Own Your Talent

Written by Roxanne Brown

Even if you're lucky enough to be working for a company that's investing in your growth, it's up to you to own your talent. It's up to you to own your career development.

In a joy research interview, a CEO mentioned she worked for her current company for over 10 years before leaving to work for another firm, rejoining several years later as CEO. She said she left because the longer she stayed the less confident she felt. For her, this was a passing comment, but it’s stuck with us ever since because we’ve heard this from many people, regardless of gender. The phenomenon: The longer you stay the less qualified you feel. It doesn’t actually make sense if you stop and think about it. Companies are constantly evolving so employees acquire and develop new skills every day just to stay employed. But perception beats logic every time.

From Roxanne: "I experienced this because at one point I worried my change approach might be odd or only specifically applicable to the company I worked for. Years ago, I applied for a change role at one of the big consulting firms and was offered the job. That snapped me out of my negative self-perception. I started owning my talent. I started believing I could contribute in a bigger way."

We’re working on the connection to Joy at Work.