Take off your mask! No, I am not talking about that mask…I am talking about the invisible one that you wear to conceal parts of your life in various situations with a wide array of people.

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Have you ever experienced a crisis in your personal life but were unwilling or unable to share that part of your story with your boss, team members, or trusted colleagues at work? If you are like most of us, the answer is a resounding “yes”. In fact, a close friend of mine is going through a heart-breaking divorce right now and has not shared anything with anyone at work for fear of jeopardizing their career. Every day, they put on their invisible mask so that their colleagues at work only see their professional persona. After all, it’s just business, right? Does this seem like a healthy company culture to you?

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On the flip side, have you ever had overwhelming stress in your professional life but resisted sharing it with your loved ones because you did not want to worry them, or you were afraid of their reaction? Given the current economic climate, many people are simply thankful to have a job with a steady paycheck, so they bury the stress and anxiety and put on their invisible mask rather than confront the brutal facts. However, sharing these kinds of challenges with trusted confidants can help you to gain clarity and make purpose-driven decisions about your future.True Transformation requires a wholistic approach.

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• If you are a business seeking to grow through Transformation, you must courageously lead and create a culture that fosters the Transformation of your People. When your People embrace change and Transform, the results will follow.

• If you are a business leader, consider investing more quality time with your People and genuinely caring about their professional and personal development & wellbeing. Knowing and leading only the “professional” side of your team members without regard to their personal lives is limiting at best and, at worst, a recipe for disaster. Please don’t be like my friend whose divorce crisis is off limits because of a culture of fear. Lead by example and take off your mask!

• If you are an individual aspiring to Transform, seek clarity across your whole life (personal and professional) and avoid wearing different masks for different scenarios. A business coach or accountability partner can help you to assess and plan your Transformation journey.

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In our book The F Place, my co-author Sonal Trivedi and I use the art of storytelling to help seasoned executives and aspiring leaders to experience wholistic personal and professional Transformation. Not only will you be entertained by the characters, the corporate political warfare, and scandals, you will walk away with lessons that you can apply to your own Transformation journey.

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Please visit thefplace.com to purchase the book and merchandise directly. The F Place book is also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and wherever books are sold.