We are verbs, not nouns

EME, Ling- English, Manage yourself, Management, Management and Organizations, PBM, Words & Language, Work and the workplace 1 Minute

In conversations with managers, I often hear people say something like “Well, I can’t help myself, that’s who I am, I’m an engineer / a finance person / a lawyer,” etc.

I share Stephen Fry’s consideration in The Guardian:

“We are not nouns, we are verbs.

I am not a thing – an actor, a writer – I am a person who does things – I write, I act – and I never know what I am going to do next.

I think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun.”

 

Published by Richard Brisebois

I help companies develop their leaders. I help managers develop themselves and their teams. I have worked with 7,000+ managers, leaders, and business owners in 40+ countries, from Fortune50 executives to SME business owners and tribal leaders. I specialize in designing and facilitating leadership development programs as well as executive coaching.

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