The danger of being too yourself at work

Breaking the Timeline by Shana Francis · Aug 7, 2026 · 31m

Have you ever said something honest at work and felt the room go completely still? Or told your manager you wanted more from something, maybe a raise, and somehow walked out looking restless? This episode is about the question I hear most from people early in their careers: how much of me goes into this?

When I trained to teach, I got two completely different messages. A visiting lecturer told us that if you smile before Christmas, you've already failed. Then one of my mentors in school laughed at that and told me to turn up exactly as I am. I can see where both came from, and for years I got…