Confidence (& more)

As an assistant professor, especially in the first couple of years, so much is new. It’s easy to feel as if we’re never fully prepared for anything.

It happens when we least expect it. We open an email, glance at a website, or peruse a conference program and there it is… OUR paper, written by another author.

Today we’ll turn our attention to a critical ingredient of all successful relationships, both personal and professional: trust.

We glance over at a colleague during a high-stakes meeting and notice the frown on his face. Immediately, our mind gets to work… "He hates this idea. He’s going to do everything possible to kill my proposal..."

Setting boundaries seems easy in theory, but it’s much harder in practice, especially when people start bumping up against those boundaries and expressing their displeasure—sometimes subtly, sometimes not.

We all procrastinate. We all have insecurities. We all have days when things don’t go as planned. Luckily, there is a fairly simple technique that I’ve found remarkably helpful.

So why am I sitting here staring at a blank computer screen rather than happily typing away, letting the words magically flow from my fingers? Because I’ve got nothing. Sound familiar? Sigh. Resistance sucks.

Students, colleagues, family members,… people in general will sometimes do things that make us feel “less than.” It often has nothing to do with you.

Has your brain been in overdrive lately? Mine certainly has. If you’re like me, you’ve been both blessed and cursed with a brain that never stops.

Welcome to the very first post of The STANDOUT Professor blog! The overarching goal of The STANDOUT Professor community is to help faculty and leaders who challenge stereotypes thrive. I hope that you’ll feel a sense of belonging here and that the resources on the site will make your life at least a little easier… happier… better.