Remember Who You Are!
Randy Wolken, President & CEO

Chaos can envelop us all. The world we live in is 24/7 and often confusing. It is easy to lose who we are. I know I do – sometimes weekly.

Life used to be slower. So often today, natural rhythms seem to disappear. I have had the good fortune of being the President & CEO of MACNY for nearly two decades. A lot has changed in our world since I came to MACNY. The pace is certainly a lot faster. Member companies face challenges that did not even exist a decade ago. Today life moves at hyper speed. How can we stay grounded?

We need to remember who we are. I do this daily now. I review my mission statement. I review my life goals, my key characteristics, and my unwavering beliefs. I remind myself who I will be today – no matter what transpires. The day may be different than I had imagined – but I will not be.

Leaders at all levels are challenged to remain grounded when the work we do gets challenging and our way can seem unclear. The more senior the position the more likely that you will be influencing others. Knowing who we are helps us do this well in every encounter with teammates, stakeholders, or customers. How I show up and live in the moment has never been more critical to my wellbeing and success. This is true of organizations as well.

The more the world changes – the more we need to remind ourselves of who we are. I know that I am changing daily now. I have daily habits that prepare me for the change I must undergo to be relevant tomorrow. I have learning habits, physical health habits, and other evolving growth habits that help me become the person I need to be in the future to remain effective in my work and my life. But who I am at my core stays solid and true. I won’t stop having faith, hope, trust, love, and my fundamental beliefs – even if they are still evolving. I won’t stop being a husband, father, friend, and community contributor. These roles are who I am, and I have decided they will be who I am until I am no longer walking this earth.

Who are you? Do you routinely remind yourself of who you are at your core? Do you encourage others to reconnect with their truest self when the world around them is chaotic? What can you do be truer to who you are? Good questions to ask ourselves daily so we can stay grounded in our places of business and our lives.