I have always struggled with attention to detail. From the time I was 2 years old my Dad would call me “the absent-minded professor”, saying I was “busy solving bigger problems”. In corporate America I used to beat myself up for every error in emails and presentations and had abysmal self-esteem.
Until leader I had changed my life. She said: Cindy, you are very bright, you are talented, and you know your stuff. The people criticizing your work’s detail are missing the brilliance of the content. Hire an editor, contribute in your inimitable way, and don’t let anyone steal your sparkle.”
She changed my life.
Fortunately, I have editors, and to this day I work at catching typos and layout mistakes. But I wrote a book, have a blog, and can move forward with my life and my self-esteem intact, thanks to that one leader who saw the best in me.
Has a leader changed your life? If so, let them know. Better yet, pay it forward.
Don’t let anyone steal your sparkle.
