There are multiple angles to the same story. And there are no sides to take.
Life happens in the middle, that’s where you need to learn to navigate.
Tag: empowerment
Angles
Your sadness might be caused by another person’s insecurity.
Your fear might be caused by another person’s boldness.
Your silence might be caused by another person’s loneliness.
There are different angles to the same story. And the capacity to appreciate more than one of them will help you get past whatever it is that is holding you back.
Not fit for the role
Everyone who is about to get promoted to a higher role that requires them to manage people, should sit in a meeting and demonstrate that they can:
- Shut up.
- Facilitate the discussion.
- Follow up to whatever gets decided.
If they talk too much, if they interrupt others, if they ignore the person who is silent, if they don’t ask open questions and listen, if they go back to the same topics every other meeting.
They are not fit for the role.
Defending boundaries
Others will always ask, demand even, that you change your mind, do something, behave in a given way. And of course, it is your responsibility to accept what you feel comfortable with and push back against what is not for you. What does not help your own goal. What does not stand for you own values. What takes you farther from your purpose.
You set the boundaries and you are the one defending them.
The friend complex
When you raise through the ranks, keep in mind that your role, responsibilities, relationships shift.
It is mainly a journey you have to do alone. And you can’t make up for it by pretending you are still friend with everyone. Your words have a different weight. Your messages have a different weight. Even your ideas and opinions have a different weight. The best you can do is embrace this fact and act as it is expected by your new role.
Instead of cracking an ambiguous joke, shut up and listen.
Instead of sharing your pain and frustration, own other’s pains and frustrations.
Instead of giving your opinion on every topic, ensure that others can give theirs.
The friend complex is dangerous for founders, executives, managers. Whether you resist to it might make the difference between being alone and being lonely.
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