I have long felt self-conscious about my differences, not quite fitting in my surroundings, coming from another country with a different background, speaking with an accent most of my life. I noticed over time how some of us have an easier time sharing their differences and preferences, while most of us tend to downplay our eccentricities–whatever we deem quirky. Society from education onwards tend to favor uniformity, and we have codes about what is socially acceptable. As a result, we may not realize how much we have attuned to our surroundings and done away with our special personality traits, intentionally or not. I certainly learned to conform from an early age and was mostly unaware of it until I started paying attention to leadership.
Leaders have usually learned to live without suppressing their eccentricities or rediscovered and embraced these buried traits. They understand that their idiosyncrasies are an important part of who they are. Should you are wondering about these special characteristics of yours, let’s try to think about what it is that you would love to do or be if you knew that you would not be judged for it. What would you take up for a hobby or what would you look like, given a bit more freedom and imagination?
You may be surprised at what comes up and what you discover about your suppressed peculiarities. Ask yourself what is stopping you from expressing this part of you and bring it out in the open. Try to incorporate this side of you into your daily existence. You may be even more surprised to realize that some people will appreciate you more for it than you might have expected. Remember that being your true self frees others up. Give yourself permission!