Here’s a quick little tip for leaders which I came across recently. 20th-century American writer Kurt Vonnegut once stated, “We are whatever we pretend to be.”
On the surface, that may sound antithetical to the current culture of authenticity, however, think for a moment. How often are we as leaders forced into reinventing ourselves to be people and leaders we are not? Anyone who is becoming a better version of themselves and avoiding being stuck in the same circumstances indefinitely have to come to the turning point where they envision the new and improved self and begin the process of pretending who they intend to become. Eventually, their pretending turns into reality.
As leaders, we must always be improving, learning, and reinventing. If we don’t, our leadership influence will diminish and we become irrelevant. We can’t let that happen. We must constantly adapt to new circumstances and opportunities. It begins with the vision of the desired future and we must pretend our way to get to the finish line. One caution, though, the second half of this quote is “so you must be careful what you pretend to be,” meaning that we can pretend our way to negative results just as easily as the positive results we seek. Keep in mind the old adage, “Be careful what you wish for; you may get it.”
Think about what you should be pretending today, but make sure that it is what you really want. Get started, and soon you won’t be pretending anymore. You can become the better version of yourself.
Lead well.