I had to ask myself that question earlier today. Two of my colleagues, Dayna Gardner and Krista Hurley, received a huge shout out in a very public forum for some exemplary work. They deserved every bit of the accolades as they are top notch performers delivering consistent value for our partners – internal and external.
As they received the C-Suite call out I thought to myself “It is fantastic they are getting this recognition…….It’s great to share the spotlight……I wonder if I am next?”
I was not next. Nor should I have been.
I had not participated in our Innovation Day event that they were an integral part of.
But the thought of “What about all the other good stuff I do?” distinctly ran through my head…even if for the briefest of moments. It was not a moment I was particularly proud of. It was also one I spent the rest of the morning rehashing.
Was I jealous? Nope, not my style.
Did I feel undervalued? Absolutely not.
Am I underexposed? Actually, I worry about the opposite….regularly.
Do I need to the be the Star? Not at all, I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Do I have an issue sharing the spotlight? Huh. That stung but not in the way you might expect.
I have been framing it in my head as ‘sharing’ the spotlight. In order to share it, you must be in it. And that is when it hit me…I expected to be in it. Because I would willingly share it but again, you can only share what you have.
The realization was empowering and I am committed to changing my internal and external word choice.
I will still gladly share…when I am amongst those being spotlighted but more importantly, I will celebrate those who are highlighted.
Congrats again to Dayna and Krista for absolutely crushing it…..and for providing me with a little self realization.