laid back some might say.

We continued, unpacking what was likely a well meaning remark.

I’m mulling. It took me to ideas about identity, our way of being, our beliefs & take on the world.

Why take anything away?

Curious, I asked him.  He paused for a bit & said he’d been thinking the same for years. He knew he was doing good stuff but sometimes left others wondering how.

And that’s his magic.

It doesn’t come from status or rank, or span of control. It comes from a deeper place and a whole bunch of things that have shaped how he shows up as a leader and decent human.

And yes it can be tricky if you’re an outlier or minority because our instinct to belong is strong, even if it means giving up a bit of who we are.

It’s not the first time this kind of sentiment has cropped up in conversations over the years, be it 360 feedback, well-meaning advice from a CEO or boss keen to offer their thoughts and advice.

Not formal enough, corporate enough, commercial enough, firm enough, serious enough, tall enough (I know) are some of the messages I’ve witnessed.

Feedback like this is a cue to talk otherwise it’s passive and becomes internalised and no one needs fixing 😌

So, take a breath, stand in your truth and jot down some notes (it’s always quite liberating to get some mental separation from the issue) and talk about what the system needs to hear.  It’s not personal and if your culture is healthy it’ll value ALL of you and all of what you want to say.

After all, there’s plenty to be getting on with and you’re both on the same side ♥️

Business, Lifestyle & Health Coaching