Via Talks at Google

“It’s sneaky. It affects your belief of how others see you. In fact, it affects how you see yourself. This is the fear that creates a voice in your head that says, ‘Oh, don’t do that. People might think I’m blank. People might label me xyz thing.’

Well, today I invite you to reclaim those blanks. Reclaim those labels you worry people might call you if you’re bold enough to take action. Specifically, there are nine labels or traits that create the bars of an invisible cage that keep you small, that keep you quiet, and that keep you following rather than leading.”

— Jenny Wood | Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It | Talks at Google, watch at 9:15

---

Some careers stall not from lack of skill, opportunity, or effort, but from a voice in your head that says don’t.

Jenny Wood, former Google executive and author of Wild Courage, calls it the invisible cage. Nine labels we fear people will pin on us if we act. So we stay quiet. We follow instead of lead. We shrink to avoid the label.

These same ‘negative’ traits, when reclaimed, are leadership superpowers.

The label we fear	Reclaim it as…
WEIRD Being seen as odd or out of place.	AUTHENTICITY Being original; bringing your real perspective, not the safe one.
SELFISH Being seen as self-centered.	ADVOCACY Naming your goals out loud, asking for what you want.
SHAMELESS Being seen as a self-promoter.	CONFIDENCE Defeating impostor syndrome; speaking clearly and openly of your accomplishments.
OBSESSED Being seen as intense or over-the-top.	WORK ETHIC Setting high standards; pushing, performing, and persisting because you care.
NOSY Being seen as intrusive or prying.	CURIOSITY Asking questions and seeking to understand rather than assuming you already know.
MANIPULATIVE Being seen as calculating or sneaky.	INFLUENCE Shaping outcomes through empathy and lasting relationships; being a net positive.
BRUTAL Being seen as harsh or unkind.	PRIORITIZATION Drawing lines and sticking to them; embracing the power of no without guilt; protecting time for the work that matters most.
RECKLESS Being seen as irresponsible.	RISK-TAKING Openness to calculated risks; erring on the side of action; thinking fast and fearless.
BOSSY Being seen as overbearing or controlling.	VISION Ready to listen and lead; steering others to success, even if you’re not in charge yet.

Wood adds one caveat: each trait has a trait trap — a shadow version where it tips into something destructive. Authenticity curdles into eccentricity. Advocacy into hollow self-promotion. Confidence into arrogance.

The trap isn’t in the trait. It’s in how you wield it.

When used with intention — what Wood calls “in a sane and savvy way” — these nine traits break us out of the invisible cage and create the runway for success.

Things to Try

Practice Brutal Prioritization This Week

• Review your calendar for the next week.
• Identify one meeting or commitment that’s “small” relative to your true priorities.
• Practice saying no or rescheduling it.
• Notice how it feels to protect your time and energy for what matters most.

Reclaim One “Negative” Label

• Pick one of the nine traits that you’ve feared being called.
• Identify a specific situation this week where that trait (used sanely) would serve you.
• Take one small action embodying that trait intentionally.
• Reflect on the outcome.