Anuradha Chawla, Ph.D. is a partner at Kilberry, a firm of management psychologists. She specializes in getting a good read on executives, their fit to the strategy or investment thesis and helping them elevate their game during successions and transformations.
Have you ever given any thought to the professional value of your origin story? If you want to inspire, build connection or be a leader worth following, spend time reflecting on how you came to be who you are. Knowing your origin story is not only a wellspring of self-insight and wisdom, but sharing it will also help you inspire others.
Cultivating insight from your story
Many think inspirational leaders are good orators. However, it’s not just what they say, but rather their insight and resulting wisdom that really galvanizes followership.
Cultivating good insight requires understanding the events that shaped your life, the circumstances you found yourself in and the choices you made. That perspective helps clarify your voice and organize your efforts around what you stand for and why you are saying what you are saying.
For example, a CEO I worked with realized that her philosophy and approach to leading her team originated from the formative years of working on the family farm with her siblings. There was no fuss and everyone had a part to play. They worked hard, had clear roles and responsibilities and trusted each other. Because much was out of their control, they had to build contingencies, reserves and weather the proverbial or literal storm.
Many other senior leaders get their grit and drive from seeing their families struggle. In fact, scientific research links CEOs who experienced early-life poverty with a greater commitment to corporate social responsibility at their firm.
Building followership
While leaders can personally benefit from reflecting on their origin story, sharing that story helps them stand out in a crowd.
What we are expecting of our leaders is changing. The intersection between a leader’s personal values and their professional actions is getting blurry. I don’t believe that is because people are getting intrusive – there is still a place for privacy.
But we increasingly want to know where leaders stand on critical, world-changing events that were once thought of as taboo in business. We are trying to gauge whether our values align with those of leaders we are expected to follow. This puts the onus on leaders to share more about themselves and be more human.
Doing it well
If you are to help people get to know your story, it won’t just be the facts of what you did and when. It will be about showing that you have taken the time to make sense of the key events or people that have defined you.
Thinking about or sharing your story doesn’t have to follow a chronological arc. It is also not about your parents’ story or your genealogy.
Rather, ask yourself or share:
- Where did you grow up and what did that mean for you?
- Who were the core people who influenced you? How are you (dis)similar to them?
- In your formative years, what choices did you make and why (about schooling, travel, who you engaged with)?
- Which decisions were regrettable? Which have built up your confidence?
People will be keen to know how you have dealt with certain situations – after all, past behaviour is a strong predictor of future behaviour. And don’t gloss over the bad experiences. Your flaws make you fallible. In turn, your fallibility makes you more trustworthy, authentic and interesting.
In all of this, being genuine is key. Don’t just retell the same story. I knew a leader who shared the loss of someone dear to them and another who shared the struggles their daughter had with mental health. While touching at first, when the same information was told repeatedly at all events without any new insights, it began to feel contrived.
What people really want to know is how your critical life events affect(ed) you as a leader. Did those events humble you? Did they make you more rigid or reserved? How do they explain something about you or your personality?
The bottom line
People want to get to know their leaders. It’s no longer enough to just be personable – leaders must also get personal. There’s a reason Hollywood is obsessed with origin stories and that almost half of all non-fiction books on the New York Times bestselling list are biographies or memoirs – we are psychologically wired for stories. As a leader, you are making consequential decisions, and you will be at your best if your actions align with who you are.
This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.