Novak Development

The voices around you shape the decisions you make. Especially when you don't yet have a strong enough voice of your own.

Early in my life I didn't have a lot of self-esteem or mentors to push back on bad influence. And it cost me. I made a decision I deeply regretted within weeks because I was spending time with the wrong people listening to the wrong voices.

Who you surround yourself with isn't a small thing. It's one of the most consequential leadership decisions you will ever make — long before you ever have a title.

Watch to learn a little more about my story.

There's a question I ask almost every group I work with, and I ask it early because I want to connect with them fast.

"If the world could describe you in one word, what would you hope that it would be?"

Not what you think it would be. What you would hope it would be.
When you give people a minute to sit with that question, they go somewhere real with you. You learn something about them that small talk never gets to. And in a group setting, you'll almost always discover something you never knew about the people in that room.

Authenticity isn't weakness. It's actually one of the most powerful doors you can open in leadership.

So I'll ask you: if the world could describe you in one word, what would you hope that it would be?

Be all in. Be real. Be bold.

Of the three, going all in has always come naturally to me. Once I commit to something, I'm fully in. But being real? That's where it gets harder…

“Authenticity.”

We're going to dig into that next week. Stay tuned.