Simmons Leadership Conference

A few days ago I was very luck to receive a pass for the Simmons Leadership Conference which topic was Authenticity and Resilience.

I can easily say that this was the best virtual event I attended since the beginning of the pandemic. Speakers were very well selected and they really managed to inspire me and to provoke my thoughts around work, life, career, and the balance of it all.

A few things that really resonated with me:

• Personal job descriptions
• Personal board of directors
• Fake voice

And now let me elaborate on those points.

Personal job descriptions meaning the different hats that each one of us wears (especially women, of course). I often feel the pressure to excel at everything and never stop: be perfect in my career, be able to constantly learn and grow, have hobbies, exercise, cook and eat healthy, meet friends and be there for them, take care of parents, spend time with my partner, pay attention to my dog, attend cultural and social events, think about having a kid…and so on…and so on. And I want to be best at all those things, but did you notice what is missing? Some ME time. It is just not part of the list, not that I do not recognize its importance, I just physically cannot fit it in my agenda. Something so important just does not make it in my list, because I have the need to be great at everything else I wish to accomplish in my life. A great advice I heard on the conference was about writing down my personal job description for each role I take. What is a perfect manager for me? What is a great friend? And what about a good mom? Once I write my expectations down, I can take 24 hours to sleep on it and then prioritize and set some goals. Will give it a go for sure, I hope it helps with the constant drive to do more and more.

Personal board of directors is something I actually have in my life, but never really acknowledged as such. This is a group of colleagues (former or current), close friends, mentors, meaningful people in my life that I turn to for advice and encouragement. When there is a tough choice (and I do that more often for work related topics) or a difficult decision to make, they are my moral compass and my guiding light. They have the ability to ground me when needed, but also to give me some wings to fly. I find it great that some of them are coming from different industries and backgrounds and their different experiences help me put a fresh perspective into things. I believe having a support system is essential for every human being, but be thoughtful about the people you choose to join your board.

My favorite talk was definitely about Fake voice. One of the panelist spoke about how while sitting on a particular call, her daughter told her that she did her “fake voice”. For the panelist it was a revelation that something in the communication with that specific person was not ok. I realized that I also have a “fake voice” which I usually do when I try to be over-polite. Everybody has a fake voice, fake smile, or fake relationship, meaning not that there are mal intensions, rather than you do not allow yourself to be your true self. Numerous research in recent years is showing that being authentic at work is producing better results, higher productivity, higher retention and engagement for employees. Being authentic means you do not have to think about what and how to say all the time, and how are other people seeing you. You can just be yourself (Note: not to be confused with being rude!).

So, to summarize — be YOURSELF, surround yourself with a solid SUPPORT GROUP, and set clear GOALS for yourself. And remember, you are as good as you want to be!