Who do you show the world you are?
As my friend, Hazel, and I prepared to deliver a workshop on authenticity, we were constructing a participant guide.
We included our professional bios.
Then, one day, I woke up to read an email from her.
"I had this idea. I rewrote my bio in a way that feels more authentic."
Instantly, I was curious. She's one of the most authentic people I know. How had she made her bio more authentic?
And, there it was. All her 'heart stuff'. Not once did she mention her 20 years as an ICF credentialed coach, her degree from Duke, and serving as a yoga instructor. Instead, she talked about her own journey towards discovering herself -- her truth.
It was amazing.
I wanted to know this person and to learn from her.
I stared at the blank page. What was my 'true' bio? The one that explains who I am underneath what the corporate world considers success? How would I represent the true WORK underneath the career progression. The actual cause for celebration.
It made me notice how one-dimensional our professional selves actually are. I realized it's why a resume doesn't really help us find the colleague we need for our team.
I also realized how insignificant the "achievements" we list actually are. Much more relevant are the challenges we overcame, the mindsets we shifted, the self-awareness we have of where we're going and the tools we have developed over a lifetime to get there.
Let me tell you about the failures.
Let me highlight the desires of my heart.
Let me show you the depth of my humanness.
In all that, you'll see what I'm like when things are tough. You'll know my values and the kind of team culture I'll build. Instantly, you will discover what it's like to spend time with me and the kind of future leaders I'll groom.
Maybe there's a third bio. One that weaves it all together and marries what we achieved with the "heartfulness" that did so.
If you're interested in exploring your authentic self, Hazel and I are running a workshop called Play Bigger. You can check it out and see upcoming dates on the new Workshops page. If you don't see a date that works for you, check back because we'll be adding more.