Don't Just Aspire, Inspire
14,200 “honors” are shared on LinkedIn every minute*—awards, certifications, promotions, closed desks, and new jobs. But what do these awards represent? The shine of a trophy distracts us from its essence.
Our LinkedIn feeds are clogged with posts like this:
This is a humble-brag. We’re happy for you, but this post says nothing. I wonder: What did you do to become person of the year that might inspire me to do the same?
Roman philosopher Seneca said, "Reflect, then, about trophies. Not to gaze at them in wonder, but to reflect on the virtues required to receive them."
I bet Seneca was a great LinkedIn follow in his day.
The next time you go to share a trophy, pause. Turn outward. Put yourself in our shoes. Don’t brag, even if it’s a humble one.
Instead, think about what you learned on your path to victory. Explain what you did to win. Inspire us to do the same
Don't just aspire, inspire.
* This statistic is made up. But it could be true.