🗠 How to Diversify Your Identity, 💼 Doing "Real Work", and 🌱 Growing Your Personal Brand

PROGRESSION: 2025, Volume 7

I had a memorable coaching session with a CEO last week. During our conversation, he shared one of his concerns.

Earlier that day, he found out that an internal dashboard wasn’t displaying the right metrics. He needed additional data to help inform an important decision. He was torn between two ways to update the dashboard. Part of him wanted to roll up his sleeves and make the changes himself. But he had an analyst on his team who was specifically hired to do this type of work. He was faced with a question: do I do this work myself or delegate it to my team member?

This may sound like an easy decision. And it probably is. But my client finds this type of work deeply satisfying. He loves getting in the weeds, analyzing data and finding signal in the noise. He enjoys fixing bugs and solving hairy problems. And he’s very good at it! It’s part of the reason his company has been successful. For him, there’s a clear dopamine hit that comes from checking a box and seeing progress. He feels a sense of accomplishment.

But the work his company needs from him now? It’s not like that. It’s more ambiguous. More strategic. Less about doing and more about enabling. And for him, it doesn’t always feel like “real work.” He’s not alone. Many of us, not just CEOs, face a similar struggle. There’s a gap between the work we find satisfying and the work that makes the biggest impact.

How to do the “real work”

Despite lacking motivation, my client knew what to do. He needed to delegate this project to his team member. I’ve told him repeatedly: as CEO, all of his energy should be spent doing things only he can do. If someone else can take it off his plate, he needs to hand it to them.

That wasn’t the real challenge. He knew this already. The real challenge was identifying the work he should be doing and making that work feel more satisfying. He needed both clarity and excitement about CEO work. So here’s what we did.

First, he opened an empty doc and made a list of things he could do with the 2-3 hours he’d save by delegating this dashboard project. He shared a few ideas with me. I kept pushing him, “What else?” We spent 10 minutes just coming up with ideas. He was surprised by how many tasks were on the list. These were all the things he should have been doing to build the business but he’d never had time for.

Second, we focused on inputs. When we looked at his list, there were a lot of outcomes he wanted. These outcomes included motivating his team, setting clear expectations, holding them accountable, recruiting great talent, and networking with future investors. He struggled to identify the right inputs that would lead to those outcomes. The actual work needed was ambiguous. This is one of the reasons he gravitated to projects like analyzing data and fixing the company dashboard. He liked having clear problems to solve. There was a satisfaction that came from reaching a concrete outcome.

So we flipped things upside down. Since the path to these ideal outcomes was unclear, we focused on the inputs that were most likely to reach those outcomes. We identified specific input metrics that would most help his company be successful. If he did all the inputs, that was success! He needed to feel a sense of accomplishment, and that came from inputs. We redefined what success looked like.

Finally, I told him to treat the next two weeks as an experiment. This was going to be uncomfortable for him. The less pressure he felt, the better. Calling it an experiment gave him space to try things out while keeping the stakes low. I’m excited for this CEO and the progress he’s made. This type of growth takes courage and humility.

Maybe you’re in the wrong role

Now, if there’s a large gap between work you find energizing and work that’s expected of you, you may be in the wrong role. My client is confident he’s in the right role. He wants to remain CEO, at least for the next few years. He’s going to experience a lot of friction as he builds the muscle to do CEO work. For him, it’s worth it.

I’ve found that we often find work draining because we’re not that good at it. It’s draining because we haven’t built the muscle yet. I still remember the first time I ran three miles. I was 19 years old living in Oklahoma. A fellow missionary invited me to run with him. We woke up early. I was slow and wanted to die the whole time. It was absolutely miserable. But within a few years I grew to love running. What was once a drainer became an energizer.

It’s good to do hard, challenging work. It’s good to take on new projects or roles that may not play to our strengths. It’s good to experiment. But I’m convinced that in the long term we do our best work when we play to our inherent strengths. Successful and rewarding careers are built on doing work we find energizing and engaging.

In the short term, you may not have the luxury to control the type of work you do. You may need to take a job that doesn’t seem like the right fit. I’ve been there. There’s nothing wrong with that. Focus on developing new skills. Experiment. Take on different responsibilities. But ultimately do everything in your power to find work that energizes you.

This is how you find joy and meaning in your craft. This is how you become irreplaceable. This is how you build an exceptional career.

This is the way.

What I’m Learning

• I’m currently reading Win the Inside Game by Steve Magness. He teaches the importance of diversifying our sources of meaning and competence.

  • “When we tie our identity too tightly to a single pursuit—like being a startup founder, athlete, or high performer—we become fragile. Any disruption can feel like an existential threat.

  • “But when we build a diverse identity, we’re more grounded, more adaptable, and less likely to burn out. When we find meaning in our relationships, creative pursuits, community, faith, or hobbies, then we’re more resilient when one area takes a hit.”

  • I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way. Over the last few years I’ve made a conscious decision to diversify my identity. I may “lose” the day at work, but I can win as a dad. I may hit a rough patch with my business, but I can find satisfaction in triathlon training.

• My friend and former MBA professor Troy Nielsen recently shared 3 Lessons for Graduating Students

  • 1) Keep developing your professional brand. What are you currently known for? What attributes/skills do you want to be known for in the future? Say yes to opportunities that will strengthen your brand and make more people aware of that brand in your organization. (Note: if you haven’t already, read my last newsletter on How to Sell Yourself)

  • 2) Keep learning. Learn from mentors and from great books. Strive to have multiple mentors who you can turn to for advice and coaching. Have a list of books that you desire to read and spend time learning from those ideas.

  • (3) Keep your faith at the center of your life. In a world that is increasingly turbulent and chaotic, make daily time for prayer, studying spiritual texts, and loving others with selfless service.

Gratitudes

I’ve found power in regularly expressing gratitude so I’ll continue the habit. I’m grateful for scales. Yes, the kind you step on that tells you how much you weigh. Why? The scale doesn’t lie to me. In some areas of life, it’s hard to know how I’m doing. I can make excuses, justify my behavior, or engage in self-deception. But the scale? It never lies. Every day I see a report of my decisions. Yesterday that report was bad. Today it was a bit better. Of course, the scale only reports one data point of my health, and you can argue there are better ways to measure fitness. Sure. But the scale is an objective source of truth. And for that I’m grateful.

If I can do anything to help you, please reach out. As always, thank you for reading.

All the best,

Nathan

Read my book, The Unconquerable Leader | Learn about coaching

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