Alter-Ego: 6 Steps To Unleash Your Potential

Photo by Ilyuza Mingazova on Unsplash

One of my earliest coaching experiences was being on the receiving end with leadership coaching legend Loretta Brown. She introduced me to a technique that is now one of my most used tools in the transformation tool box. At that time, I was struggling with the confidence to step into my leadership in a new role. Loretta invited me to identify the traits I needed to embody as a leader and to deliberately create an identity for myself around those traits. She suggested that I put on this new identity as if it were a jacket—a simple but transformative shift occurred. I called this identity "CEO Stacey." That exercise was a game changer for me at the time.

Developing an ‘identity’ is more than just an imaginative exercise; it's a powerful tool employed by high performers across all fields—from athletes to musicians and beyond. It’s the core principle behind Todd Herman’s book The Alter Ego Effect, which outlines a precise process for designing an identify, or as he calls it an ‘alter ego’ to help you elevate your performance and success in any area of your life.

We place self-imposed limitations on ourselves all the time. Whether due to fear, past experiences or that old friend imposter syndrome. This identity creating transformation tool is about leaning into an aspect of yourself that you already have that you can amplify, allowing you to step out of your own way and into your full potential. Identity work allows you to bypass these barriers by adopting an identity that embodies the traits, behavior’s and mindset that will get you to where you want to go.

This transformative tool is about leaning into an aspect of yourself that you can amplify, allowing you to step out of your own way and into your full potential. Identity work lets you bypass these barriers by adopting an identity that embodies the traits, behaviors, and mindset needed to get you where you want to go.

Imagine you’re facing a challenge that requires you to be bold, assertive, and fearless—qualities you might not naturally feel you possess. By developing an alter ego that does possess these qualities, you can step into this identity whenever you need to, acting with the confidence and decisiveness that may not come naturally to you in your everyday persona.

You can create an alter ego for any area of your life where you want to perform better, whether it’s in your career, personal relationships, or even in pursuing a new hobby or passion. This alter ego isn’t about pretending to be someone you’re not; it’s about accessing and amplifying a part of yourself that might be dormant or underutilised.

Steps 1-5 refined from the Alter Ego book.

1. Define The Field of Play - The area of your life (relationship, role or activity) you want improved outcomes. 

2. Identify The Goal - What do you want to achieve? What does success look like? 

3. Identify The Key Actions & Mindset - What key actions will bring that success? What thoughts, beliefs and values are required to create those actions.

4. Identify Your Desired Traits - List the traits you need and what they look like. Describe them as vividly as possible. 

 5. Identify An Alter Ego - No rules here. It could be a real person, fictional character, animals, concept or a combination of these things. Sometimes it’s easier to jump to an alter ego straight away as your subconscious resonates with someone or something. If so go back to steps 1-5.

Developing an alter ego is not about becoming someone else; it’s about unlocking the version of yourself that’s ready to take on the challenges you face and succeed. So, the next time you find yourself hesitating, consider calling on your alter ego. You might be surprised at just how powerful this tool can be in helping you achieve your goals.