sooooo, after a keynote preso i gave at a private equity conference, an attendee came up and said…
“I’ve seen you speak a couple times in the past, but today felt different. last time you come across as an arrogant man. but, today… you feel so real and authentic, and i appreciate that.”
what changed?
did my tone of delivery change? yes. in the past i shared business tactics the audience could walk away with; i projected ‘certainty of what works.’
rather than a school teacher “do this or you’ll make mistakes because this is the right way.” (it can create guilt / overwhelm).. i’m sharing what i’ve personally seen work for me & clients, without conveying an expectation that they need to do anything with it (to create inspiration).
i ‘strayed’ off pure go-to-market tactics to share more about how i’ve “stumbled my way to success” both in work and parenting.
such as: feeling confused most days about what to do in one of the other! (anyone else have teenagers going through serious shit, or wondering how to evolve your business in a way that feels aligned to your values?)
yet realising when i’m breaking new ground, confusion and uncertainty are natural feelings and good signs of growth.
if I was confident in knowing what to do, i wouldn't be doing something new.
(hey that rhymed… small win!)
what we can’t go wrong with: sharing more personal stories, including ones that have nothing to do with business, but have everything to do with who we are and what our lives are like.
people want to know what it’s like for us as humans and how we juggle it all, not just as leaders in a job.
:P
air