The principle
Do not accept the role society has given you. Forge a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores. Be the author of your own image.
The application
Most people drift into the role their early career assigned them. The deliberate move is to choose what you will be known for and curate the surface accordingly — title, voice, signature, story. Reinvention done quietly looks like growth.
The defensive tell — how to spot it being run on you
When someone you have known for years suddenly arrives with a noticeably different presentation — voice, look, vocabulary, brand — pay attention. They are repositioning, and the new version is the one they intend to be priced at.