I worked for the better part of a decade in a primarily male corporate European automotive plant. I was dismissed, underrated, and challenged every time I even thought about discussing my opinion or what I believed could better the business.
These things would happen daily. They would leave me feeling insecure, doubting my own capabilities, and scared to stand up for myself in any way, shape, or form. I would accept rules and leading methods that didn’t represent me in the slightest.
And where did it get me? Sure, I moved up the ranks, and I got to a pretty successful stage of my career, but is it success that I was proud of? Definitely not.
I was deeply unhappy and could never do things “My” way. And I don’t mean the facade I had to put on every day to avoid any conflicts; I mean my true, authentic leadership way that left me feeling satisfied and happy.
This was my reality until I decided to take the wheel…
As soon as I knew that I needed to change, I started noticing what I do on a daily basis that I was not happy about. How many times I said yes when it was actually a no, how many times I let people walk all over me when they didn’t deserve to, and how many times I based my own self-image on other people’s approval.