๐จ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ.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.
๐๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ, ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ, “๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ตโ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐. ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐?
I smiled and replied, “Right now, Iโm not a playing the role of a coach. Iโm simply orienting myself to get ready for this performance.”
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป, ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐โ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒโ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป.
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:
๐โWhat role are they playing in this moment?
๐โHow might this role differ from their professional identity?
๐โAre labels limiting your view of themโor even of yourself?
