A common theme I see in the professional women I serve looks a lot like amnesia. No, they haven't bumped their heads and forgotten their names, addresses and families.
Rather, they don't remember who they truly are at their cores. I know this might sound odd.
How could they not know who they are? They have great jobs, solid incomes, and all the trappings of a "successful" life and career.
They slowly forget who they are because they put their power aside to fit in and to move up in the professional world.
They end up losing the vital connection to the intrepid, plucky women they once were by saying yes to things that are not aligned with their superpowers. They sacrifice themselves to move up the corporate ladder.
What about you? Do you remember the young bold woman you once were?
Many of you reading this right now are chronic people pleasers. You want to be nice, respected, reliable and liked so you bite your tongue and go along to get along.
But the reality is you can't be everything to everyone. At least not for the long haul.
Chronic people-pleasing is exhausting. I've written about this before here.
People pleasing will leave you with little to no energy and no time to do what really matters to you. It will stretch you so thin that you become brittle and break.
Becoming more self-aware and empowered goes much deeper than just knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are.
You need to discover your superpower:
- Know what you love to do.
- Know what you do better than anyone else.
- Know what brings you joy.
- Know what you are good at doing but don't enjoy.
- Know what other people can do better than you.
- Know what drains your energy.
- Know what is important to you in your life.
- Know what your core values are.
- Know what you are made of.
I believe we all possess superpowers.
Do you know what your superpowers are?
One of mine is the ability to see the sparkle in each person. I can see the unique, special gifts you hide under layers of self-doubt and self-sabotage.
As a coach, I can help you to confidently identify your gifts and thrive in your career and life.
After you recognize the special magic you bring to the world, you can use your new self-awareness to move into a life that fills you with satisfaction and peace of mind.
When you start to show up as the real you in every aspect of your life, you begin to become a true leader of your life.
The truth is, leadership does not come with a title. It's not a 9-5 job, and there's no leadership switch that you turn on when you get to the office. I believe leadership is a way of being; it's a way of life.
A common thread that runs through the lives of all great leaders is clear self-awareness. They know who they are and how their unique superpowers serve the world.
I get the privilege of witnessing my clients transform into leaders of their own lives. They are so much more than the leaders they believed they had to be. They don't force it because they learn to make it almost effortless.
My question to you is: If you had superpowers, what would they be?
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Nozomi Morgan, MBA, is a certified Executive Coach and the Founder and President of Michiki Morgan Worldwide LLC. Addition to coaching, she speaks and trains on leadership, career, professional development and cross-cultural business communication.
Visit www.nozomimorgan.com to learn more about Nozomi . There, you can download the free Leadership Discovery Tool. Follow Nozomi on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.