Six months ago I attended a leadership training course, and it changed my life - meaning it changed me and the direction of my career. You don't often hear such strong sentiments after a one-week training course and many of us have attended workshops and trainings where the most enjoyable thing was the free lunches. But this course had the right content that came to me at the right time when I was ready to absorb and put it all into action.
The most impactful part of the training was a 1-on-1 coaching session I had for 3.5 hours that was all about me. It was during that session when I realized I was standing in my own way; but more accurately, my New York Attitude was blocking my openness to people and ideas and change, which was limiting my own growth and the growth of those around me.
After all these years, my instincts of "Fuck 'em" and "I don't give a shit" were no longer helping me!!!
It truly changed my perspective about myself and how I interact and affect others, and it was liberating to shake off the attitude (and the underlying fear that went with it) and embrace a more open outlook on work and life.
But it doesn't mean I throw the attitude away for good. And that's not me being stubborn. I have also learned that there are times when having a New York Attitude can come in handy and there are times when its necessary to pull it out of my pocket and wear it again. This crosses both my personal and professional worlds. You may call it assertiveness, but I feel it goes beyond that. It's an expression of control (in the "ownership" sense, not in the "dictator" sense) and strength. This can be used in professional settings when you need to break some rules to achieve even greater results. And it can be used in personal settings to re-establish norms and expectations among friends or loved ones (or sometimes just to move on from a hurtful comment).
In summary, a New York Attitude is a great skill to have but it needs to be used appropriately - at the right time, among the right people, and for the right intention. And more than anything, it should be used sparingly so we don't close ourselves off to a world full of possibilities. At least that's my two cents....and if you don't like it...well, I don't really give a shit.
Full disclosure: my colleagues know that it is still sometimes hard for me to put the attitude away even when I don't want to be wearing it, but I hope they know I'm trying....
The most impactful part of the training was a 1-on-1 coaching session I had for 3.5 hours that was all about me. It was during that session when I realized I was standing in my own way; but more accurately, my New York Attitude was blocking my openness to people and ideas and change, which was limiting my own growth and the growth of those around me.
It truly changed my perspective about myself and how I interact and affect others, and it was liberating to shake off the attitude (and the underlying fear that went with it) and embrace a more open outlook on work and life.
But it doesn't mean I throw the attitude away for good. And that's not me being stubborn. I have also learned that there are times when having a New York Attitude can come in handy and there are times when its necessary to pull it out of my pocket and wear it again. This crosses both my personal and professional worlds. You may call it assertiveness, but I feel it goes beyond that. It's an expression of control (in the "ownership" sense, not in the "dictator" sense) and strength. This can be used in professional settings when you need to break some rules to achieve even greater results. And it can be used in personal settings to re-establish norms and expectations among friends or loved ones (or sometimes just to move on from a hurtful comment).
In summary, a New York Attitude is a great skill to have but it needs to be used appropriately - at the right time, among the right people, and for the right intention. And more than anything, it should be used sparingly so we don't close ourselves off to a world full of possibilities. At least that's my two cents....and if you don't like it...well, I don't really give a shit.
Full disclosure: my colleagues know that it is still sometimes hard for me to put the attitude away even when I don't want to be wearing it, but I hope they know I'm trying....
