It was an unexpected yet fateful encounter at a business breakfast and one I will never forget. I didn’t get his name, but his question profoundly reverberates with me to this day, and at times it has even haunted me.

“Who are you?”

“Hello, I’m Linden Wolfe.”

“I didn’t ask your name, I asked who you are. You know, your values, your passions, what you are really good at, your purpose.”

I tilted my head and, in a rare moment for me, remained speechless.

He quickly vanished – probably to retrieve another sausage ball – and I never saw him again. But every great day I’ve had since has started with that question…and the answer. Because, knowing who I am is the most important aspect of fulfilling my purpose and being exceptional at what I do.

When I remind myself of his question and intentionally focus on and practice my identity – my values, my passions, what I’m exceptionally good at and my purpose – I find that I am highly productive, successful and fulfilled. Everyone in my sphere of influence benefits.

However, without laserbeam concentration focused on living out my identity, I drift, flail and ultimately fail in being what I’m intended to be. For me, that means that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is to know and do who I am – nothing more and nothing less.

Or, the way I like to put it: If I try to be all things to all people, I will likely be nothing to no one.

Do you know who you are? Have you embraced it, even if it’s not glamorous? Are you comfortable articulating your values, passions, gifts, and purpose? And are you working for a company that has a crystal-clear understanding of themselves and a culture that matches its elevator speech?

See, in this context, what is true for you is also true for businesses. Jim Collins talks about the Hedgehog Concept of ruthlessly pursuing what you are passionate about and what you are exceptional at. In other words, know who you are, your identity, and never veer from it, whether you are an employee or an employer.

When I was considering my next career move three years ago, one of the most critical factors was finding a company that knew who they were. I knew their company’s name – I was needing to know if they could clearly articulate their identity, and if they were true to it in configuring their solutions, offerings and service delivery. So, my simple advice is, once you understand and embrace who you are, find an employer who aligns with that and is fixated on doing what they do superbly and better than anyone else.

Again, a company that seeks to be all things to all people is usually nothing to no one. Who can reach their potential in that kind of organization?

So, if you have discovered your identity and are working for a company that allows you to realize it, I’ll go one step further. I implore you to partner with companies that know who they are and that align with you and your corporate culture. Don’t work with suits if you are blue collar and vice versa. Find out if they do what you need and do it exceptionally well, even if it’s not glamorous. They should be unapologetic and even proud in doing what they do and their ruthless attention to doing it superbly, even without bells, whistles and superficial PR taglines.

For emphasis, if you are aligning yourself with a supplier who seeks to be all things to all people, then they are likely to bring nothing of real value to you. Beware when someone says “We can do that” to everything you ask for. That is a company, or an individual, with no clear-cut identity or purpose.

Who are you? Do you work for an organization who knows who they are and allows you to fulfill your purpose? Are you partnering with suppliers who know who they are and proudly deliver on their identity?

I hope so. If not, keep asking and living the question “Who am I?” For me, I’m reminded who I am: a passionate architect of light industrial workforce solutions who works for an organization that is an exceptional and proud provider of quality blue-collar workers and staffing services. Maybe that’s not very glamorous, but it’s who I am. And knowing that makes it a great day already.