In coaching, one of the exercises I offer is this:
Tell a story about your life that reflects who you are today.
When I asked a client, Tom (not his real name), to do this exercise, he paused for a moment, then told me a story about his leadership at his firm. I followed up with a question: “So you’re a leader. Is that who you are?”
His expression told me everything. While he clearly has leadership skills, that’s not who he is. He offered a few more stories, but each one fell short of truly reflecting his core self. Finally, after four or five tries, he shared the following story:
“When I was eleven or twelve, I was walking to school after it had snowed the night before. One of my neighbors down the street was shoveling his driveway. He was older and clearly struggling. I asked if he had a second shovel, and I helped him get his car out.”
I nodded in appreciation. He had found a story that reflected who he is at his core.
I challenge you to try this exercise. Find your story… the one that, deep down, shows who you really are.
Bonus points if you share it!
