45: Your Identity Drives Your Influence 

read time 3 minutes

Welcome to the With Intention weekly newsletter where I share ideas & learnings to help you live & lead with intention.

At a glance:

• Essay: Your Identity Drives Your Influence
• Quote: Identity + Impact = Self Awareness
• Visual: Clarity

Your Identity Drives Your Influence 

Quick story for you this week.

In the first half of my career, I was chasing the scoreboard.

Hit the number. Win the deal. Prove myself.

I wasn’t thinking much about how I was showing up for others — it was mostly “me first.”

I was driven, I worked hard, and I got results… but I was doing it the hard way.

I closed just under $50M in deals that first half of my career.

Then adversity hit.

I lost a big account. I felt like a failure.

And to be honest, I started battling panic attacks before big presentations.

I was in my head, gripping tight, trying to control everything.

That’s when I realized something had to shift.

So I started doing the deeper work.

I got serious about self-awareness.

I started asking better questions:

• Who am I becoming?
• How are people actually experiencing me?
• What’s it like to be on the other side of me?

I learned where I was strong… and where I was blind.

I stopped trying to be the hero and started showing up to serve.

I leaned into my team. I focused on the client. I led differently.

And here’s what happened:

In the second half of my career, I closed over $500M.

10x the results — because I started leading with intention, not just ambition.

Same drive. New mindset. Whole different outcome.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Self-awareness is the starting point for everything that matters.

Not just in leadership — in life. 

It’s not just about knowing who you are.

It’s about understanding how others experience you. 

That’s where growth really lives.

That’s where influence begins.

If you want to explore this, try this simple exercise: 

1. Look inward.

Write down 3 values, 3 beliefs, and 3 “I am” statements.

Things like: “I am a builder,” “I am a guide,” “I am a connector.” 

2. Then look outward.

Ask a few trusted people:

• “How do you experience me?”
• “What’s one word you’d use to describe how I show up?” 

3. Compare.

Where’s there alignment?

Where’s there a gap?

That gap is your growth zone.

You don’t need to become someone else to grow.

You just need to become more of who you already are — on purpose.  

Keep showing up.

Lead from who you are.

Let the results follow.

Talk soon,

Jon

P.S. If this hit home, forward it to someone in your corner. Might be exactly what they need to hear right now.

Clarity

source: Janis Ozolins

Until next week,

Jon Giganti Author. Speaker. Leader.

Attention requires a focused head.
Intention requires a focused heart.

Forwarded this email? Sign up here