On Being Yourself – Great Article by Steve Yastrow

The best advice I ever received in my life was – “Be yourself”. We are born with some inherent capabilities wired in our DNA. These capabilities are hidden somewhere within us. We need to dig ourselves deeper to get to them. Knowing what makes you unique is the key driver of our personal and professional growth. Perhaps, it is the highest form of human development.

In this respect, I read a brilliant post titled “Be Irreplaceable” by Steve Yastrow on Tom Peters’ Blog. It needed to be shared with you, and here is the crux –

Relationship-building encounters don’t happen between “waiter and customer,” “consultant and client,” or “doctor and patient.” They happen between human beings. It is, of course, critically important to treat your customer like a full person, and honor what makes her unique. But that is only half the equation. Make sure that you represent yourself in the encounter, not as a representative of your job role, but as you. Interact with your customer in a way that could only be done by you, a way in which another person could not substitute for you without making the experience different.

Early in my days as a consultant I had a breakthrough moment. I realized that I didn’t want my clients to think of me as “our marketing consultant, Steve,” but as “Steve, our marketing consultant.” This is not a subtle distinction. It’s the difference between being replaceable, and irreplaceable.

We kill our abilities when we try to be “like” someone. The first pre-condition to become successful (and also happy) is to manifest your true self. To bring that differential advantage on board – and be memorable for being different.

Realising this can change our game – be it working on a project, leading a team, managing a project, building comfort with a client or doing pre-sales confidence building. Bring the “YOU” element in your dealings and see the difference!

Cheers!

Image Courtesy: Fingerprints by Kevin Dooley @ flickr