First, hat tip to Brenda Meller, a fellow LinkedIn coach, for the title, as we podcasted the other day and this became a part of the discussion. Her recollection of her high school track coach advising her to “lean into the wind” was a colorful example of how important a story is to our perception of a challenging situation we met.
Whether that wind is a breeze or a gale, situations arise that make for rough sailing. We are all challenged by something, or some things.
If not, you are not keeping up with the times and the market. Or you could be doing a lot better and learning a lot more. Avoiding that lean into the wind is not what others expect from you.
They want you to go to bat for them, to keep on top of technology, to stay abreast of changes in market factors, to challenge the status quo on their behalf. They hire you to address a problem and fix it. They demand it and deserve it.
Your brand marketing should be demonstrating how you rose to the occasion, how you met adversity. Recount stories that illustrate a dilemma and your resolution. Tell us because if you don’t, we will never know.
Let the beneficiary endorse your skills, or ask them to recommend you for your finesse in that anecdote.
Use all sections of your LinkedIn profile to reinforce themes of your career story using stories to show why you do what you do. The ride may have been rough, but a successful landing was the just reward.
Tell us why.
