“Making a positive impression can mean the difference between employment and unemployment or landing and not landing a good deal or client. But contrary to our intuition, simply being yourself makes a better impression than catering to another person’s interests and expectations. It not only feels better; it also improves the likelihood that you will achieve your goal,” writes Francisca Gino in a Harvard Business Review article published on February 13th, 2020, entitled “Research: It Pays to Be Yourself.”
In the article, Gino provides examples of research studies that demonstrate that while catering to the expectations of others is quite common, it may not always be in our best interests. Hiding our own preferences in favor of others can be mentally and emotionally demanding, and ultimately increases our anxiety and decreases our performance.
As attorneys and legal professionals, we are expected to consistently perform at a high level while influencing others. While establishing an influential presence is important, it’s also important to our mental health, career satisfaction, and job performance that we’re able to be our authentic selves.
This requires a comprehensive deep dive into our wellness, happiness, and career so that we’re able to shape and present our authentic, and ultimately our best, selves to the world.
We hope to help guide you and provide you with the resources to achieve your best self through our upcoming series of Thriving Lawyer CLE courses and roundtable luncheons at the HYP Club in downtown Pittsburgh starting on February 26th, 2020.
Renee Schwerdt, Esq. and I will be co-teaching and hosting these interactive events. In addition to being a solo practitioner and the Principal of Thriving Lawyer WellBeing Services, Renee is also a certified holistic lifestyle coach and a Crossfit trainer.
Join us as we work together on becoming our best, authentic selves!
