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title: It's okay not to play golf
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Have you ever felt like you needed to be different in order to get ahead? Whether that unease was about things you couldn’t change (skin color, etc.) or things you could (interests, how you dress)?

| View in browser Greetings, Reflections from our March 2020 edition:   Have you ever felt like you needed to be different in order to get ahead? Whether that unease was about things you couldn’t change (skin color, etc.) or things you could (interests, how you dress)?   Had you asked me that question in the last 25 years, I would have answered “no” without hesitation. In my self-perception, I’ve been accepting the challenges and opportunities that come with who I am for as long as I can remember. For instance, you can imagine the mixed blessing of typecasting vs. memorability that comes with being named Precious.   Fortunately, the universe has a wonderful way of disabusing us of false self-perceptions. In my case, reality came in a hunt through my garage last weekend, where I confronted a veritable graveyard of golf clubs, including a nice set with tags and plastic still intact. The clubs are a tangible reminder of when I was convinced being myself was not enough. My authentic self is wildly unathletic. (Please resist the urge to tell me it isn’t so; well-intended, eventually baffled coaches for a wide gamut of sports have gently encouraged me to take solace in the benefits of walking. I’ve tried everything else; they’re right.) Growing up, I was content to pursue science fair as my competitive sport. Thank goodness.   Then came Wall Street. As I looked around my investment bank and read biographies of business titans, I became convinced that I “needed” to play golf to be successful. Sadly, I was not alone in that thinking. When we survey professionals about their business development challenges, routinely 30-40% list “not good at golf” as one of their top barriers. Not one to accept an obstacle, I threw myself into learning to play, read books about the rules, and began accumulating the equipment that was supposed to transform my coordination and interest level – all to no avail. Looking back on it, I squandered lots of time and the chance to do things I actually enjoyed for fitness and business development. Hindsight also proves that I achieved my goals just fine without golf.   While it seems silly or small, I now remember well the insecurity I felt when others talked about their golf outings. Do you have something like that, that’s undermining your belief in yourself or distracting you from doing what it really takes to get what you want? If so, please learn from my mistake, and find something to focus on that benefits from the unique skills and perspective you bring to it. As the saying goes: be yourself. Everyone else is taken. Start Your Ascent®, Precious W. Owodunni CEO & Founder Mountaintop Consulting       Quote of The Month   "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."   Oscar Wilde       In a workshop, someone once asked: what do you do when being your authentic self seems at odds with your environment? Watch to hear Precious's answer and how she tackled the same issue in her career. WATCH THE VIDEO       Focused on building your culture and helping team members feel connected to each other and their work? Our Strengths-Based Team Building workshop is just the ticket. In it, people get to know each other and how they work best as individuals and as a team. Following that foundation, teams frequently do one-on-one coaching and follow-on workshops to help embed Strengths in their culture. BOOK A NO-PRESSURE CALL TO LEARN MORE       What Clients Are Saying About Our Team Building Workshops "Mountaintop’s virtual StrengthsFinder workshop is ideal for culture-building. It gave our new team a meaningful way to get to know one another and explore our collective strengths as individuals and as a department."   — Jonathan Aplin, VP of Marketing, Ardent Mills         To be successful, attorneys must master not only the practice of law, but also the business of law. Our Law Firm Economics course is ideal for associates and new partners, covering key terms and definitions, how law firms make money, how to assess the profitability of your work and that of a firm, and more.  CHECK OUT THE COURSE       Share This Email With A Colleague         Mountaintop Consulting \| 713.338.2530 \| precious@mtopconsulting.com www.mtopconsulting.com Mountaintop Consulting, P.O. Box 6940, Houston, Texas 77265 Manage preferences |
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