I’m sure by now you’ve heard of “Selfies.” These are photos taken by yourself using a mirror, or turning the camera around and holding out your arm to get a picture of yourself. This is popular in situations where no one is there to see just how cool you look, so you decide to take a photo of yourself and show the world how smoking hot you look standing in the bathroom. These are pretty narcissistic in nature and the internet is full of them, so I’ve highlighted a few on this page to explain the best way to see how you look to the world around you.

I understand the idea of wanting to see how you look, but it seems odd that people are so willing to share these distorted pictures for the entire world to see. I’m sure this guy with the cat thought to himself “I look buff in this shirt and you’re such a cool cat, let’s do a selfie together and show the world how cool we are!”

Think about this from a business perspective. You wouldn’t take a selfie showing the ugly or bizarre side of your business and post it for the world see it. Unfortunately, many leaders do exactly this when they take their issues out around the office or worse, on the internet. I prefer the more discrete model of the Renaissance Executive Forums CEO Peer Advisory Group. Let’s zoom in on this and see what I mean.

It’s good to have your picture taken – by someone else.

Selfies are often too close, blurry, out of focus, dark and just plain weird, because it requires you to use a mirror or stick your arm out and snap the photo. If GOD had wanted us to take selfies, he would have given us longer arms!

Let someone else take the picture! Ask the waiter or the grandma who’s holding your leg up. When we try to see how we’re doing by ourselves, we often don’t get a true and accurate view of what things really look like.

There’s a reason people hire a professional photographer to take their picture. Getting help from others is a great way to make sure you look your best to the world. Your leadership team, or heck, even the forklift driver, can give you plenty of help to see yourself the way your team sees you. If you create an environment where others are allowed into your world, they will help you see things the way they really are, not just the way YOU want them to be seen.

Remember, the Camera Adds Ten Pounds.

Most people don’t like the way they look in photos (these people rarely do selfies by the way). Our view of ourselves is affected by the way we look at the world around us. This can lead you to be discouraged and think less of yourself than you should, or worse, think more of yourself like this stud young “gangsta.”

“Self-Evaluation” can be helpful but often is skewed by your perception of yourself, and this will not give you an accurate picture of how you are behaving in the work environment. Our peer group members take “Behaviors and Motivators” assessment when they first join our CEO Peer Advisory Groups. This simple evaluation gives you a sharp picture of your behaviors and what drives them. I also suggest they have their leadership team do the same evaluation, then discuss the results as a group, so everyone can get honest feedback and learns how best to work with each other.

There is a Time and Place for Everything.

This guy obviously has no idea of what is in bad taste. Even if that house belonged to his ex-girlfriend, this is not going to help his career. Sometimes, we are doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, and we don’t see it that way (case in point).

After enough time of being in charge, we tend to forget about the little things like… uh, people and their feelings.

My wife has the ability to remind me (in a loving yet confident manner) that I am not nearly as together as I THINK I am. We need others that we respect and trust to give us the other side of the picture so we can keep our behaviors in line with the needs of those around us.

Don’t Let Your Ugly Side be Seen by Others.

We all have situations where we don’t look our best, so why take a picture of this and share it with the world. If you’re having a bad day, week, or year, take a break and pull yourself together. We all need to recharge our batteries and find the energy to bring the best side of ourselves into each situation.

Burn out is one of the things I hear about from most leaders I meet. They are working non-stop and feel stressed. This can lead to actions and attitudes that you really don’t want to show the world. Find a safe environment where you can share your issues with others who can encourage you, and give you the energy and passion we all need to face the world wearing an awesome cat shirt like this.

We All Need Someone to Have Our Back.

When I look at these selfies, I want to ask these people “what were you thinking?” I’m sure the law enforcement agent enjoyed the humor of this moment as much as the guy taking the selfie. And I’m sure after the full cavity search was done, the car was towed away, and the ticket was issued, they both had a great laugh together.

Who do you have in your life that will tell you the truth about your actions? Everybody needs a trusted confidant that has their best interest in mind. If you don’t have one, get one! Whether its REF Dallas or some other organization. All great leaders know the value of surrounding themselves with others who will make them wiser and better leaders.

Do This Often to Stay Aware of Changes.

Taking photos lets us see how things are changing. It would be silly to take a picture of your baby, and then not take another photo until they graduate college.

It’s wise to take a look at your progress and track your growth along the way. Meet regularly and hold each other accountable for the things you need to do in order to reach your goals. Our members present their company and their plans in great detail so our group can follow-up each month to keep them focused on what matters most to them.

Find candid, honest, balanced input from leaders just like yourself, but keep things private and personal – unlike selfies.

Want to learn more about being in a Peer Advisory Group? Contact us today at info@REFDallas.com or (469) 269 – 5148.

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Robert Hunt

I am a Business Owner and Partner for Renaissance Executive Forums. My role is to find the best members for our CEO Peer Groups, then lead each meeting so that our members become Raving Fans. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.

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It’s lonely at the top – but it shouldn’t be.

* Selfie Photos came from DailySanctuary.com