Speak with Confidence

Chapter 3Determine and Discover

Time for another great quote:

Γνωθι σευτον

Translation: “Know thyself.” To the ancient Greek philosophers, knowing yourself was central to the meaning of life. It wasn't something found in a single self‐help book but a lifetime of pursuit. The better you understand your identity, the better you can build upon that foundation for greater confidence in speaking. You will discover that you are a far better person than any persona you can create.

Strengths Disguised as Weaknesses

I've always struggled with impatience. Nothing happened fast enough, and I frequently found myself frustrated with everyone else's pace.

As a young executive director at a nonprofit in Washington State, I was seeing a lot of success in my work and wanted to expand to a second location. Something like that typically takes as much as a year to plan and execute. But I have a mantra that's behind much of my success (and failures): “If it's worth doing in the year, it's worth doing in a month.”

I couldn't understand why my board—capable business leaders with years of combined experience—kept dragging their feet. Then I discovered the CliftonStrengths assessment (formerly StrengthsFinder), which revealed my top five strengths and how best to utilize them.

At the top of my list: Activator. I don't talk about doing things; I make things happen. My impatience isn't a character flaw—it's part of my strength. Obviously, this isn't an excuse to be a jerk, and the more I understand ...