𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲.We play different roles in different context, and we are not our roles, we just play them
Last week, I experienced a wave of anxiety as I prepared for my first dance performance in many years. After resuming dance training just a year ago, I was experiencing mixed feeling -bit overwhelmed and anxious.
𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺, 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱, “𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵—𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁?
I smiled and replied, “Right now, I’m not a playing the role of a coach. I’m simply orienting myself to get ready for this performance.”
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘀, 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀.
𝗪𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗸, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻.
As leaders, do you notice others recognizing one of your #identities in a completely different context?
Or even applying their own #assumptions about what you “should” be feeling or doing?
Recognizing the roles people play in different situations and context brings flexibility and wisdom.
It allows us to understand the limits and opportunities within each role and, most importantly, frees us from judgment.
So next time you’re tempted to #label someone based on their profession, ask yourself:
What role are they playing in this moment?
How might this role differ from their professional identity?
Are labels limiting your view of them—or even of yourself?
