Are you having a difficult time excelling in your business’s corporate culture? Are you in an environment where you can succeed? Whether you work for a Fortune 500, small business, or a start-up, the question remains the same.
This question is about much more than fitting in. I’m not talking about getting along with others and doing what you need to do get your job done. I’m talking about allowing your unique success attributes to come through.
If you find that you’re struggling to be fulfilled and to be valued, appreciated and substantiated, maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s them.
I gave a presentation yesterday to the Executive Women’s Roundtable in Northern Virginia titled, “Using The Art of War to Find Your Competitive Advantage.” The focus was on how women can understand and leverage their uniquely feminine attributes for optimal success, and how to avoid trying to lead, follow or manage like “a man.”
After the presentation a woman approached a great question. What you do when you’re in a culture that doesn’t value your feminine attributes, such as collaboration, team building, sensitivity to the needs/objections of others…the list goes on and on?”
My response was simple. If you can’t change the culture and they won’t appreciate and value your real strengths, then your talent is being squandered. It doesn’t sound like it’s the right culture for her (or you).
She looked me squarely in the eyes and said something she either was realizing for the first time, or had just come to terms with: “I think that sums up my entire career.”
Wow. Of course, she’s not alone.
You are responsible for your success. Not your boss. Not your company. Not your clients or anybody else. If you aren’t maximizing your potential based on your talents and attributes, what do you need to do to change the game?
