I've been playing small.
And it took two major wake-up calls to realize it.
There's a light inside me (and, indeed, all of us) that contains our most potent leadership, our genius, and our power.
And I was dimming it.
For two reasons...
One.
I didn't want to "outshine" others who are important to me. I didn't want them to resent me or feel "threatened" by me.
Two.
I wanted to help *others* to shine as much as possible. If I kept my light dim, that's easier for them to do.
I thought I was doing the right thing, but it didn't work.
And at a deep level, when we play small, we know, and others know.
It has been costly.
So I commit...to you...and to myself:
I am done dimming who I am in the false belief that it's helpful to anyone. Finally!
And I invite you to do the same.
Be warned, though, don't take this commitment *lightly* (no pun intended).
You will look different, think differently, feel differently, and act differently.
Some will embrace it; others will not.
It painfully reminds me of Scrooge's reaction to the intense light given off by the Ghost of Christmas Past from Charles Dickens's, A Christmas Carol:
"Perhaps, Scrooge could not have told anybody why, if anybody could have asked him; but he had a special desire to see the Spirit in his cap; and begged him to be covered.
"What!" exclaimed the Ghost, "Would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light I give? Is it not enough that you are one of those whose passions made this cap, and force me through whole trains of years to wear it low upon my brow!"
Once you overcome the desire to 'cover your light' and live with fierce passion and enthusiasm, your relationships will change—professional and personal.
And that's what makes my approach to managing up so unique. I'll occasionally share strategies and tactics, sure. But my primary focus is to help you shine as brightly as you please, and watch in awe as it inspires the sh*t out of your boss, your partners, your friends, your clients, your customers, and your family.
Share this with yourself. And share this with someone who YOU want to see shine as big and bright as they can possibly be!