Have you ever thought about what makes a person impactful? How players take to the court or pitch pumped up, heads held high, ready to make their mark and show off their creativity and talent.

Last year I had the chance to join a women’s conference in London. There were many
powerful and inspiring speakers from multifaceted industries and companies with completely different backgrounds and experiences.

A group of women smiling during a conference in London.
A few days away from a normal office environment with inspiring speakers and thought-provoking workshops kickstarted by self-reflection.

It was a great chance to open my mind, get out of my working routine, and enjoy some interesting exchanges with the many attendees there.

The standout workshop for me was about creating an impact and the mindset required to do so. We were challenged to think about how you can create your ‘own brand’? How to deliver a message while using body language, voice and words effectively?

Start with some self-reflection

Ask yourself – on a scale from 1 (introverted) to 10 (extroverted) – what kind of type are you? What rating would you give yourself during a business meeting? What rating would you give yourself walking next to your friends or family? Sometimes you are more a 10, sometimes more a 4. And this is totally fine! The important thing is to be aware of what you are and learn to work with your presence.

Introvert or extrovert? There’s a place for both

If you are a more extroverted type of person, you can learn to be more introverted, and give someone else more room on the stage – you don’t need to be the focus of every situation. We can learn to play many positions, from center forward, to playmaker or defender, depending on what the team needs at that time.

Designer standing on chair leading meeting in office. self-reflection, conference, coaching, self-improvement, impact, perception, introvert, extrovert, adidas, GamePlan A
Look at each situation with fresh eyes and adapt your position to what’s needed at the time whether it’s a leader or a listener. ©Hero Images Inc./Getty Images

Use your energy wisely

Learn to manage your energy levels. You can act differently to change the atmosphere in a room – pull people in with a high energy intro and then, when it comes to developing ideas, bring a sense of calm to a meeting or brainstorm. Use all the facets of your personality and you won’t lose your authenticity.

What you might see as your weakness, others are striving for. It’s not about changing ourselves – instead we can all learn to play with our personality to influence perception.

So, let’s learn to convert our weaknesses to strengths and create that impact!

2 COMMENTS

Please take note of the commenting guidelines.
You will receive an email to approve your comment.
Please take note of the commenting guidelines.
You will receive an email to approve your comment.

Thanks for your comment

You will receive an email to approve your comment. It will only appear after your confirmation.

Okay

Oh no! An unexpected error occurred.

Try again
by Alexa 05.06.2018
Very well written. Best part from my point of view: "What you might see as your weakness, others are striving for." Thanks for that!
Reply
Nina Weihrauch
Nina Weihrauch | Editor Alexa 11.06.2018
Hi Alexa,

I really liked this statement, too. To add to that, I especially liked that the story focused on the importance of self-reflection. In a world that is often focused on getting feedback from the outside, people easily lose track of what they think about themselves, their performance and who they actually want to be. But actually, this is the basis for everything else.

Best,

Nina
Reply