BE YOURSELF
The main thing is to have the courage and the faith to be yourself. If you know you’re going to do the work and you have the talent and the drive, you don’t need to worry about putting on a mask or trying to act like a robot; you can relax and let a little spontaneity and joy into your days.
I was invited to serve on a new Board of Directors and the initial meeting was last evening. The principal had selected a group that he felt would be the best for his business. For the most part, none of us knew each other and had no previous conversation regarding the company or the Board of Directors.
It was an open yet structured format. The owner gave us an overview and presented challenging questions for us to discuss as a group. A total of nine people were invited to the meeting. I thought that it was a very clever way to see if there was any synergy between the potential new board members and to find out how they answered the challenging questions.
Of the nine, two people took command of the meeting by being the first to answer most of the questions and sharing their opinions. One person did not participate at all and the rest shared to some degree.
My years as a business consultant gave me an insight as to the behavior patterns exhibited by those in attendance. It was easy to figure out who was trying to impress the owner and who was willing to listen and learn before responding.
I realize that first impressions are not always accurate, but I appreciate people who are relaxed and are comfortable with themselves. I am sure that as this group gets to know each other better it will become clearer as to why each person was selected and what strengths they bring to the board.
My recommendation is to always listen first and not to speak until you have something of value to offer. This is particularly true when making a presentation to a potential client. My advice is to always speak from the heart whenever you have something to say.
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