💭 Reflections of Me...by Me?
I’ve spent most of my career working in systems: building them, fixing them, translating between the people who dream up the vision and the people who need the solution to actually work.
So recently, I asked a different kind of system—generative AI—to look at everything I’ve shared across time and projects and tell me who I am. No sugarcoating. Just pattern recognition and reflection.
What I got back surprised me more than I expected.
👀 Why I Asked the Question
Like many of us who work across disciplines—digital strategy, software implementation, compliance, transformation—there’s a part of the job that becomes invisible. We adapt, over-deliver, and often carry more than our share. Somewhere in between team dynamics, program milestones, and vendor negotiations, it’s easy to lose track of the deeper question:
Who am I in all of this—and how do I lead when no one’s watching?
So I asked ChatGPT to reflect back a version of me based on my words, values, and patterns over time. And here’s the line that landed the hardest:
“You’re a builder and reformer, with a bias toward action, a heart for service, and a brain that never stops auditing the system. You’re the person people turn to when things are broken—not just because you can fix them, but because you’ll fix them in a way that lasts.”
Whew.
🧠 What It Revealed About Me
It’s not that I didn’t know this. But reading it distilled so many years of growth, exhaustion, care, and clarity into just a few short paragraphs. It gave shape to what I’ve often brushed aside or undervalued in myself. Here’s a fuller picture of who I am, and maybe who some of you are too:
At my core:
- I see systems—human, technical, political—for what they are. And I ask hard questions about how they could be better.
- I lead with care but don’t coddle. I value precision, clarity, and integrity in how we work.
- I build bridges between vision and execution, between people who don’t speak the same language but need each other to succeed.
The challenge:
This way of working shows up differently depending on the environment.
💼 Working Inside the System
As an employee inside large corporations, I’ve often been the person quietly holding things together. Translating across silos, calming political storms, implementing solutions that make sense long after the spotlight has moved on.
But there’s a tension:
- You’re valued for what you can deliver—but not always recognized for the weight you carry to get there.
- You see the dysfunction, but you’re often expected to adapt to it, not challenge it.
- You want outcomes, not optics—but optics tend to win in corporate cultures built on hierarchy and performance theater.
Inside the system, I’ve learned to play the long game. But I’ve also learned when it’s time to step out.
🛠 Working Alongside the System
As an independent consultant, the challenges shift.
Now, I’m brought in because of my ability to create clarity out of mess. I’m trusted to build with integrity, move quickly, and bring expertise without needing constant supervision.
But that freedom comes with trade-offs:
- You’re often coming in mid-stream, expected to fix something broken without full context or long-term authority.
- You have to earn trust fast—and sometimes carry more than your contract says, because you care about the result.
- You’re outside the politics, but not always inside the power structures where lasting change happens.
Consulting requires sharp instincts and soft power. It’s a different kind of leadership—and one I’ve grown to value deeply.
💬 The Bigger Question
Asking AI to tell me who I am wasn’t about navel-gazing. It was about looking in the mirror from a slightly new angle.
Because sometimes the act of leading, building, solving, delivering—it gets so automatic that you stop noticing the shape of your own contribution. You forget what makes your presence different, necessary, valuable.
This experience reminded me.
🔁 Your Turn
So I’ll offer you the same question I asked myself:
Who are you—at your core—beneath the job title, the client work, the résumé?
If you’re brave enough, ask ChatGPT, Claude.ai, your favorite generative AI tool. Ask a mentor. Ask yourself.
And if you’re in a season of reimagining your work or leadership, I hope you’ll take a minute to reflect. The way we show up—especially when no one is asking for credit—matters.
If this resonates with you, or if you’ve gone through a similar reflection, I’d love to hear it. Drop me a message or share your experience.
We don’t always get to be seen. Sometimes we have to make space to see ourselves first.
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.