In my previous article (Popular Question From an Introvert), I stated that moving ahead in your career isn’t about making clever maneuvers.  But rather, that it’s about building for the long term.    I ended by introducing what it takes to do this:

1. Get comfortable in your own skin by celebrating who you are.
2. Figure out what will get the company ahead.
3.  Learn to articulate “your” story by highlighting how your differences are a tremendous asset.
4. Articulate how your unique talent, viewpoint, and approach would be a significant advancement for the enterprise.

In this article, I will expand on the first step:  (1).  Get comfortable in your own skin by celebrating who you are.  To start, I’d like to take a look at why it is so difficult to celebrate who we are, and then I’ll move on to how we can shift our perspective.

Continue reading Career Growth Strategy (1): Get comfortable in your own skin →

Q: I am a fairly introverted person.  It seems like to get ahead at my company you have to “toot your own horn”.  This makes me uncomfortable. Do you have any advice?

“Tooting your own horn” works well if you have a beautiful “horn” and you are talented in “tooting.”  There are those who do this quite well—with charisma, grace, and finesse.  They know how to position themselves, and sell themselves to just about anyone.  Then there are those without horns, who have not had much practice in the fine art of tooting.  So what do you do if you’re not a horn tootin’ kind of guy or gal?  Many “so called” experts would say that if you’re going to succeed that you have to learn to “speak up” and “stand out”—that you should get yourself a beautiful horn, and start practicing like crazy!

Continue reading Popular Question from an Introvert →