Berättelsen bakom etiketten – Confident Leadership

Leadership begins with the story you tell yourself.

If you and I were sitting across from each other, maybe with a cup of coffee or tea in hand,
I’d be curious about:

How do you speak to yourself – especially when no one else is listening?

Not the polished version you say in meetings.
But the voice that shows up when you're tired.
When you’ve been challenged.
Or right before you hit send on something that feels a bit too bold.

What do you call yourself then?
And just out of curiosity — where did that come from?

🔍 The Labels We Carry

Years ago, I quietly started calling myself “junior.”
Not in my job title. Not on LinkedIn.
But in my own head.

That label helped me at first — it gave me space to ask questions, to try, to learn.
But over time, I outgrew it.
Not because I still wanted to stay curious or keep learning new things. It had more to do with how it gradually turned into a way of minimizing myself.
And yet… I kept wearing it.
Long after I had earned trust. Led teams. Taken senior roles.

Have you ever outgrown a story about yourself — but kept telling it anyway?
What internal script are you still repeating, even though it might no longer be true?

💬 The Mirror Moment

I was challenged by a mentor who, directly but kindly, asked:

“Why do you keep calling yourself junior?”

I froze. Because I hadn’t even noticed I’d said it — again.

It made me pause and ask:

What exactly am I comparing myself to?
Whose definition of ‘qualified’ am I measuring myself by?

And more importantly:

What would it mean to define my own value — based on who I am and what I bring?

🛠️ Reflection as a Leadership Practice

Even now, years later, I still return to this moment.
Because the old stories? They sneak back in.
Especially when we compare. When we’re stretched. When we doubt.

That’s why I keep reflecting.
To remember who I am.
To re-anchor in what success looks like for me — not someone else.

So, let me pass the mirror to you:

✨ Journal Prompts for Honest Reflection

You don’t need to answer all of them. Just pick the one that nudges something inside you.

What labels have you quietly given yourself over the years?
Are those labels helping you grow — or holding you back?
What story about yourself might be ready to evolve?
When was the last time someone saw something in you that you couldn’t see yet?
What would it mean to lead from the truth of who you are now — not who you were then?

💜 A Note to You

If any of this resonates — you’re not alone.
You’re probably far more experienced, wise and grounded than you give yourself credit for.

And the story you tell yourself?
It can and is allowed to change.

This isn’t about pretending. It’s about reclaiming..
About choosing words that honour your experience.
And creating space to lead — in your colours. Fully. Freely. Powerfully.

Because when we each lead from our own palette —
the whole picture becomes richer. 🎨