It is strange how sometimes we are not fully aware of our own transformation in the eyes of our environment. It so happens that people now look at me as a businessman but I did not realize the change – and they might be right to describe me as such!
As an engineer by formal training, I still fill-in ‘Engineer’ when asked for my profession on official documents. In reality it has been a while since I crunched engineering problems, and I did a few identity-changing work and study (coach, senior manager, writer…), but I still feel like I apprehend problems with my engineer’s mind.
People tend to classify others in categories and we might not realize that we just changed category! The other day someone said that I was in fact a businessman, and identified that as my profession on an official document.
Ooops! This made me realize that I can probably be identified with this category: I have now created 3 companies, and spend a lot of my time trying to create working business models and combine products and markets. Indeed recently I spent a lot of time trying to establish business partnerships and business ecosystems, and that has become my major occupation.
This person was right. I am a businessman. I did not realize. Maybe I also did not want to realize because somehow I associate this category involuntary with some negative connotation, whereas it should certainly be a respected profession.
That’s how I became a businessman – involuntarily and gradually. With this realization I now embrace this identity and understand better what I need to do. But at the same time I intend not to remain stuck in this category like any other. I still see myself as well as engineer, writer, coach, manager… And further changes will come certainly and I welcome them!
