4 Ways to Become a Warrior in the Workplace

Do you feel like you have a warrior spirit within you?

A warrior is someone who is willing to stand up for what is right in the world. There is a type of mindset and certain characteristics that define a warrior.

A warrior knows their strengths and owns their power. A warrior may be afraid sometimes, but continues on with courage. A warrior stands up for themselves and others and wants to see their people do well and be heard.

For those that feel the warrior rising within, it’s time to claim your power and fully realize your greatest warrior potential.

The world is waiting and we need you.

It can be hard to know where to start so here are four ways you can become a warrior in the workplace.

1. Retrain your brain to create a positive mindset

A positive mindset can change everything. Sure, sometimes, forcing positivity can be frustrating and you just need to be a human and let it all out, but most of the time, there are a lot of negative or limiting beliefs that we can consciously change to feel more empowered.

When we start to dwell in all the negativity, or allow imposter syndrome to creep in, we start to believe that we don’t belong, or don’t know how we got to where we are.

That’s when we need to realizee what’s happening and train our brains to move in a different direction. We can literally re-train or “rewire” our brains to be more actively positive. And when your thoughts are more positive, it’s much easier to have confidence in yourself and show up authentically as a leader.

When you know who you are and what your strengths are, you can squash the negative thoughts about yourself more easily. A great way to remember how awesome you are when you’re deep in the spiraling thoughts is to reflect on all your wins. You can even write out a list of accomplishments you’ve achieved and read it out loud to yourself. Having a mantra you say every day like, “I am a warrior and a badass who believes in what I bring to the table” can be helpful to say whenever you have an opposing thought.

If we can train our brains to recognize and properly act and defeat these negative beliefs, we will be well on our way to living out our authentic leadership more successfully and confidently.

2. Practice and work on strategies around your triggers

We all have situations and environments where we feel uncomfortable or out of place. The trick is, though, to have strategies and practices in place that help you to overcome these challenges instead of accepting that you just aren’t good enough or really are out of place.

For example, I am shy. (I know, that might shock some of you. But really, I am.) And so whenever I am in a room with a bunch of people I don’t know, I immediately want to slide up against the wall, sip my drink, and watch everyone else interact with each other.

I used to think there was something wrong with me for wanting to do this. Now I understand it just simply isn’t one of my strengths to be outgoing. I am not the charismatic, extroverted leader. I am an empathetic, genuine, and authentic leader. And so I have to figure out how to navigate uncomfortable situations while staying true to who I am.

This is where finding the strategies that work for you are really important. I consistently practice and work on strategies that help me get off the wall and go connect with people. Having strategies around your triggers helps you to feel confident in any situation and still be that warrior you know you are.

When I know what makes me uncomfortable and I come up with a way to overcome it, that’s when my inner warrior shines. That’s when I inspire others to do the same. That’s when we start changing the world and the workplace little by little.

3. Use courage to take it one step further

Warriors are notorious for going one step further. Even when you think they’ve been courageous enough, they take it up just one more notch.

So I talked about how I’m able to get off the wall. That’s courageous. But how can I take it one step further and do just one more thing?

Maybe as I’m interacting with others, I also see someone being spoken rudely to or being diminished for who they are. And maybe that one next step I can take right then and there is standing up for that person. Maybe I can use my assertive, calm, and authoritative leadership style to let the person know that it is not okay to speak to the other person in that way.

That is being a warrior.

Warriors know that taking one more action is what inspires change, creates positive momentum, and forces others to confront something that likely needs to be looked at. Being afraid to take it one step further is okay. But if you’re a warrior, you’ll do it anyway.

Whether it’s standing up for workplace bullying, speaking up for the little guy, or speaking up for yourself, the warrior always finds the courage to take one more step.

When you can do this, that’s what separates you from everyone else.

4. Don’t give up, don’t quit, EVER!

This is a big one. Similar to taking it one step further, warriors don’t give up… EVER! Warriors know their purpose, are fueled by their passion, and know they have a mission to complete. They won’t stop until the goal has been met, equality has been achieved, or justice has been served.

We all have those days where we think, “I just can't go on any further. It’s too overwhelming. It’s too hard. Maybe I’ll just go back to bed.”

Even in the face of feeling like you aren’t good enough or can’t continue on, warriors know not to give up.

If you don’t love what you do and need to make a change, that's different. But if you’re thinking about quitting just because you think you aren’t good enough, then you aren’t acting like a warrior.

Warriors don’t give up on what they love! Warriors do what it takes to push through to the other side and see the mission through.

Whether it’s sticking to your career during the rough seasons, standing up to your boss so that you can create a safer workplace for everyone, or building a world-changing bridge over the Euphrates River (like I did), warriors are there until the end, even if they are the last one standing.

To become a warrior, you must put on your suit of courage each day and go out into the world and kick some ass. Don’t give up, find your inner authentic power, and change the world one step at a time.

Let’s build the army!

The world needs more warriors. We need courageous individuals willing to speak up about what’s going on and then actually take action! And the good news? Warriors aren’t restricted to only the battlefield. Warriors can show up anywhere, even in the workplace.

Being a warrior in the workplace looks like being bold and passionate about what you bring to the table, standing up for the little people, and leading with confidence and authenticity.

Some of us are already warriors and some of us are learning how to be a warrior and we must all find each other and help each other grow.

Warriors form armies. And these armies can change the world.

If you’d like me to inspire your team or organization on this topic, reach out to me and let’s talk.