‘Don't compare me to those HR ladies, I am nothing like them!’
This is what I said with the greatest confidence to a CEO who mentioned a few names from Dubai's HR community and asked why I don't join their group.
People who know who they are, are not afraid to say this! Unfortunately, society brainwashed us with the "humble" mindset and now we are afraid to say the most basic things or be who we are!
So, no! I am not like most HR people. I have studied bloody hard (still do), I think differently, I do things differently, I say things differently, I see things differently, I question everything including what I do, and I do like to be different. I think of things your brain would never think of, hence, I deliver very different results.
I don't vomit HR textbook or ChatGPT word salad just because that makes me sound trendy or get me likes. I say things people don't like to hear if I feel that is the truth because only the truth can provide you with solutions to your problems. I don't fall for trends, best practices or the facade and you cannot gaslight me. I see through things very quickly. I value intelligence, creativity, and people who have the balls and aren’t afraid to push back and stand alone. I know myself hence I don't easily fold. I don’t mind being wrong or to make mistakes. Most of my writings are grammatically incorrect but I am okay with it. But most importantly, I don’t seek external validation.
https://www.thestrengthscompany.com/ Check out how I help HR.
Three weeks ago I had a meeting with a COO and I talked about how they can reform HR. The meeting was supposed to be 1 hour and we ended up talking for 2.5. He said that he had never seen HR in this way. This one sentence made my day. These are the things that make me happy when I can provide something most people can’t! I am proud of that. I could never be proud of implementing, saying, thinking, or viewing things the same way everyone else does. When I do that I feel like ‘meh’. I feel like I haven't done anything only followed others. That's boring!
And that's exactly how I feel when these HR pros are talking about their interventions and what they do; boring and lacking imagination. In 2024 HR lady from a big consultancy is still talking about suggestion boxes. I fell off the chair during the conference. I was thinking, woman, aren't you ashamed because I would be. I would rather stay quiet.
However, as I am preparing an HR Strategy workshop for 27 senior leaders I came across some bloody brilliant strategies. Those left me reassured that there are still creative and highly competent HR people out there who don't sing the same song, aren't afraid to do things differently (and what makes sense to their people and business) and they are the ones crashing it. The rest are just crying on LinkedIn about how much they are not valued. Well, maybe because you don't provide any value. These guys aren't crying, they are making things happen and if you would ask me to belong to their circle I would be right there.
Don't be afraid to say ‘I am nothing like these people’ because it is not arrogance or a bad thing. Those who can say that are the ones who make things better. The others are just cruising along with the rest because belonging with their besties or staying in the good book of their boss is more important than doing the right thing for the people and businesses they serve. They make people comfortable and I make you uncomfortable. Why? Because “Mediocrity makes people comfortable and never inadequate. Depth makes people think and thinking makes people uncomfortable” - Schopenhauer.
That’s what I want to do with every article - Make you think differently, hence uncomfortable and sometimes, even inadequate. It hurts, but growth is painful so, stick with it.
And if you feel the same way, don’t be afraid to say it; I am not like them!
PS: I don't like to belong to any group. As thinking about it now, I never did. I never even did what my close friends were doing at school or as a grown-up and I am quick to distance myself from anyone. I know who I am and I like it that way. I know I am or my HR solutions are not for everyone and I like that too because if you are good for everyone than you are not good for anybody really.
Check out the latest podcast about resilience, leadership, and death.
Resilient Leadership - Too Many Safe Spaces and Very Little Resilience #50
This article challenges the modern workplace's emphasis on "safe spaces," arguing it hinders resilience. It defines resilience as the ability to withstand difficulties and move forward, not just maintaining the status quo. The author identifies behaviors indicating a lack of resilience, such as dwelling on the past, avoiding change, and fearing failure.