Grateful for the cheerleaders around me
I have officially registered my company today, Salt Water Communications & Culture is a fact. I could never have done it without the encouragement of so many around me. My goal? To become a badass leader and a good human at the same time.
Never underestimate the power of a professional and personal cheerleading team that stands behind you when making big decisions or going on uncharted territory. I am lucky to have had a substantial network of former colleagues, clients and friends that have followed my professional development over the years. People encouraged me when we decided to move to the USA for my new role at the Microsoft headquarters. That same group of people showed up for me when I needed it the most, when leaving Microsoft. The comments posted on my LinkedIn update felt like a warm shower of love and appreciation, but mostly a strong belief in my capabilities and strengths. I realized how fortunate I am to have cheerleaders lined up to see me through future bad days and celebrate accomplishments as I go along.
It is hard to summarize the process towards starting my own company. But in summary – it was literally a Call to Courage. As with all good things in life, they come on your path when you least expect it and when you need it the most. This leadership and personal development program, led by Maaike Burghouts, challenged me to find my purpose in life and gave me the opportunity to address my demons holding me back.
I strongly believe that the world can be a better place if everyone can be their true selves. When there is permission for candor. Fearless organizations where people can speak up and share out of the box ideas or concerns. Teams where there is room for candid conversations, not to make people feel good, but to address the real issues at hand. These are also the organizations where everyone can be the best version of themselves, even if that version is not having a good day/week/month/year. These are the teams that are high performance teams. Being a bad ass leader, doesn’t mean you can’t be a good human too. Knowing that there is still a stigma around talking openly about mental health at work, makes me realize there is still a world out there where I can make a difference.
My key to success is my cheerleaders, the people in my network, that are always available for a call and a coffee. The ones that provide candid feedback and lift me up to believe I can fly. Building such a group around me is never a task, always a pleasure and I am grateful for the support you have all given me.
Not all cheerleaders shake their pompoms. Who are your cheerleaders?
