And the winner is...

It was the last day of summer camp and I was 10 years old.

The award I won wasn’t for Best Smile, Most Outgoing, or Most Creative.

Nope. I was Most Diplomatic.

I accepted the award with a half-smile and proceeded to sit silently in the back seat of my parents’ car as we made our way back to the suburbs of Chicago.

Once home, I raced upstairs to find the dictionary, to see just what “diplomatic” meant.

I was relieved it wasn’t an insult. But also a little disappointed.

Of course, if there were awards to be given in the relationships I keep today - personal and professional - there’s no doubt I’d again win Most Diplomatic.

Time and self-work have helped me to see the simplicity in understanding, honoring, and leveraging exactly who I already am.

And chances are good that what makes YOU great today is a lot like the 10-year-old version of you, too.

I shared this story - and lots of others - with Tina Paulus-Krause, CLF, CC on her podcast, Your Leadership Legacy. Listen to our conversation here.

Tina and I have much in common - including entrepreneurship after established careers in insurance. Join me for a deeper conversation about entrepreneurship in insurance on 11/19; the link to join is here!