Unleash Your Leadership Confidence with Wendi Brown

As we navigate the maze of professional life, we often encounter challenging environments, and at times, toxic workplaces. Wendi Brown, a recently retired Lieutenant Colonel shares her insights on how to thrive in these adverse conditions. In her transition from military to corporate life, Wendi shares her journey, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, leadership, and resilience. Her new book, “Leadership Confidence vs Confidence,” provides practical strategies for excelling even in toxic workplaces.

Here are three key takeaways from our conversation:

1. Importance of Soft Skills: Wendi underscores the importance of soft skills, especially in building positive work relationships. She advises having friends at every rank and being authentically personable.
2. Personal Hall of Fame: Wendi introduces a powerful concept – a personal Hall of Fame, where one visually acknowledges and celebrates their successes. This helps maintain self-esteem and reminds individuals of their greatness.
3. Authenticity and Preparedness: Sharing a personal experience, Wendi stresses the need to be prepared, authentic, and unique at all times. Even in informal gatherings, opportunities might present themselves unexpectedly.

Inspiring quotes from Wendi during our conversation:

“When you have leadership confidence, you actually do your best in toxic situations, in competitive situations, in situations where the circumstances are unknown and you're dependent on to be successful.”

“You're not cursed, because people really believe this only happens to me… I know exactly what you're going through. I'm just handling it differently.”

“You can play the game and still be your authentic self. That's what I did… I was being my authentic self and I got my proposal approved. So it's knowing how to play the game and be your authentic self.”

Wendi Brown's story and her insights on leadership and authenticity are an inspiration for everyone seeking to build strong relationships and succeed, irrespective of their work environment. As she rightly puts it, you're not alone in your struggles, and there is a way to excel while remaining true to yourself.