Find a role model

Emulate someone you admire when faced with difficult choices

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that when you are trying to do something new,
find someone you think does it well and model yourself

(00:24):
on that person. So we probably all have skills we
are confident in and skills where we are less secure.
If there is something you would like to do and
you want guidance about how to do it, find someone
who can be your role model and do what you
think they would do. You do not need to actually

(00:48):
know this person. You just need to know of them
and be able to find and picture enough information about
them that they can be helpful to dress in a confident,
classic style. Maybe Jackie Onassis or Audrey Hepburn or Michelle
Obama could be your role model. When you pick a

(01:10):
style icon, then when you are deciding whether or not
to buy a dress or a scarf for how to
put together an outfit, you can ask yourself what your
style icon would do and then follow her lead. If
you're new to writing a newsletter, posting on LinkedIn, speaking
in front of big groups, leading meetings, or some other

(01:31):
activity like that, find a role model whose approach you
like and try to match it. In figuring out whether
your tone is right, or how you should kick off
your meeting, or whether or not to use planned humor
in a speech, you can ask what your role model
would do and aim to do the same. If you're

(01:52):
having trouble navigating office politics, identify someone who does that well.
When you encounter a sticky situation, imagine what you think
they would do, and do the same. Not sure what
to serve for a dinner party, think about a friend
who is a rock star host and serve what she

(02:12):
served the last time you had dinner at her house.
When you pick a role model who is a good fit,
you get a powerful guide for your own choices. What
you initially do because it's what your role model would do,
will over time become behavior that feels natural to you.

(02:33):
Or maybe you'll tweak their behavior until you find what
suits you best. I am reminded of Amy Cuddy's TED
talk about body language. She advised assuming positions that convey
confidence and power, even if you don't feel especially confident.
Over time, this will lead to confidence. She advised, fake

(02:56):
it until you become it. I think something similar happens
when you emulate a role model. You are not becoming
the role model, but you are becoming a version of
yourself who is just as confident and skilled as the
role model. So if you are trying something new or

(03:16):
trying to become more confident and something familiar, find a
role model and let them be your guide. Pretty soon
you'll be doing whatever it is with style. In the meantime,
this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

(03:46):
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

(04:08):
listen to your favorite shows.