Leadership
More of who they are
What if the best way to improve performance is to let people be more of who they are?
Years ago, a colleague shared a thought that has stayed with me throughout my career: "We should be able to bring our full, authentic selves to work."
She lived those words. In the way she expressed herself, the causes she advocated for, the relationships she built, and the tough love she sometimes dispensed. She loved what she did, and the people around her valued what she brought to the organization.
Her words reminded me of one of the most rewarding experiences of my own career.
I had helped a leader with a small project. Later, he invited me to take on a much bigger challenge: helping build a new organization from the ground up. He had a vision. I had some of the skills he needed. And he gave me something equally important: his trust and support.
What followed surprised even me.
- I was an Analyst, asking: How do we know?
- An Artist, asking: What else is possible?
- An Adventurer, asking: What's worth trying?
- And yes, even a bit of an Architect, asking: How does it all fit together?
But perhaps most importantly, I was an Advocate, motivated by helping someone else achieve a vision I believed in.
I stretched beyond what I thought I could do. The organization succeeded, my contributions were recognized, and I discovered capabilities in myself that I hadn't fully appreciated.
Looking back over 35-plus years, that remains one of the best positions I've ever held. Not simply because of the recognition or rewards, but because I could bring so much of myself to the work.
How much potential goes undiscovered?
We hire people for their qualifications, assign responsibilities based on their skills, and evaluate them against performance objectives.
But do we really understand what motivates them? What excites their curiosity? What parts of themselves rarely get an opportunity to show up?
Four questions for your next one-on-one
Ask which of these questions they most enjoy answering:
- Architect: How does it all fit together?
- Artist: What else is possible?
- Analyst: How do we know?
- Adventurer: What's worth trying?
Their answers may reveal something their job titles never could. That's worth knowing before you decide who gets the next opportunity.
A systems view of people
As a systems engineer, I've learned that performance isn't simply the sum of individual capabilities. It emerges from how those capabilities interact with the environment around them.
People are no different.
Sometimes the opportunity to do our best work comes not from changing who we are, but from finding an environment where more of who we are is welcomed, supported, and encouraged to grow.
The organization chart tells us where people work. It doesn't tell us who they are.
Have you ever had a role or worked with a leader who brought out the very best in you? What made that experience different?
This essay pairs with Actor, Advocate, Activist, Apathist, on how the conditions around us shape which behavior shows up.
Is a model or AI output about to drive one of your decisions? Ten questions will tell you whether you're ready to own it.
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