“The path to professional achievement isn’t a straight line”. This is a great leadership lesson I learned way back in 2001 when I was laid off from my job as an HR. After losing my job, I was resolute: tomorrow, I’d just start searching again. I’d find another job.
But it didn’t quite work out that way — because it was Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Everything changed from that day on in my life. And I just wasn’t seen like I was before. Biases had increased against women of color ( males too). I had to fight for years to make myself seen at every level. It was painful. Very Painful.
I did not want my emotional pain to take over me. And so I worked harder than anyone else … so that people didn’t look at me as a woman of color. I made it through, of course. I got recognized as the only woman of Indian descent to be in the field of executive coaching and book writing in a white male-dominated industry.
Maybe you’ve experienced something similar, too?
In your work life, I am sure you too have had events such as layoffs, being passed over for promotions, forceful retirement, bad team relationships, failing business, work overload, lack of rewards, harassment, and demotions. It’s important that as a leader you know how to manage your emotional pain and how to heal any emotional pain. You can’t afford to carry this emotional baggage and expect to deliver great results.
One of the ways I worked through my pain was to convert it into a purpose. I made it my purpose to become known in my field of work, not just for myself, but for numerous women and men of color from India who are seen as people working heads down in IT or a giant company.
You can choose to view a situation in such a way that validates your reasons for feeling stressed, or you can view it so that you feel motivated and up for the challenge to deal with it.
I believe we are all capable of creating new neural pathways in our brains that allow us to manage our emotional pain.
You might like to hear this podcast episode titled From Pain to Purpose.
I think as leaders we have to know how to handle our emotional pains and work through them with a deep-rooted purpose. (Feel free to share it with a friend who’s going through some pain at work).
And if you have already ordered my book Achieve Unstoppable Success In Any economy, go to Mantra #5 — Transform pain to purpose. It will tell you exactly how some of the great leaders whom I have coached were able to convert their pain to purpose and succeed at what they do.
Hope this helps in your journey toward success.
Your Good Friend + Mentor Payal Nanjiani Leadership Expert | Author| Executive Coach Date — 31 March 2023
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