Self-Awareness and Personal Growth

One lesson that has served me well over the years: Don’t carry bad blood. In any long career you will be misunderstood. You’ll disagree. You’ll feel wronged. Sometimes even betrayed. Decisions won’t go your way. People will make calls you don’t agree with. The temptation is to keep score. But resentment is expensive. It clouds judgment. It narrows perspective. It limits future opportunity and is neither rational nor helpful. I’ve learned that making things right is both good relational practice and good business practice. Industries are small. Reputations compound. People you disagree with today may become partners tomorrow. And often, when you sit down and have the hard conversation, you discover the situation was more complex than you initially believed. There is real freedom in choosing not to carry offense. In picking up the phone and saying, “Let’s reset.” Over time, it builds a network of people who know you value relationships. Early in my career I valued results over relationships. Now, I know relationships trump results. Relationships are far more enduring and valuable than the near term results I used to favor. That’s good for business. More importantly, it’s good for the soul.

🚫 Most women don’t lack ambition. What we lack is a clear transition between the rules for girls and the rules for leaders. 📉 People say, “Women need to advocate for themselves.” But they forget: many of us were raised to follow rules in childhood that no longer serve us in adulthood As girls, we were taught: ⁉️ Speak up? You’re showing off. ⁉️ Take credit? You’re selfish. ⁉️ Push back? You’re difficult. Then suddenly, somewhere between girlhood and leadership, the expectations flipped, But no one told us when the switch happened. So we get stuck between two rulebooks: 🤔 Be humble. But be visible. 🤔 Be kind. But be powerful. 🤔 Be modest. But get promoted. And when we hesitate, they say it’s because we’re not confident enough. But really, it’s because we’re playing a game where the rules keep changing. Here are five things I have learned and actually work: 🔁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. It shapes who you get to become tomorrow. Think long-term. Act like your future depends on it, because it does. 🧹 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. You’re not interrupting. You’re contributing. Say what you mean. Own your space. 👀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. People do. And it’s your job to make sure the right ones are paying attention. 📊 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. Don’t wait until year-end reviews when the memory has faded. Keep a running list of results, decisions, and moments where you moved the needle. If you can’t name your impact, no one else will. 📅 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺. Block time each week to share progress, build alliances, and remind people what you’re leading. If you don’t make it part of your schedule, it won’t be part of theirs either. You don’t need to work harder. You need to get 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲. If you’re ready to shift from quietly capable to visibly in charge, join the waitlist for our next cohort of ⭐ From Hidden Talent to Visible Leader. ⭐ 🔗 Link in comments. 👊 If hard work alone were enough, you’d already be in the corner office.

On the importance of self-care as an early-career researcher. As a PhD student, I found it easier to avoid/neglect self-care than to actually go to the barber, see the dentist, or visit a doctor. It was easy bc (a) I was broke, (b) I was busy, and (c) I felt invincible. Yet. I always had time for a coffee, a beer, or hike. Looking back, while taking care of the social was good, neglecting self-care was a mistake bc (a) my uni offered health care services, (b) you should never be too busy for a haircut and (c) no one is invincible. When I look around today, I see many early-career researchers are so busy chasing publications, citations, and caffeine highs that they often forget to take care of themselves. But self-care—like grooming, maintaining your mental health, and actually seeing a doctor occasionally—is vital. BC they stage a lifetime of habits, that will follow you throughout your career. Rather than continuing on a grim tone, I thought, I would offer five engaging reminders why you need to get out of your office and engage in a little self-care! First, nobody trusts the zombie scientist. Good grooming keeps you from looking like you've spent three months straight in the lab without sunlight (even if you have). And more than that. It helps you effortlessly prepare to look good at presentations, workshops, and conferences -> and the job market. Second, crying over data isn’t a sign of research progress. Mental health breaks help you cope better than sobbing onto your keyboard—your advisor probably prefers data analysis without tears. In fact, I know they do. You are more likely to run accurate and interesting analyses if your brain is in a good place. Third, doctors exist for a reason (or TikTok isn't a real doctor). Seeing a real doctor regularly prevents you from diagnosing yourself with the rarest tropical diseases every time you sneeze. Seriously. I'm hearing so much self-diagnosis from early-career researchers - from Asperger's to ADHD to ... If you are concerned about a chronic condition, get some help - finding out if your TikTok diagnosis is accurate can be helpful. Fourth, metworking is easier when people don't fear for your sanity. When you are stressed out, you are on edge. The people around you can feel it. It makes it hard to work with you. A little self-care means fewer awkward interactions where colleagues wonder if you're one rejection email away from a meltdown. Finally, your future Nobel Prize photo depends on it. Think ahead—you want to look refreshed and sane when accepting your award, not like someone dragged straight from a Netflix binge. The bags under your eyes, the hunched-over-the-keyboard look, and the pasty skin don't resolve themselves in a day. So step away from the keyboard and take a walk! Seriously, though, take some time to invest in your well-being this week - you will find it makes the rest of your academic life better! #worklifebalance #academicjourney

Expanding Leadership Awareness: The Johari Window in Coaching One of the most powerful shifts in leadership is the movement from self-protective patterns to a more open, adaptive, and purpose-driven approach. The Johari Window provides a simple yet profound way to help leaders expand their range—both in self-awareness and in how they relate to others. In coaching, we often work with leaders who are highly skilled but limited by unseen constraints—blind spots they can’t perceive, hidden strengths they don’t yet trust, or untapped potential buried beneath old assumptions. By expanding awareness across all four quadrants of the Johari Window, we help leaders step more fully into their impact. 🪟Opening the Window: Four Coaching Levers for Growth 1️⃣ Expanding the Visible Spot (Open Area) A leader’s greatest impact comes from aligning their strengths with purpose and expressing them transparently. The more they bring their authentic self forward, the more trust and engagement they foster. Coaching here focuses on integrating self-awareness with action, ensuring that their leadership presence is both real and intentional. 2️⃣ Illuminating Blind Spots Every leader has patterns they can’t see—ways of operating that may limit trust, stifle collaboration, or keep them stuck in reactive tendencies. By using feedback effectively, we help leaders recognize these blind spots and shift toward more courageous, inclusive leadership. This is a key part of the reactive-to-creative transition: moving from an externally driven need for control, approval, or self-protection toward leading with deeper awareness and intentionality. 3️⃣ Revealing the Hidden Area Many leaders keep their deeper aspirations, values, or fears private—sometimes out of caution, sometimes out of habit. Yet, revealing more of what matters most allows for richer connection and influence. Coaching in this space often invites leaders to explore vulnerability as a leadership strength, building deeper relationships through authenticity. 4️⃣ Expanding the Narrative (Unknown Area) The unknown area isn’t just about hidden skills or blind spots—it’s about the story a leader tells about themselves and what they believe is possible. Leaders often get stuck in a narrow, outdated version of their own story, shaped by past experiences or limiting assumptions. Coaching here is about helping them step into a bigger story—one that allows for growth, reinvention, and new ways of contributing. When leaders expand their narrative identity, they open themselves up to new challenges, unexpected opportunities, and a sense of meaning that goes beyond their current role. From Awareness to Impact As coaches, our role is to create a space where leaders can see more, share more, and become more. The leaders who make the biggest impact aren’t necessarily the ones who know the most—they’re the ones most willing to learn about themselves and others.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗅 Awareness is a crucial career skill that I think often gets sidelined. How well you understand yourself, your surroundings, and your relationships has a big impact on how effectively you lead, collaborate, and communicate. Maybe it's because we're all already great at it....😉 or maybe it's worth assessing our awareness and seeing where we could learn and improve! There are 3 elements of awareness that affect your impact: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 🔍 Questions to reflect on: - What do I want to be known for? - If others described me in three words, what would they say? - What’s a piece of feedback I’ve received that surprised me? 🎯 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲: Ask a trusted colleague or friend, “What’s one thing I do well and one thing I could improve?” 2️⃣ 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 🔍 Questions to reflect on: - Do I notice when the mood or energy shifts in a conversation? - How often do I pause to observe before responding? - Have I ever misread a situation? What happened? 🎯 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲: In your next meeting, take 30 seconds to scan the room (or Zoom). Observe body language, tone, and engagement levels before speaking. 3️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 🔍 Questions to reflect on: - Do I adapt my communication style based on who I’m speaking to? - Do I listen to understand, or just to respond? - How do I react when someone disagrees with me? 🎯 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲: Practice playback to sense check your understanding rather than assuming you know what someone is trying to say. I think it's useful to score your awareness, see where you might have some gaps and discuss with someone you trust. You may be being self-critical, in which case, they will help you see what you might be missing. Or you may get their support to try something new to increase your awareness. It's definitely an exercise worthy of self-reflection at least! ____ 😀 I post about career development and learning at work. Follow Helen Tupper to add more learning to your LinkedIn feed!

A highly qualified woman sat across from me yesterday.   Her resume showed 15 years of C-suite experience. Multiple awards. Industry recognition.   Yet she spoke about her success like it was pure luck.   SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT of female executives experience this same phenomenon.   I see it daily through my work with thousands of women leaders. They achieve remarkable success but internally believe they fooled everyone.   Some call it imposter syndrome. I call it a STRUCTURAL PROBLEM.   Let me explain...   When less than 5% of major companies have gender-balanced leadership, women question whether they belong.   My first board appointment taught me this hard truth.   I walked into that boardroom convinced I would say something ridiculous. Everyone seemed so confident.   But confidence plays tricks on us.   Perfect knowledge never exists. Leadership requires:   • Recognising what you know • Admitting what you miss • Finding the right answers • Moving forward anyway   Three strategies that transformed my journey:   1. Build your evidence file Document every win, every positive feedback, every successful project. Review it before big meetings. Your brain lies. Evidence speaks truth.   2. Find your circle Connect with other women leaders who understand your experience. The moment you share your doubts, someone else will say "me too."   3. Practice strategic vulnerability Acknowledging areas for growth enhances credibility. Power exists in saying "I'll find out" instead of pretending omniscience.   REALITY CHECK: This impacts business results.   Qualified women: - Decline opportunities - Downplay achievements - Hesitate to negotiate - Withdraw from consideration   Organisations lose valuable talent and perspective.   The solution requires both individual action and systemic change.   We need visible pathways to leadership for women. We need to challenge biased feedback. We need women in leadership positions in meaningful numbers.   Leadership demands courage, not perfect confidence.   The world needs leaders who push past doubt - not because they never experience it, but because they refuse to let it win. https://lnkd.in/gY9G-ibh

Most of us get at least 1 opportunity that changes our career trajectory; I am not referring to the biggest/ largest role we do but the role that prepares us for these bigger, larger roles. It is the role that sets us up for the future.   For me, it was moving from an HR Head role for a mid-size company in India where I managed a large team to an individual contributor role where I would work in a specialized area but at a global scale within the same company. I was advised by many not to pursue it but I was open. What was the attraction – it would allow me to work with HR & Business Leaders of over 50 countries and it was a new role; so I could shape it.   I got experiences I could have never imagined for myself. Conducting a goal setting workshop for the leadership team in Japan; piloting a leadership program for Western Europe and conducting a performance management training for the Bangladesh team. I worked with colleagues from so many different cultures and backgrounds. I changed – both personally and professionally. I was humbled with everything I didn't know. I learned how to adapt, I became less judgmental and a lot more open minded.   The role also gave me an opportunity to work with very senior leaders and it was a booster immersion in how they think; the questions they ask and how they make decisions. Most importantly, I learned to operate without authority. And that helped me do my next role better.   Here are 4 of my biggest learnings:   1. Don't judge roles by size/ scale; think about the potential to impact. A larger role (textbook definition) doesn’t always result in higher impact - the context is very important. 2. Careers are about skill stacking. And instead of mastering one skill, we need to take a step back from our core strength and build a winning combination of skill sets that are unique to us and make us more effective. 3. Experience is different from experiences. Too often we define learning very narrowly in the professional context. Joining a well settled team and making your place in it; managing demanding peers; building a team or keeping it intact in challenging times; navigating a large & complex organization; working for an inspiring leader; managing conflicting priorities of different stakeholders. These are all experiences. 4. Be open, take risks - it is a key quality in managing our careers successfully. And we all need some discomfort to help us reach our full potential. #experiences #careers

20 years ago, analysts predicted that by 2025, women would own the majority of the UK’s wealth. The opposite has happened. Today, women’s share of UK personal wealth has fallen to 45% (per ONS data) - with the average woman holding £78,000 less than the average man. Why? The barriers are depressingly familiar: → A 13% gender pay gap (even wider for mothers). → A pension gap of 48% - with men aged 60-69 holding £150k more on average than women of the same age. → Career breaks, caring responsibilities, and part-time work exclude many women from auto-enrolment into pensions. → Lower levels of investment confidence - 52% of women have never held an investment outside their workplace pension. The story is not about women working less hard or performing less well. Girls still outperform boys at GCSEs. Women are founding businesses in record numbers. But our systems - childcare, pensions, investment, taxation… are still stacked against them. That’s why I’m incredibly proud of the work I do with initiatives like the Invest in Women Taskforce Without systemic change, women will continue to be wealth underachievers relative to their talent, contribution, and potential. We’ve known the problem for decades. And the numbers tell us: optimism alone won’t close the gap, action will.

A few years ago, I began asking my Harvard students two questions that had first emerged in my own life during a period of personal questioning. At the time, nothing was obviously wrong. From the outside, my life appeared to be working: career momentum, professional recognition, a packed calendar. But internally, I felt untethered. Not from responsibility, but from purpose. The “what” of my life was clear. The “why” was less so. These are the two questions that arose: Why are you alive? For what would you be willing to give your life? These kinds of questions don’t offer easy answers, but they do something better: they orient you, especially when everything else feels unclear. They strip away the trivial, the performative, the externally rewarded. And they point you back toward alignment: between your values and your actions, your aspirations and your efforts. By asking these questions, that’s where you’ll find that meaning doesn’t arrive fully formed. It emerges slowly, through reflection, through service, and through the daily act of living a life that aligns with what you believe. Ask now and choose to live a life that’s not just successful but aligned. But it starts with the courage to ask better questions.