Have you ever resisted being strategic because it felt like you weren't being true to yourself?
I have.
For much of my 42-year corporate marketing career, I believed that playing the game meant compromising my authenticity. I didn't want to flatter someone, accommodate an ego, or behave in ways that didn't feel like me.
But what if I was confusing strategy with inauthenticity?
This Sound Bite was inspired by my recent conversation with James Dakin, author of How to Stop Taking Sht From Insecure Men*, and his insights about influence, power, and the choices available to us when we're dismissed or underestimated.
I'm reflecting on some moments from my own career when I couldn't see the moves available to me—including advice from my friend Nurit, a conversation with a former manager named Randy, and the responses I sometimes didn't find until years later.
Using backgammon as a metaphor, we'll explore what it means to recognize the game we're in without losing ourselves in the process.
Some questions we'll consider:
Can I change my approach without changing who I am?
Am I confusing being strategic with being inauthentic?
What's on the board in front of me right now—and what move haven't I considered?
And when might leaving the game be the most authentic move of all?
Because playing the game doesn't necessarily mean staying in the game.
And perhaps authenticity isn't about refusing to make a move. It's about choosing one that aligns with who we are.
Related episode:
Inside the Insecure Male Ego: What Women Need to Know with James Dakin
Watch or listen: https://youtu.be/2jobK7bpe0Q
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