I’m not a huge fan of the word badass.
For one, a quick search will show you the term has wide-ranging meaning. Dictionary.com’s definition offers “mean-tempered troublemaker” while InternetSlang.com’s version is “cool, confident person.” I grew up understanding the former definition; images of gangsters, WWE wrestlers, and Nancy W. (the girl who wanted to beat me up in middle school) serve as examples. Certainly, these are behaviors a young girl would not typically see in herself. As the meaning has morphed in today’s world to more admirable qualities regarding attitude, behavior, and work ethic, I still don’t fully identify with the term. Last week, when a colleague asked me to address a leadership class by sharing my career journey, she referred to it as my “Journey to Badass.” I wasn’t thrilled.
She meant it as a sign of respect. Her intention was for me to share what in my career had led me to a place where I was confident sharing my point of view or taking on bold projects without fear of failure. I took a bit of time to reflect, and ultimately realized that part of my journey to get where I am today (for better or worse) has a lot to do with overcoming these stereotypes and hang-ups in the first place.
When I was a kid, no one would have ever predicted I’d end up as an executive, let alone someone who has been playing that role since her twenties. I grew up with a learning disability that went undiagnosed until college, leaving me coasting through school feeling entirely behind relative to my peers. I went down some questionable paths until I realized college – if I could get in – might lead me down a somewhat decent path in life. Once there, two significant things happened: I learned about my dyslexia, and what I needed to do to work around it. I also learned I wasn’t stupid; I just had a different set of skills than other people, and I could use them to create an exciting place to thrive. Long story short, those realizations helped to transform my confidence from a girl who didn’t feel as though she had much to offer the world, to one who believed anything was possible for herself. I was done being on the sidelines and watching others navigate success in their lives. “Why not me?” became my mantra.
Last week’s characterization of me as a badass made me stop and rethink the word that I had grown up with and consider people I think match the version of today’s definition. If I believe it to mean someone who is completely authentic and unrelenting in their values, pioneering people like Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, and Tarana Burke of the #MeToo movement come to mind. Ultimately, these are people who fight for what they believe in, regardless of how hard it is, without the need for attention or need to complain along the way. And while I just offered up a handful of recognizable names, these people are often not public figures. Anyone who truly lives this way – from my friend fighting a terminal cancer diagnosis to the brave teenagers who are leading the fight to eradicate school violence – embodies what it means to be a badass in my mind.
What does it take to get there? Here are some shared characteristics of these kinds of people that might help you awaken your inner badass:
- Play by your own rules - I’m not referring to breaking laws and wreaking havoc in the streets. I’m talking about not spending a whole lot of time worrying about how other people carve their paths. In other words, in finding your way, don’t spend a lot of time fearing what other people think of you. As long as it’s not hurting anyone, who cares what they think?
- Be candid - People respect openness and transparency, even if it sometimes comes in the form of words people aren’t willing to hear. Balancing that directness with a healthy dose of humanity and empathy makes for a compelling combination.
- Speak up & with purpose - Don’t wait to be called on, and don’t offer apologies for sharing your opinion. Wait until you have something meaningful to say, and then share it with confidence. It’s usually the thing many others are thinking and don’t have the courage to say.
- Be insatiably curious & never content - Realize you will never have all the right answers and embrace that no one is perfect. Be willing to put yourself out there on a quest to learn and grow, and then use that knowledge to make things better. Refuse to accept the status quo and always strive for better.
- Realize it’s not just about you - These people don’t strive to be different for the sake of being different; there is typically a strong driver and purpose behind it. Whether it is fighting for the rights of others or giving a voice to those who don’t feel they have one, these people aren’t in it for their glory…they want to create a better world for others.
- Ignore the naysayers - Anyone who takes a stand for something and is willing to put themselves out there is subject to some haters. Make a conscious effort every day to ignore the negativity and focus on the positive. If you believe in what you are doing, embrace the fact that the more detractors you have, the more opportunity to have to make an impact.
Over the past week, I’ve stopped rallying against the word badass and instead come to respect it. We have one life to live, so standing up for what’s truly important to you, finding the confidence and voice to champion it, and not spending a whole lot of time worrying what others think about you seems like good common sense. Here’s hoping we all tap into our inner badass and live the best lives – and careers – we possibly can.
Christina Luconi is Chief People Officer for Rapid7. Follow her on Twitter: @peopleinnovator.