When you look in the mirror each morning, how would you answer the following questions:
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Are you proud of the work you’re doing?
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Are your employer’s values aligned to your own?
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How do you describe the impact of your work?
In 2023 I made a deliberate effort to follow more people who are fully behind the work they do and who speak about it with passion and conviction. These people are from different parts of the world and cover topics ranging from writing to entrepreneurship to parenting (mums AND dads) to equality, flexible working, climate change and city planning.
The content I consume from these people daily has reminded me how important it is to stay true to your values and beliefs in the face of adversity. Because you only have to look at the comment sections to realise how much opposition many change makers face.
Having values and defending them – come what may – is something I believe makes you a standout professional.
In the past I’ve found myself in uncomfortable situations where I was asked or encouraged to accept and tolerate behaviour that I couldn’t endorse. From the relatively harmless “you have to be more assertive if you want to lead people” (i.e. change who I was) to experiencing sexual harassment from people I “shouldn’t offend” and a variety of things in between.
I’m sure you have your own experiences of situations in which – could you go back – you would act differently now.
The important thing is to recognise how your response would be different given all your knowledge and experiences. And to then act that way in defence of what you stand for.
When you stop tolerating people who cross the line, it’s uncomfortable at first and it may see you miss out on opportunities along the way. But what matters most is that every day when you look into the mirror, you can feel proud of who you are and what you stand for.
When you speak out in situations that previously made you stay quiet, you might lose some ‘friends’ but you’ll become stronger in yourself and you’ll turn into an ally for countless people. Many of them may never tell you what an inspiration you are for them, but you’re giving them the courage to speak out too.
In your career you will come across situations and events that require you to make a choice: sacrifice your values for short-term gain (maybe more money, influence, power, etc.), or stay true to yourself without the immediate pay-off but with the ability to sleep well each night and be proud of your authenticity.
I invite you to reflect on this and think about situations you’d love to go back to and change. Think about how you’ll respond to similar events in the future. You’ll be glad you did.
Have a great week!
Eva
This blog was inspired by Marshall Karp’s recent LinkedIn post. He’s a great person to follow if you enjoy writing and reading really well written posts.