You are NOT your...

It is hard to believe that I am on month five of my leadership to interview 50 leaders in one year.  As of today, I have interviewed 27 different leaders. Although some are in business, others in education, and others in the non-profit sector, they share many different similarities and themes. 

Know Who You Are

In every interview that I have had, each leader has stated the importance of knowing who you are.  Ironically, this lesson became quite clear to me while taking my eleven-year-old daughter out to breakfast during this past weekend. She and I talked about troubles that she was having at school. 

At one point in the conversation, I asked her to fill in the blank:


You are NOT your ___________.

How about you? How could you fill in the blank? You are NOT your job title...bad day...college degree....promotion....lack of promotion....divorce....difficulties. You are so much more! You were created to serve in a way that cannot be confined by a label. 

I recently heard a speaker, who stated "You are not what others do to you. You are what you do to yourself." How often do we allow the words, thoughts, and actions of others

Who Are You?

How do you typically introduce yourself to a new person? If you are like me, you introduce yourself by your job title, where you live. Is your value 

 How often do we tie our value to another's opinion of our value, performance, or potential? 

If you could never work again, who are you? If you could never earn another dollar, receive another promotion, earn another degree, or receive another compliment....who are you? This is an important aspect of effective leadership.

Effective leaders know who they are and they have outlets, support networks, and hobbies outside of work. They effectively balance the challenges of leadership with friendship, fellowship, and family. Take away their title or job and they will still thrive. 

Take-Away

So, I have to ask you, who are you? Who are you without all of the stuff? Who are you without the titles, the recognition, or qualifications? It's a very difficult, yet important, question to ask. 




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