| “I’m not the smartest person in the room.”
I’ve heard this too many times recently. And it’s usually in the context of: “Because I’m not the smartest person in the room…” — fill in the blank. In one case, it was: “…I have to work harder than everyone else.”
This is a powerful belief—often deeply embedded. One client recently shared that they’d carried it since childhood. Through our first conversation, it became clear this belief had quietly shaped their entire career path: from subject choices and university decisions in high school, to their most recent leadership role—decades later.
As we begin our executive coaching journey together, I’m curious to explore this belief further. Is it still relevant today? How has it served them—and does it continue to serve them? Is there any desire to reframe it? Perhaps to create a new belief or narrative more aligned with their current strengths, values, and vision?
Not all inner narratives are as pronounced as this one. More often, our beliefs sit quietly in the background. But if we listen carefully—especially under pressure—we may hear them surface in our self-talk and as subtle influences in our decision-making.
Dr. David Drake’s work reminds us that many of our limiting patterns stem from unexamined stories and inherited identities—shaped by culture, early experience, and social expectation.
When given the opportunity and permission, it’s incredibly powerful work to understand, clarify, and where there is a desire, to re-frame these beliefs and narratives.
It’s not about discarding the past, but clarifying what we’ve unconsciously taken on, and asking whether it still belongs. Is it still serving us? Often, our narratives evolved to protect us at a certain point in life. But as we grow, they may quietly constrain us.
When we can surface and hear aloud those beliefs which may no longer serve who we are today, it can be powerful in unlocking our deeper potential, and transformative in our leadership.
As you end your week, take a few minutes to consider the following reflection questions. |
