Nov 21, 2024
When you’re the youngest person in the room, it can feel like you don’t belong. Everyone else is older and more experienced. Why do you deserve to be there?
In this Q&A episode, Tiffany reflects on her experiences of being a young leader for Element Three. Listen in as she shares the mistakes she sees when young leaders try to “fit in” and gives advice on how to show up best.
What are other reasons you feel like you don’t belong? Text Tiffany at 317-350-8921.
I'm your host, Tiffany Sauder. And this is Scared Confident. Another question I was asked at this event was from a young woman who was really young, like in her early career, early innings of her career. And she was on the team where everyone had more experienced than her. So her question to me was how do I know that I deserve to be at the table when everyone else is older than me is a great question because.
I think I love the question so much. Cause I remember being a really young leader and feeling like holy crap, if I could somehow just go by 20 years of experience somewhere, I would like really pay a lot of money for that right now. And I think there's a couple of things that come to mind. The first one is, and I said this in an earlier Q and a, when you're trying to prove yourself, Don't button and be a bleeder and a know it all.
Cause that goes really poorly. Even if you do know it all, that's annoying to be that person. And so share with the room, what, you know, by the quality of questions that you ask. That is really, really, really where you begin to create relationships and add value. The other is to understand, sometimes you're invited into the room when you're younger and more quote unquote inexperienced, because that room understands you have a different perspective.
And so your youth may have a certain type of naivety to it that allows you to see the situation in a way that like isn't jaded and is more free and is like, Freed from the historical context. And you can just see things as they are. Sometimes they want a different generational perspective because you grew up with different tools, different communication, different environment.
And so that is really an important part of the. Overall competency that in perspective that they're trying to bring to the table. And I think the other thing I would add in this idea of how do you know that you deserve to be, is assume you deserve to be at the table. If they've invited you, then. Don't spend your mental reps questioning whether you deserve it, spend your mental reps, being really present, understanding the like topics, the issues, the people with the fullness of your energy and attention.
That's really where to put your energy. Don't doubt it. If you're there. And be confident in it and be comfortable in it, but don't be a boss about it. Cause that isn't, that's not fun. Don't try to be a know it all. I think that's what I'm trying to say to overcompensate for the fact that you're the youngest, you're probably the only one that notices.
And so don't make it a thing. Don't make it. Your point of entry into the team. See yourself as an equal show up as a humble worker ask really good questions, seek to add value. And ask for feedback at the end of meetings at the end of sessions about like, what are two things that I did really well, that you want me to do more of and what are two things that I maybe could have done more professionally or in a way that presented more materially so that I can continue to get better, faster.
Ask for the feedback. Teams are always willing to give it to you, but the more you ask for it, the quicker you'll get it. And that will help increase the speed of your learning cycle. So don't have head trash because you're young. You're probably the only one that notices, but also make sure that you're always showing up with they're really hungry and humble enters.
My mission for scare confident is to help women confidently pursue a life of ant. And I want to be available to you. I'm passionate about vulnerably, stepping into my stories so that it can help women. This is about creating the resource that I wish I had as I was going through this journey. So if you have questions, comments, or feedback, I'd love to hear from you.
Text me at 3 1 7 3 5 0 8 9 2 1. So here's what this tool. It's a personal number that I've set up for scared, confident it comes straight to my phone and it allows me to see and us to interact with one another, like directly. So I can text you back and answer your questions. So this opportunity to be able to interact directly, not necessarily I have to jump.
Algorithms of social media, but to have a really a direct conversation and relationship is what I'm really excited about with this project of scare confidence. If we have just one, the whole project will be worth it. So 3 1 7 3 5 0 8 9 2. One is the way that you can get in touch with me and don't think your question's stupid.
It's not, we're all wondering the same thing. So step into courage, ask for help and help other people who have the exact same questions, normalize their journey. Thanks for sharing and Sydney.
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