The task for the last Audio Note was for you to identify your Nature. As you know, there are dozens of assessments out there that attempt to help us clarify our Nature. I introduced you to Five Voices, but you’re probably familiar with many others that all seek to help you clarify your unique temperament.

The companies we work with invariably draw from a number of assessments. I recently spoke to a leader at a global technology company that said they use more than 80 different assessments. (He wasn’t bragging. It was actually a huge problem.)

When we start working with a company that’s used other assessments we always ask, “What did you do with the insights you gained?” A long pause usually follows because the value they gain from these assessments typically has a short half life. They might print out the findings and tape them to their office door or put some colored blocks on their desks, or something like that, but they rarely sustain the value they gained from these assessments, many of which cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Your Nature isn’t a novelty. I’m glad for the insights people gain through these assessments, but they shouldn’t have a shelf life. The value should grow and scale over time, not diminish. It’s you we’re talking about—50% of you. My hope for you as we begin to explore your Narrative is that you continue to clarify your Nature.

I won’t take the time to go into a lot more detail here because I don’t need to. It’s all on the GiANT Platform. Take a look at the Library and the resources related to Five Voices. If you want to go further, I would encourage you to get some friends together and go through Altitude Training. It’s a 51-session process that we use with small groups. We have experienced certified facilitators that can coach you through Altitude or any of the other resources if you’re interested.

One of the great joys of my work is that I get to see people come alive. It’s not that they don't know they have the unique gifts and tendencies that come with their Leadership Voice. They do, but they’ve usually dismissed or undervalued them. The process and resources on the Platform unlocks their ability to recognize these attributes and put them into practice.

If you were to ask the groups we work with the same question I ask new clients—“What did you do with the insights you gained through Five Voices”—there would be a pause, but only because they wouldn’t know where to start explaining how this process continues to transform them as individuals and teams, in both their personal and professional lives.

That’s my hope for you. Again, your Nature is not a novelty. There’s nothing trivial about it. But there are a couple things that may inhibit you from truly embracing your unique Voice: Shame and Same.

Shame: remember we talked about this with the 6-3-1? Shame is that tendency to ask,“What’s wrong with me?” As you deepen and clarify your understanding of your Nature an image emerges in the mirror that’s unlike anyone else. That’s because it’s you you’re looking at, and there’s no one like you. What’s strange is how quickly we dismiss that image. Instead of embracing the beauty and complexity of our Nature, we blur, blunt, and dismiss the image. How is it that we can feel so wrong about the things that are so right? That’s shame talking.

Of course we can also flip from shame to pride, in which case we don’t ask “what’s wrong we me.” We ask “What’s wrong with everyone else” instead. You’ll recall that they’re two sides of the same coin. Shame and pride both keep us from fully embracing our authentic Self.

Same contributes to our shame. Some people call it the “tall poppy syndrome.” If you rise above the rest of the poppies, others will cut you down. If you strive to own and express your authentic Nature, you can expect to encounter pushback. Why? Because your growth and courage threatens people. Your courage just highlights the vested interest they have in not doing the work that’s necessary to develop Selfship. Fortunately, there are others that have done the work that’s necessary. These people recognize and celebrate the growth in you. They’re not threatened by it. They’re encouraged and even challenged by it. Surround yourself with those people.

Are you ready to put this into practice? Write this down on a piece of paper: “I tend to be better than most people at…” Complete the sentence. Notice what this exercise brings up in you. Was it easy or difficult to complete the sentence, and why? Maybe you already have something in mind, or perhaps going through Five Voices helped you become more aware of your unconscious competence. Whatever it is, write it down.

Next, share it with someone that you trust.

I recently challenged a small group with this task. We filled a whiteboard with all kinds of their superpowers:

“I make people feel safe”

“I have this uncanny ability to synthesize complex ideas”

“I say difficult things to people in a way that people will hear”

“I process data, tasks, and details better than most”

Notice your reaction to this exercise. Most people don’t rush to this challenge. Some people don’t know their superpowers or think they have many. At least that’s what people will tell me. But when I dig deeper I discover that what they’re really afraid of isn’t that they don’t have them, it’s that they do. It’s amazing the lengths they’ll go to avoid seeing the authentic self they’ve be made to be. I’m the same way.

This reaction reflects a deep-seated allergy—an allergy to ourselves. My personal mission statement is to “Confront people with the Self God made them to be.” That’s all I’m doing here, but I know this confrontation will include an allergic response. We all share the same allergy. It’s our companion for life. This process helps you normalize and embrace the allergy.

I recently had someone compliment me in front of a group of people. He detailed competencies he sees in me and how they I’ve impacted him. I had an allergic reaction. Everything within me wanted to avoid and deflect this comments. Internally I looked like Neo dodging bullets in The Matrix. I could feel my allergy kicking in and chose instead to let the bullets hit me.

This is a critical thread that we’ll trace for the rest of our journey through Selfship. This allergy to the truth of ourselves will come up as we go through Narrative as well. Not only do we struggle to embrace our Nature, we have a natural inclination to disown our Narrative.

If you’re remotely unsure what I mean when I say we have an allergy, put this Audio Note’s exercise into practice: Identify what you’re extraordinarily good at and share it with someone else. Be specific. If you’re honest, you’ll feel your allergy kick in, hives and all. That’s all part of the process—your journey toward Selfship.

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