I came across the image attached to this post in a LinkedIn post.
In business, the only thing you can control is yourself. Shareholders, customers, employees, colleagues, lawyers, the tax authorities … the list is endless. They all have some influence on everything you do, and you can’t completely control that influence.
I know many people in business who are completely different when they are away from work. Why? What is the false self they’re using in one place or the other? The most successful people I know behave the same in a work or leisure environment. They’re comfortable with themselves.
It took me a long time in my career to become me. For a long time, I felt I had to be somebody else in order to do my job. The only person I ever could be, of course, was me. Eventually, I relaxed into being me and understanding what I have to offer.
It makes sense, when you can only control one thing – yourself – to have a very good understanding of it’s strengths and weaknesses. I believe the foundation of being successful is knowing yourself and allowing yourself to be you.