To have a voice is to believe in yourself.
One of the hardest parts of the strategist role is to find clarity in complexity, and to do so with persuasion and conviction. It’s a super power that’s not so much taught as it is learned from many attempts at moving a group of people, one conference call at a time.
Yet without the benefit of practice, it’s easy to look outward and see an industry filled with strategy luminaries with impressive social media followings or a charisma that has everyone in the room, eating out of their hand, and want to be them. It’s incredibly tempting, especially amongst those early in their careers to not just emulate the delivery of their bosses and industry icons, but to copy and paste their style. Like “faking it until you make it,” but rather than pretending to know what you’re talking about, you’re in fact pretending to be someone you’re not.
While it might rocket you to your next role, it’s ultimately a career-stalling and self-defeating tactic.
At some point, it’ll be your voice others are paying to hear, and not just an echo of one’s they’ve heard before.
Finding your voice in the world of strategy isn’t so simple. It can’t be found in a how-to guide, a graduate course, or blog post like this one.
That’s because the voice you should bring is the one that already exists within you.
It’s born from an unshakeable belief in yourself that you’re capable. That you belong. That you are prepared. That you have something others will want to hear, whether they know it or not. A self-confidence that creates belief and continually reminds you of your own potential.
Hall of famer and all-time golfing great Jack Nicklaus once gave a speech to the Ohio State golf team saying, “you need to become a legend in your own mind before you can be a legend in your own time.”
Now that’s a pep talk.
In fact, there may be no better way to crowd out creeping self-doubt than to remind yourself that you’re the best person for the task at hand.
And like magic, your self-belief can become your super power, giving you the confidence to not just make your voice heard, but to make it unforgettable.