Elemica’s Post

Transcript

My mom had a few different jobs while I was growing up in the house, but they were all connected to her love of helping others and education. So my mother is a first generation American. She came to the United States via Ellis Island after the war. Her parents were survivors and extremely hard workers, and they made a life in New York City. She ended up being incredibly successful in everything she tried because she was willing to take risks and she was really, really willing to step out of her. Comfort zone and that really taught me tenacity and creativity and that frankly there's no boundaries and or preset expectations. The other woman that really comes to mind for me as my mom, I'm sure not dissimilar to others. There are three quotes that really stand out to me when I think about the various lessons that she taught me. The first one is what other people think of you is none of your business. Fake it till you make it. And lastly, speak softly and carry a big stick. I also have to give a shout out to my mom. She made a really bold decision to enter college as a mother of three. And so I witnessed her hustling to make all the pieces come together and also my my dad being a very equal partner in the household. I had so many chores, so many chores. Believe in yourself, even when you don't, even when it's hard. No one is ever 100% certain that they have the right answer. I know I am certainly not. But really, that shouldn't stop you from trying and from pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone in order to rise to the challenge. Use your voice. And you have something to say, Say it. Your thoughts and views have value and others want to hear them. Share what you think. Ask your manager or an ally for feedback if you're unsure of how to say something. But once you know what you want to say, say it. Seek to know stuff. So try to be the one that is the that is the person that people are always coming to for knowledge, whether it's about your product or your clients or your area of expertise. Just try to become that information node and that networking, internal networking you create for yourself will be very valuable for you. Anything is hard the first time you do it. So just you know, expect that and give yourself some grace and, and yeah, do it again. You do not need to lead people to be a leader, and you don't need to be promoted to be a leader. Don't be afraid to take up space and have your voice heard or even make a mistake. It's not the actual situation, it's just the way you handle the situation. But I try to focus on. The problem factually with data and specifics and facts, and usually I like to make lists so it becomes clear as I'm working through that in that process, and that has always helped. Having setbacks and challenges means that you're pushing yourself beyond your comfort, and challenges have absolutely influenced my leadership style. Experiences and setbacks, they help me learn where I may have had a blind spot or I may not have asked the right questions or I may not have thought about how I could leverage the right people in the right way. The hard things are hard. So I say when you're faced with adversity, just, you know, tell yourself that and allow yourself the permission to reflect on things like what is the optimal outcome? What are my choices to get me through this, etcetera. And just think about some of those open. Ended questions and see if you can set a path for yourself. Sometimes just sharing the emotional burden with someone elses enough. I also find that staying physically active helps. I personally prefer to run, but a quick walk to get fresh air can do wonders, especially when I'm spinning on something specific and need to really clear my mind to think more clearly. It's called stolen focus. I appreciated this book because it gave me some new vocabulary to use and to think about when working with my team, when thinking about how to prioritize, how to make sure we're we're locked in on the same and consistent messaging. And and how to use a new set of terms, but it is called if books could kill and it really has made me really look with discernment about any of these professional self help books. The six types of working genius to pretty great effect. We found it surprisingly insightful to learn about ourselves and to learn about our colleagues. Culture map by Aaron Meyer. So this book was actually recommended to me by someone on my team here at Elemica when I first joined the company. And then it was gifted to me about a year later by someone in our IT team in the Netherlands. So I really greatly appreciate both of them for encouraging me to read it. Last book I would mention is called Begin With We. This is by Kyle McDowell and I had the pleasure of hearing him speak at a conference. And really that's all about building and sustaining a culture of excellence. And really the we is the part that really got me hooked because it really is a team sport.