There's nothing as terrible as living, breathing, and operating, within the box and lines that people draw out for you in their subconscious. They always know you. They know the limit of your strength and the boundaries of your genius. They know your capacity and can map out your invincibility.
They can hold you against a mirror with their own tape and measure how far you can go. They just know you.
Wow!
When you give people this much power, they assume unbelievable control over your life and watch you play in the field of limitation that is in their minds.
I know of a BOSS who told her employee who wanted to leave employment
“How will you survive when you leave this place when you stop collecting salaries?”
Wow again!
One major way to command respect is not to raise your shoulder. It is to be the person who spring good surprises on people. When people know that they can't put a tape on you or exhaust the possibilities you can spin, you command their respect. You can hear it in how they regard you, how they consult you for advice, how they add you to their think pods.
Some of you live out your imperfections and fear to the point that it becomes your definition.
You're doing it wrongly. If you've followed and read me long enough you will know that I don't teach that nonsense called packaging in a way that's been taught around here. I am a content person. I appreciate having solid content before installing packaging, however take your doubts and fear and weakness to God and walk as if you're the bravest person in the world. I know you don't have much in your account yet, but when it shows all over you, we have a problem to solve.
When people sense that there's no much or more to you, you will become a regular brand that they can push around and verbally restrict.
So how can you prevent people from figuring you out?
1. Evolve: Be the product that keeps improving. Let everyday be an opportunity to iterate a new version of you. Improve on something every day. Come up with new expressions of you.
2. Don't be static, don't be rigid. Be a work in progress. Learn new skills. Get new competence, change your skin every other day. Engage in ecdysis, moult
3. Be articulate: Learn to communicate confidently. Many times people interprets articulation as brilliance. This is not mostly true but it shades the importance of learning to speak clearly and with confidence. No matter how brilliant you are, if your communication skill is poor, you’d be badly categorized. You may not even reap the fruit of your brilliance. Others who are not as brilliant as you will thrive on your hard work while you grapple with obscurity, lack and darkness.
4. Look the Part: Your boss, colleagues and everyone in your universe do not have inner binoculars to access your gifts, talents, content or intellect. The first clue comes from the way you dress. We don’t speak all the time but people hear you loud and clear. They ‘hear’ the way you are dressed. It’s a great combination if you compliment content with appearance. Would you rather win twice or win once?
5. Deliver great work/result: Respect is not commanded it is earned, and it is earned through great and exceptional work/result. It is fraudulent to expect respect when your work or input is shabby. Try to arrange, present, deliver your work differently. Pay attention to every detail of your work and business. When your result is impressive, you earn respect.
I hope you got value here buddy. Have a great week and breakthrough from within.
©Abiola Iyiola
🎯PS: My book, Drive is on sale nationwide. Send a direct message to 08164586627 (WhatsApp) to get your copy.