There are several traits that make a person good at what they do. Gay Hendricks’ book The Big Leap, goes into detail on how you can reach high-performing success in life and at work via his Zone of Genius framework. Gay claims that in order to achieve your Zone of Genius, you must have a unique mixture of three key ingredients: skills, strength, and talent. In essence, your Zone of Genius is when all three of these components are combined, making you most productive and allowing your skills to naturally shine.
I was rejected by a mentor once. I was stuck in my career and desperately looking for guidance. During my one-on-one with my director (someone whom I highly respected and still do), I asked if he would consider mentoring me. I remember saying
Throughout my career, I’ve often been the only person of color on my team, department, and, on occasion, within the entire company. I sometimes wondered, as I’m sure other BIPOC individuals do, if I was actually hired for my talent or was just another token hire