Episode 09 - Unlocking Career Success: Embracing Authenticity with Business Executive Coach Tabitha Njeri

Oct 30, 2023

In the episode, Business Executive Coach Tabitha Njeri emphasizes the importance of aligning with your strengths and passions in your career to find fulfillment. She highlights that many individuals focus on improving their weaknesses, following predefined career paths, and seeking external validation through mentors or HR programs. However, she suggests that true fulfillment comes from understanding and embracing who you are at your core.

Tabitha shares her personal journey of tapping into her natural gift of using her voice to influence, which led to significant career growth and success. She explains that when individuals lean into their strengths and talents, they can experience a sense of authenticity and purpose in their work. This alignment with one's true self can lead to a more fulfilling and rewarding career experience.

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The conversation between Tabitha and I underscores the idea that clarity and self-awareness are essential in finding career fulfillment. We discuss the importance of slowing down, listening to your inner voice, and connecting with what truly brings you joy and passion in your work. By focusing on aligning with your unique strengths and talents, individuals can pave a path that resonates with their authentic selves.

The episode encourages listeners to shift their perspective from following external expectations and predefined paths to embracing their individual strengths and passions. By aligning with who you are at the core, individuals can unlock a sense of fulfillment and purpose in their careers, leading to greater success and satisfaction.

Blaming external factors for career dissatisfaction can be a common trap that many professionals fall into. But Tabitha shares the five pitfalls that can keep individuals stuck in their careers, with the final one being the tendency to blame external factors for their dissatisfaction.

One key takeaway from the episode is the importance of taking ownership of one's career satisfaction. Tabitha emphasizes the need to move away from the cycle of blaming external factors, such as the boss, the company, or the industry, for one's unhappiness at work. Instead, she encourages individuals to look inward and seek clarity about what truly brings them joy and fulfillment in their careers.

By shifting the focus from external factors to internal alignment, individuals can break free from the cycle of blame and take proactive steps towards creating a fulfilling career. This involves understanding one's strengths, values, and passions, and aligning them with their career choices. By taking responsibility for their own career satisfaction and seeking alignment with their authentic selves, individuals can break free from the cycle of blame and create a path towards fulfillment and success in their professional lives.

Seeking clarity about what brings you joy and fulfillment at work is crucial for making informed career decisions, and Tabitha emphasizes the importance of understanding one's motivators, values, strengths, and weaknesses to align with their authentic self in the workplace.

She highlights that many individuals often focus on external factors like hard work, academic credentials, mentorship, and following HR career paths without considering what truly lights their soul on fire. She explains that true fulfillment at work comes from being aligned with who you are internally, not just following a predetermined path or checklist.

The conversation between Tabitha and the host, LaShonda, underscores the significance of introspection and self-awareness in career decision-making. Tabitha shares examples of clients who experienced dissatisfaction despite external success, emphasizing the need to connect with one's unique strengths and passions to find genuine fulfillment.

By seeking clarity about what brings joy and fulfillment at work, individuals can make informed career decisions that resonate with their authentic selves. This process involves slowing down, tuning into one's inner desires, and recognizing the difference between reputation and personal brand. It also involves understanding that alignment with one's true self leads to a more fulfilling and purpose-driven career path.

In conclusion, the episode highlights the transformative power of seeking clarity and alignment in career choices. By prioritizing self-discovery and understanding what truly brings joy and fulfillment, individuals can make informed decisions that lead to a more fulfilling and authentic professional life.

She shares values tips, tools, and strategies for harnessing the power of authenticity in your career journey. Discover how aligning with your true self can propel you towards professional success. 

Tabitha explores the concept of authenticity and explains the five common misconceptions that often lead professionals astray from their authentic selves, including the 'The Go to Work Strategy', 'The Academic Credentials Strategy', 'The Mentor Strategy,' and 'The Human Resources Career Path Strategy'. 

Learn about the nuances of sponsorship vs sponsorship in the workplace and how being over-mentored and under-sponsored can hinder your authentic career progression.

In this episode, we discuss:

[00:03:35] Authenticity in the Workplace.

[00:07:28] Emphasizing talents in education.

[00:09:49] Career advancement for Black women.

[00:15:23] Alignment.

[00:21:16] Workplace authenticity and personal brand.

[00:23:48] Unique strengths.

[00:30:10] Hair identity journey.

[00:32:48] HR career pathing strategy.

[00:37:58] Consuming content without clarity.

[00:42:38] The five steps of the dance.

[00:45:49] Alignment and career fulfillment.

[00:53:00] Creating Safe Community Spaces.

[00:53:29] Discovering your authentic self.

Quotes:

"Instead of spending time trying to improve your weaknesses, lean into my strengths." - Tabitha Njeri

"One of my gifts, one of the things that's within me that has catapulted my career to incredible heights in such a short amount of time was leaning into the one gift that I know was put in me, and it's the ability to use my voice to influence." - Tabitha Njeri

"But we are not taught that our truth is already in us." - Tabitha Njeri

"You might be doing good work and getting good reviews, but you're not memorable and magical because it requires alignment with that to be memorable and magical." - Tabitha Njeri

Guest Information:
Tabitha Njeri
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