RESEARCH_FILE
Herminia Ibarra
Harvard Business School (at time of 1999 publication); later INSEAD and London Business School
Known for:Research on how professionals adapt their identity to new roles through outward experimentation rather than inward reflection
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“I’m too young to manage them”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“Their tenure explains the past; it doesn’t choose this week’s plan.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
On a blank note, list one decision you’re avoiding because of someone’s longer tenure. Under it, write the plain version of the direction in one sentence, then circle the verb you would use if you weren’t apologizing.
Key findings
- 1999
People moving into new professional roles adapt through 'provisional selves' — trying on different behaviors and images, observing role models, and evaluating the fit against real feedback, rather than through pure introspection. Provisional Selves: Experimenting with Image and Identity in Professional Adaptation ↗
- 2015
Leadership identity is not a starting point to be discovered through introspection but an 'outsight' gained through action — redefining the job, diversifying the network, and experimenting with new ways of getting things done, then letting the self-concept catch up. Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader ↗