Is your career identity propelling you forward?

Leora Kirby, Career Coach and HR Consultant, sent over an interesting article the other day about rhetoric or persuasive communication. The way that we speak to ourselves and others can change perceptions and, as the article put it “drive action”.

The article suggested that by turning actions into identities, we can increase our influence. Instead of saying “don’t litter”, saying “don’t be a litterbug” attaches the action to an identity. No one wants to have “litterbug” as an identity. Conversely, asking someone to “be a leader” rather than “lead” can influence them in a positive direction.

This article immediately reminded me of a book that you may have heard of: Atomic Habits. The author of the book, James Clear, talks about using an identity to build new habits.  If you’re looking to improve flexibility for example, saying “I want to get stronger”, “I want to lead”, and “I want to write a book” won’t have as much of an effect as starting to call yourself “strong” or  “a leader” or “a writer”, etc.

But how often do we really spend time thinking about the identities we’ve built around our work? 

What is identity, anyway?

Identity is all about how you see yourself and how other people see you. It includes things like your beliefs, experiences, and relationships, and it can be influenced by lots of different things like your culture, gender, race, and more. When you have a strong sense of your own identity, it helps you know who you are and what you want to achieve in life. This can make you feel more confident and good about yourself. By the way, identity ties in really closely with Self-Awareness and Self-Perception, two key elements of emotional intelligence.

Your identity is also really important when it comes to how you interact with others. It helps you connect with people who share similar beliefs and values, plus it can also help you understand and appreciate people who are different from you.

Do a career identity check:

Grab a pen and paper and set aside some time to ask yourself the following questions:

1. What are my core values and beliefs at work?

2. What are some of my strengths? My weaknesses?

3. What are my passions and interests?

4. What are my current career goals and aspirations?

5. What are my personal goals and aspirations outside of my career?

Now, ask yourself — is there anything about my identity that has helped me get to where I am today?  Are there any parts of my identity that might be holding me back from where I want to go? (If so, what is one small change I can make in the way I talk to myself and about myself with others, which would help?)

So what about impostor syndrome? We all start with some self-doubt. If you never try, you will never be the person you desire to be. We all have to start somewhere. So get out there, and find one or two things that you’ve accomplished or that you’ve loved learning about. Focus on making what you’ve accomplished a part of your identity. Because if you don’t get out there, courageously, there’s no growth.  Be the awesome Leader, Speaker, Teacher, etc. that you want to be.  

What do you think about the idea of career identity? Reach out on LinkedIn to start a conversation about your identity and where you’d like to go. And if you’d like a partner in exploring your career growth, check out Get Courageous Career Coaching.

Woman seated on a couch with a tablet, working.

How has your identity supported your success? How has it held you back?