Being a good designer may be enough for some people; obtaining a degree from art school, mastering all the right design programs, winning a design award here or there, getting a job with a well known company or firm. All of these markers indeed warrant the title of ‘designer’. The question is this – is that enough for you?
When asked ‘how did you get to this place?’, my friend Michael Lejeune responded with, ‘I just kept making left turns’. The more time I spent thinking about this as we talked story last week, the more I loved all the implications hidden within those words. Undeniably, we westerners live in a world of ‘right’. The hands of the clock circle to the right, we read from the left to the right, we drive on the right side of the road, even refer to our biggest advocate as our ‘right-hand man’. Studies show 70%-95% of the human population (regardless of race or culture) is right-handed. So what did Michael mean by making left turns?
As a proud and often misunderstood member of the small percentage of our population that is left-handed, I see turning left as natural. I remember be considered slow in school because I wanted to turn left. Whether it was with scissors or dance moves or swinging a baseball bat, it always took me longer and seldom was there anyone to teach me. In order to fit in I had to convert a left turn to a right turn then back to left again. When you are 7 years old, this takes a few seconds to do. As I grew older, it came faster and faster to a point when it was all but seamless. I graduated in the top 1% of my class, earned a college degree in 3 ½ years, and built a multi-million dollar company in 12 years with seed money equaling $4000. I’m not slow, I just like to take left turns.
Going against the grain (or making left turns) for the attention of your peers or superiors will quickly earn you the title of ‘poser’. Some of us are right-handed and it is how we function best. Following the flow and doing it better and more authentically than your counterparts will get you far in this world. Being someone who moves differently has its set of challenges and risks. But if you feel compelled to move in a direction different from most AND can overcome the fear of doing so, truly great things can happen.
Most all of the amazing folks I talk to such as LA Metro’s Michael Lejeune have succeeded in their careers by following their heart and their gut overcoming any fear of failure. If you are looking for change or growth in your career, organization, even your personal life, you might what to try a new route. Try turning left the next time you come to a fork in the road.
Click here the full hour of “Talk Story with Jeni’ and Michael at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jeniherberger or directly from my site at http://jeniherberger.com
Tags: career, creative, designer, inhouse, Talk Story
