CULTURE CHAT ATTENDEES LEARN HOW TO TOPPLE COSTLY ASSERTIONS

By Katie Kelly, DLE Social Media Intern, Communications and Culture major with a concentration in Media and a Sports Journalism minor at Fordham University, New York, NY

Discussion at the latest DLE Culture Chat posed questions that are often overlooked but are necessary to better yourself — personally and professionally.

Through the expert coaching of Corrie Weikle, founder of IntrospectiveYOU, attendees’ awareness was raised on how their opinions can have a cost. Corrie provided a framework for finding one’s blind spots and a step-by-step process for removing barriers.

Corrie explained, “We learned that an assertion is a fact and an assessment is an opinion, and more often than not, people let assessments drive their actions. All choices we make are made by assessments we deem to be true, which shape our life decisions.”

In breakout rooms, members shared an intimate level of conversation that delved into the assessments we hold about ourselves as leaders. Some examples included, “I am too young to be a leader,” “I do not bring anything new to the table,” “my ideas are too different from others” and “I have to separate my emotions from my workspace.”

The common takeaway was that these assessments weigh heavily on one’s drive and self-esteem. They can cause you to miss out on opportunities and not take risks that could benefit you.

Corrie provided these guidelines for overcoming negative assessments:

1. Recognize that we are all leaders in our own way. We all bring something unique to the table, even if we don’t think so. You do not have to fit the typical box of a leader to be a leader.
2. Speak up. Not sharing your ideas and holding back from speaking up hinders you and others.
3. The context and setting you are in can completely change your negative assessment. You may think you don’t bring anything new as a leader, but you just have to expand your group and surround yourself with new and different people.

If you missed it, head to the DLE YouTube Channel to watch Corrie’s presentation.