Okay, so now you think I’m off my rocker! After telling you in my numerous articles how feedback delivered in the context of what to continue, start or change is a positive framework, I tell you the absence of feedback is powerful. Well, even I can evolve my opinion and here’s why:
I asked for feedback and did not receive any…
Last week I asked for feedback about my offers and what I should change as I’m here to serve. What I realized was that I probably asked the wrong questions. I asked what should I change and instead I should have asked you, what do you need? Even I make mistakes and I thank you for your silence, because it gave me time to pause & reflect about what was missing.
You did share feedback, but I did not truly listen…
One person in my network shared that their friend consumes my content all the time and they really enjoyed it. They encouraged me to keep going because it’s making a difference. Being humble, I simply said thank you, but I didn’t give the feedback the respect it deserves. I’ve had many people say they like my content because it gets them to think differently and inspire them. For that feedback I am thankful and I will continue to be in service through my content.
You’ve spoken loudly about my voice… but what to do with it?
It’s funny how you work so hard to hone your craft to have people praise you for something completely different. You know me as a Fractional Leader, Crisis Management Expert, Leadership Coach, Podcast Host and Speaker. However, the thread that ties it together is my voice for which you have shared it is soothing, captivating and sometimes disarming.
I don’t have an answer right now, but I’m open to suggestions about how to leverage my voice and make a difference. I’d love to hear your thoughts! I value you and my network who have been so supportive to help me see what I can’t quite see.
I just want to say thank you for the silence…
I am truly grateful as it has given me so much time to reflect and figure out what to continue, start or change.
Having gained such great insight from the silence, I also turn to you and ask for you to reflect on your situation, career or business. Have you asked for feedback for which you did not receive any or it was nothing you could action on? Look for what is not said and there you will find the wisdom and feedback you are seeking.
I want to say thank you to all for your continued support and I will continue to hopefully share valuable insights and inspire each and every one of you.
I’ll get to the point and if this resonates with you, I implore you to read on:
Leaders need to STOP what they’re doing and confirm if they’re still on the the right track
Leaders need to assess their energyand if they’re dreading certain activities, it’s a sign you’re applying it in the wrong way.
Leaders need to check in with themselves to see if they’re still passionate about the work they’re doing and if they’re still up for the challenge…it’s okay, because sometimes you might need a change.
Having spent so many years trying to support others and giving them the tools for success, I have to be honest and transparent with you…I have hit the PAUSE button. No one likes to admit that, especially to my community of supporters and who I support willingly and with all my passion. But I too occasionally have to evaluate my strategy, goals and objectives. It’s what leaders do and I’m no exception. Today I am pausing for the reasons above and I simply wanted to share a bit with you in hopes it inspires you to also PAUSE if and when it makes sense.
Fractional Leadership & Crisis Management
There are so many small & medium size businesses that are going through rapid change and may exceed capacity & capability to keep up with the changes. That’s where I drop in. Every client I’ve served has become so much more. We have become fans of each other’s work for which we sustain long term partnerships. What I’m seeing is that companies are still facing many crisis in supply chain, stable operations and finding talent that they don’t have the appetite for reach out for additional support. I’m okay with that, but as a business owner, that too presents challenges. So, then I ask the question is Fractional Leadership what these businesses need or is it something else? I’m open for suggestions and your thoughts. Great leaders leverage the collective input of their teams and I consider you part of the team!
Leadership & Skills Development
You’ve heard me say over and over again, there is a demographic of aspiring C-Suite Leaders who don’t have a support system and also are overwhelmed with work and commitments and don’t have the time to invest in themselves. I then wonder if I should pause on reaching out to this group of people and try to reach those leaders or HR business partners who realize they want to develop their people, but don’t have the capacity, capability or have the courage to bring on additional resources to help. I know in my gut, this is an underserved market, yet I’m struggling to find a way to connect. Again, as a leader I know I’m stuck and realize my community may have the answers.
How do I find the people who have the ability to invest? Who do I need to connect with that may want to invest in their people? What kind of offers should I offer that would be more attractive or consumable for this group of leaders I so care about? I’d love to hear your thoughts and again, please respond to this email or message me at [email protected]
What have I missed?
Many of you consume my content and I’m grateful for those who have shared how much they enjoy it. But as someone once said to me, I’m inside the cookie jar and may not see what is outside. Where else can I be of service? What skills do you see that could be used in a different way? What role can I play in order to impact more than I can imagine? I turn my attention to you and value your feedback!
As I return to the three reasons to pause, I feel I’m on the right track, but need your input to make any course corrections. I love the work I do and invest a lot of time, but at times I feel drained and wish to take back some of that energy and invest in myself, my family and in the community I serve in the best way. I am also open to any new possibilities of support you or others.
While this article was about asking for some feedback from my community, it is also meant to serve you. Ask yourself – do you need to hit the PAUSE button? And if so, what are you seeking? If you have hit the PAUSE button in the past, I’d be eternally grateful to hear your story and perhaps bring it forward to inspire others.
If this article resonated with you, I’d love to share other resources with you:
I’m excited to share that The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track is getting into the hands of many C-Suite Leaders of Today and Tomorrow. This valuable resource asks you challenging questions about your leadership and why you lead. It then takes you on a journey around different compass points with practical advice on where you can make small but impactful course corrections. If this is you, consider getting your copy of the book and then schedule a complementary conversation to discuss what resonated with you and how to evolve your journey.
Recently we offered the Drop In C-Suite Academy to our C-Suite Leaders of tomorrow. We heard from many of you that work and personal commitments keep you busy and make it challenging for personal development. I hear you and I know it’s hard to keep it all together.
I’d love to hear from you about what kind of investment in your personal development makes sense. Reply to this email or send a note to [email protected] with a note about any of the following options:
Drop In Mastermind – drop in when time permits and glean new insights from topics presented and the opportunity to engage in conversation with others to solve real issues
Drop in C-Suite Academy Self Paced – consume the content when you have time. No instruction needed
Drop in C-Suite Academy Self Paced + -consume the content when you have time but would like some coaching midway or at the end to evolve the skills
Drop In Conversations – I just need someone to align with periodically to coach through challenging situations, no packages, but spot support when needed.
This story was originally written January 2019 when I had recently transitioned from corporate into running my own business. It’s a reflection of the beginning of me thinking differently and perhaps the genesis of my business many years prior. I do hope you enjoy it…
I was a year into my role where I realized I could not continue to Manage a region, but had to find a way to Lead through a Strategy that was purposeful and could organize the chaos and unify for results. Through countless hours of jogging (training for a 1/2 marathon) and inspirational music, the Framework of One kept coming to me.
Looking for a collection of Quotes that speak to Teams and Unity, I found this curated by Dave Kerpen in an article for Inc. that sums it up well:
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” –Andrew Carnegie
The Framework of One is quite simple: One Team, One Way, One Goal is about aligning resources for interchangeability of talent, harmonizing processes and platforms to one set of Goals and objectives to achieve results. By establishing this Way of Working, it set the stage for teams to come together for collaboration; a key obstacle that needed to be overcome due to multiple disconnected locations & business unites.
The results were remarkable when the Vision took on a life of it’s own, when team members would regularly connect with each other, coach, train and align on best practices and soon resources could be moved around where the skills were needed. Fast forward two years, the region that was last in terms of performance unbelievably arrived at 2nd place and to the disbelief of others that they started diving into the data to make sure it was valid.
While there is more to the story how we tactically achieved brilliant results, it starts with a challenge, self reflection, a purposeful vision and great leadership to show the way. I’m grateful to have led great teams and seek to influence many, many more towards “One”.
This article was brought to you by our Mentoring Monday series. Please tell us if you liked, loved or have alternate perspective. We’d love to hear from you!
About the author: Quality & Operational Excellence Executive / Writer / Speaker: Deb Coviello thrives in Establishing Organizational Stability, Building Solid foundations and Coaching Teams to brilliant & sustainable results
It pains me to realize that Authoritative Leadership still exists in corporate culture; I once experienced this and it absolutely suffocated my creativity. However, taking the high road, I am grateful for having the opportunity to feel it first hand and now share my insights with you. While I seek to help C-Suite Leaders of tomorrow and give you tools to navigate such challenges, today I turn my focus to the C-Suite Leaders of today who may be in such an environment and have the power to make a difference.
Seek to understand why Authoritative Leadership exists in your organization.
Whenever I’m befuddled to understand a situation that is misaligned with my values, I seek to understand why it existed in the first place. We can’t change the future unless we study history and understand the past. In my situation, the industry was highly regulated and risk averse. The business had been burnt many times for which strict adherence to protocol was imperative to survival. Given this insight, I ask you – how you can maintain strict protocols while maintaining employee engagement and creativity?
Educate and guide when to stay in the lines and when to go outside.
When I came to the new opportunity, I was full of ideas on how to improve the situation. My enthusiasm was quickly dampened when I was told to “stay within the lines.” I was shocked and dismayed to know I could not bring my creativity to the situation. I was simply a warm body to execute a transaction. This is frustrating to an employee and may quickly lead to their exit. Consider instead to share where there is freedom to bring new ideas. This helps people to understand the important protocols for business survivability, but also those where people can contribute to growth. The heavy fist should be replaced by education and guidance for the employee.
Feedback, Feedback, Feedback
Did I mention feedback is important? When I was in meetings, I constantly heard people present proposals, but with a tone of uncertainty in their delivery. It was as if, individuals were afraid to voice their opinion for fear of being taken off line and admonished. If they presented everything as a question, they would be safe. Instead, I propose that we provide feedback to individuals on how to present information in a way that is positive and how they can improve while staying within the guidelines that keep the company safe. Employees will grow to respect the company because they cared and will protect it in how they navigate the landscape.
So I turn to you if you are a leader in a highly regulated or authoritative organization; do you provide a safe environment for people to thrive and contribute? Your behavior can make the difference between stability or high turn-over. If your leadership is not authoritative, but you see it in your peers, could you have a conversation with them to evolve the culture to one that is not authoritative. Are you ready to make a difference in the company culture to make a lasting impact on the company and on individuals in your care?
I’ve shared my story with you, now I ask you, will you share your story? I’m here to listen.
My wish is for every C-Suite Leader of today and tomorrow to navigate their careers with confidence. If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me.
Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:
Being the optimist that I am, I like to focus on the positive vs. the “pain” or “crisis” of the moment. And while sensationalism “sells” I always felt a pit in my stomach when having to market my capabilities to the crisis that leaders are feeling. What if we elevated the Opportunistic Leaders who embrace every challenge they are faced with as an opportunity to stand out and make a difference in their businesses and in the people they lead? I love partnering with these leaders and these are their stories:
Invest when others are retreating
A leader needs to see the opportunity to invest in the business, invest in your brand messaging and invest in people development. This CEO that I know (and I might add myself as well) has invested heavily in having the right people in their business. They know that when others are retreating and cutting back their budgets, these leaders see the writing on the wall and choose to spend money to secure a front position when the economy opens up. They call these leaders “crazy” or “poor business leaders,” however, by not investing consistently, they will actually spend more money in the long run.
The same philosophy goes for career advancement; the best time to look for a job is when you don’t need one. Same for business loans; when cash flow is good, this is the best time to secure loans. No one wants to lend you money when you don’t have it. So I ask you, do you follow the pack and retract or invest in the opportunity?
Focus on your core competencies and outsource the rest
Outsourcing can look very different for every organization, but fractional leadership and professional services that compliment your core competencies are always the most effective. Mid-size companies try to do without a resource for as long as possible before they’re in crisis and then have to pay more to get back on track. Gone are the days of trying to do it yourself or having internal resources for every functional area. Why not have highly experienced fractional leadership when you need it and at the rate you need it?
For example, you may not need a full time Quality Leader, but when there is a need to grow the capability in that area, bring in someone for the time you need them. It may look like a large short term expense, but a savvy leader sees the cost benefit of not having a full time resource year round. One such client only brought me in when they needed several 3 month projects. They saved a significant amount of money, but received high value results in return. It was only when the business grew significantly did they finally evolve the role into a full-time position.
When supplies are scarce and money is tight, invest in people development
People development may seem counterintuitive when the business is stressed and people are working long hours. But investing shows the team that leadership still care enough to allocate time for development. These are the times where people need to be agile, learn new skills in order to manage the complexity. Think about the capability of your people once you come out of challenging times if they manage difficult situations and you’ve developed their competencies at the same time. Investing sets your business up to thrive during the challenges. Your people will serve you better because you invested in them.
One such leader I worked with saw an opportunity to invest in the problem-solving capability of their people. They realized that time is their most precious commodity and if they could help their people solve problems more effectively, they’d get time back to do the work needed to expand the business. When the training was done, the capability was realized and also the teams came together as one; the greater outcome of investing in their development.
Do you have the courage to be the Opportunist in your organization?
One of the hardest things for a leader to do is to have the courage to do something that may be unpopular. What I find is that we’ve not given them the framework to influence others. I’ve shared this framework many times, as it’s my best tool to help you get what you need to invest in the future:
Describe the current state and the gap
Show how the trend is increasing or decreasing
Make the proposal for the change needed to close the gap
Describe the opportunity of making the change or the risk of doing nothing
Show the result or impact it will have on the organization
When we practice these skills, you become the leader others will follow by seeing the opportunity and influencing the change needed for long term success.
If you need more convincing that this is a better approach to being an Opportunistic Leader, Harvard Business Review discusses the Tactics of Strategic Opportunism which you may find interesting (originally written in 1987.) My recent blog post about What Peanut Butter Can Tell You About Your Business also shares about pressure testing systems to avoid a crisis.
My wish is for every C-Suite Leader of today and tomorrow to navigate their careers with confidence. If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me.
Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:
When I see my daughter texting her friends, I would often say, “why not pick up the phone?” To that question, she would share with me it’s a group chat and far more efficient to organize their evening plans. Who can argue that technology can be an asset to help with productivity and communication? However, when I reflect on workplace culture and breakdowns in communication such as “I sent you an email,” or “they haven’t responded yet to me in Slack,” I wonder if technology is an asset or detriment to progress and efficiency?
Recently, I stopped doing Zoom video calls for my networking; deferring to a lesser form of communication; the ancient telephone! I find by eliminating the visual distraction, I can more deeply focus on the words and intonation of the words exchanged to deeply understand the person and try to connect with them. My advice to you is to consider this old school way of communication.
On a side note, if you are one of the many that I’ve recently spoken to by phone about your career journey, both opportunities & challenges, I can’t wait to bring your insights into my podcast and my “C-Suite Moments” as we kick off each episode!
…and now back to another story:
In my last corporate job, I remember receiving emails from the sales team about how frustrated our customers were about quality and also the lack of responsiveness from the plant managers to their concerns. To that, I would pick up the phone, address their concerns and proceed with setting up a regular 1-2-1 schedule to build a collaborative relationship. They were sincerely appreciative of my approach as others would hide behind emails and texts rather than to confront adversity head on and resolve issues in real time.
Don’t get me wrong, technology is a time savings and highly effective in a culture where the team already has a high performing work ethic. But for teams that have not established trust and respect for one another technology, in my opinion, will be the demise of the community and result in more inefficiency.
If this sounds familiar and would you like to change the trend, here are a few suggestions:
Be the change you want to see in others. Others will model your behavior. Stop with the technology and meet face-to-face or pick up the phone. If your colleague is in another country, WhatsApp is a great tool to also converse.
Use the rule of three. If there are more than three electronic exchanges (email, text, slack, chat) and the issue is not resolved or clear, meet face-to-face or pick up the phone!
Conquer confrontation. If you’re afraid to confront a difficult person for which technology has been a buffer to adversity, meet face to face or pick up the phone. At times like this, there is no better time to learn new skills to close gaps in understanding or reaching goals. My Drop In C-Suite Academy & 1-2-1 Coaching help you to manage challenging topics such as this.
When technology is doing more harm than good, resulting in inefficiencies and creating more division, it’s time to stop with technology and find ways of connecting with humanity.
If you need more convincing, Business Insider shares additional insights about 9 Subtle Ways Technology is Making Humanity Worse. I also discuss in almost every chapter of The CEO’s Compass: that human connectivity and development is at the core of every change you need to get back on track. I’ve learned that once you build connections with people, then the use of technology can be an asset to exponentially create value. This too, can be evolved with support of a guide through my leadership and competency development offers.
My wish is for every C-Suite Leader of today and tomorrow to navigate their careers with confidence. If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me.
Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:
It pains me to see talented people succumb to the challenges of dynamic work environments without a support system. I was once one of those people for which there was no support in my environment except my poor husband who listened for hours. I know everyone reading this article knows at least 1 or 2 people who are distressed and need some level of emotional support. However, leaders don’t always see the signs. If not dealt with early, they become potentially performance issues as shared by my recent podcast guest Anthony Casablanca.
The early signs may manifest in the individual:
Pulling away from engaging
Having low or no energy or
Having unexplained delays or deflection
I implore you to not turn away and say it’s not your problem, because we rise and fall together. One weak link may not affect you today, but perhaps tomorrow when the person does not show up for work… ever.
Emotional support is becoming a conversation to have at the table and not behind closed doors. If you can help your team with their emotional support, more than likely a few individuals will highly benefit from simply starting the conversation. It all starts with you as a leader simply asking how people are feeling. Ask deep open ended questions about what challenges are they having and what is the impact. I often find that with increasing pressures, people don’t have good prioritization skills. In my article How to make better decisions we give our team better tools to prioritize their work and navigate complexity with confidence.
Physical activity, like running, going to the gym, dancing, etc.
Creative release, like writing, painting, playing, or listening to music.
Time in nature: nature walks, grounding, time outside
Surrounding yourself with positive people
Meditation or prayer
Consider these leadership changes to get people more emotionally engaged vs. drained:
Change the work environment for a meeting to standing in a new location or taking walks while meeting.
Do something creative like having fidget toys or arts & crafts for people to use during ideation sessions.
Consider changing the environment of where you meet
Bring in guest speakers
Engage people in thinking time before starting some meeting with a question prompt.
My wish is for every C-Suite Leader of today and tomorrow to navigate their careers with confidence. If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complimentary conversation, please reach out to me.
Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:
I wish I had someone give me advice about the importance of networking within your team and close circle. Some people just seem to have a knack for this; you see them joking and swapping stories about cookouts they attended or chatting about a recent sporting event. You watch this and wish you could do that, but shy away because it feels awkward. Not only am I talking about myself and you if you’ve ever experienced this, but I’m also speaking to the leaders who see this competency gap in their people.
What are you doing to provide feedback in a way that is positive and shows the value of networking? It is the difference between a team that simply gets results vs. a high performing team that fulfills a purpose and leaves an impact.
Fast Company speaks to the benefits of internal networking:
“When you continually network with other employees within your company, you’re building relationships, establishing rapport, and cultivating a mutual trust and respect that will enable higher productivity and a better overall work experience.”
I learned later that it takes a concerted effort to 1) choose to network, 2) decide how and who to network with, 3) actually doing it, 4) and being clear about the outcome you want to achieve.
I remember going to a networking event feeling quite awkward, but went in with the mindset that I would work the room and by the end give out 3 business cards. With that intention, I gave out 2 business cards and was later asked to join the board because I had the right presence and the way I spoke, they felt I would be a great leader. This worked well for me, but was guess work. I had no formula for successfully building a network.
We need to set an example for ourselves and the team to practice building this competency so it becomes natural. I wrote an article “How to be a Memorable Networker” . In it, I provide a step by step process on how to start a conversation with emphasis on asking well placed questions, listening and showing the other person you heard them. It is the foundation of building relationships.
I remember spending time with our sales team and hearing the complaints from customers and how we were not meeting their expectations. While solving the customer’s issue was important, the greater opportunity was building a trusting relationship with the sales person; letting them know we heard them. With that approach, future conversations went from a colleague who may rant about poor performance to one of collaboration and how do we make the customer right. This is the value of internal networking.
Zig Zigler once said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
When we spend time building this competency that enables better relationships, the individual and the team can achieve higher levels of performance. People need to focus on building competencies as leading indicators of success. When people hone these competencies, the performance and results will come.
While I’ve shared the importance of it, we now need to encourage it in ourselves and the people in our circle. Ask a colleague to go for a walk with you, join you for coffee, invite them over for a barbecue, go to lunch, set up a 1-2-1 and just set aside time to get to know each other and not always about work. These actions are simple to do, but it starts with your mindset, your intention and the willingness to try it. With all new competencies it takes practice until it becomes a skill. Are you ready to invest in this new skill?
If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me. I love helping C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow reach their career goals.
Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:
Great wisdom comes when you reach out to your network and ask two simple questions:
What were the opportunities you had that supported your career growth?
What were the challenges and how did you manage them?
I started on a journey to curate the best insights from industry leaders and bring them forward to you so you don’t have to struggle. Both leaders of today and tomorrow have the same challenges; just at different levels of evolution. To my surprise, connecting professionals has had a significant impact for me on many fronts. 1) It gives me the opportunity to stay current on the issues facing leaders of today and tomorrow. 2) It also allows me to build relationships with people I sincerely care about. I am pleased to share the insights I’ve gained from a corporate leader who I recently spoke to.
Why do you lead and what is the value you provide to people in your care?
Leadership, if one chooses, is a pursuit that continually evolves with a positive attitude and a thirst for knowledge. Whether through being a lifelong learner, having a mentor or investing a mastermind, we always need to develop these skills to have the best impact on the people we serve and lead on our journey. The first step is to check yourself and ask if you want to lead and what type of leader you want to be.
I find this step is the first in determining Who you are, Who you serve, How you will serve and what problems you can solve. This simple exercise getting crystal clear on your “elevator pitch” is the key to practicing and then coming forth as this leader. After all, being a leader is about marketing a vision and inspiring others to follow and elevate their capability to achieve. Learning marketing as part of your toolkit is a key step in messaging who you are. If you can say it and see it, then you become it!
Evolve your value in an environment that cultivates your passion and skills.
Find a job you are passionate about, consider a rapidly growing / changing company and one with opportunities to interface with customers. When you love the work you’re doing and throw in a fast paced environment, learning is at its highest level both the good and bad. You learn from this process and iterate rapidly to hone your technical and leadership skills. I found when I work in startup companies, you wear a lot of hats, you have broad responsibilities and you see the impact of your work much faster.
“Pursue excellence in everything you do and give up on perfection.”
Once you’ve honed your value and expertise, you must be able to apply your skills with speed and agility. People need to see your value and also be brought along in the process. We must have grace when it’s not perfect and acknowledge our humanity. With leadership comes the responsibility to have an impact, but also be mindful of any risk of not doing things right. Leadership is about gaining respect of the people in your care and when they understand this style of leadership, they will follow and have your back.
Be a student of people – this is how you connect and have greater impact.
When you take your technical knowledge and add the art of reading & engaging with people, you perfect your impact. You need to read their body language, their engagement and how they look at people. I might also add you should focus on what is said, but more importantly what is not said. Sometimes the silence speaks volumes and a wise leader will study this deeply.
Invest in learning vs training.
Leaders need to assure that the training of their people achieves a greater outcome by coaching the skills needed until competency is achieved. Through an iterative process of asking questions about their training and how they apply it to what they do and how they think, we transcend the spectrum to a learning environment. Companies that simply check the box of training as a matter of compliance miss an opportunity to communicate a message that they care. By showing people you care about them as humans vs. a transaction we build trust in your leadership and might I say, your brand.
Always ask for feedback.
Great companies engage with people as part of consumer insights and market research to ensure the products and services provided meet their needs. Leaders that recognize that while we are in service to the needs of external customers, investing in the feedback of your internal customers provides you insight into what people are thinking. Create a culture of always asking for feedback. If you know me, I teach a workshop in providing a positive framework for soliciting feedback: What should I continue, what should I start doing and what should I change. All constructive and actionable for which leaders leverage these insights and make interactive improvements. People respect this action and continue to solidify your position as a leader worth following.
Learn what you will do and not do.
Great wisdom can be gained by modeling the behavior of leaders you admire and have succeeded. Even more powerful is knowing what you will not do as a result of a leader you have worked for. Taking the time to qualify your values and ways of working also add to your marketability as a leader. Yes, I am inserting the concept of marketability, because after all, people are loyal to great brands or great leaders. Being consistent in the leader you want to be and leading with your values will resonate with the people who are attracted to you and will support you.
Embrace the 70 / 30 Rule: be the leaders you want to be and it will happen.
We are required to deliver results and our employees, the business and our customers depend on us to execute consistently. However, you must continue to invest in yourself and evolve your impact by seeing and acting at the next level. This is the key to being seen and recognized for the next level. This wise leader shared that the formula is to be 70% in your current role and 30% performing at the next level. Take some time to look over the work content you do on a daily basis. Pick areas where you can improve your skill. One example I had was in the way I did presentations. Most leaders at my level did powerpoints in bullet form and spoke to their talking points. At the next level of leadership presentations, visuals and pictures were used to communicate messages and only supplemented by a few talking points. The presentation moves from a place of disseminating information to one that communicates powerful messages for influence.
What does all this mean?
In a Center for Creative Leadership Article, self promotion can be an asset to both yourself and your team. Leadership comes down to your value and marketing of who you are and how you will lead. When we establish our core values, be clear and consistent on our ways of working along with continually learning and evolving to the future needs of the market (your people, the business and customers), we evolve into the leader we want to be. We don’t often think about marketing ourselves as it can be seen as “showy”. However, we need to own how we show up in the market and become a person worthy of loyalty and followers; that’s marketing plain and simple.
Many thanks to the leader who inspired this article. I’m forever grateful to know this person and to share their insights with you.
If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me. I love helping C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow reach their career goals.
Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:
I was tired, stressed and burnt out. I would come home each night and tell my husband something has to change. I would share what happened that day, what I had to do that night and then the next day; rinse and repeat. The challenges of managing a crisis, or shall I say multiple, were immense. I mustered all my energy and that of others to get through it and ultimately we did. I often reflect, was there a better way?
I wish I had a support system that would have advised me better during a series of crises in my last corporate role. But given that is in the past, I can only pass on some wisdom to help you to avoid a crisis or to come out better in the end. While I and my team weathered the storm of a quality issue, I wonder if we’ll ever get back the weeks & months of our lives. We were stressed and spent so many hours away from the things we love such as family, community and activity; all in the name of managing through a crisis.
According to a Forbes article report, 72% of those who came out whole in the end sought advice from their outside counsel. This is what makes leaders stronger, while for others, it can be their demise.
The formula comes down to three simple principles of what to do in a crisis:
Ask yourself what to do
Ask your team what to do
Ask someone from the outside
Ask yourself what to do: You are the leader and either through past experience or having the skills to navigate, you already have 80% of the answers in how to manage the situation. It’s served you in the past, but sometimes you need more input in order to succeed.
Ask your team what to do: If you’ve build a trusting relationship and they have your back, the team can fill in the blanks of managing through a crisis because of their depth of experience in their area of expertise. Their input enriches or course correct the experience you already have. They will validate your approach and bringing them along, they will work the crisis with you. You’ve gained another 15% of knowledge to navigate, but there is still something missing.
Ask someone from the outside: The missing 5% of how to manage a crisis can make or break a leader. Those that seek outside council are confident in themselves and recognize their strengths; but also where they don’t have all the answers. Some see this as a weakness or moreover, they can’t see it as a weakness because they’re heads down muscling through the crisis. This is where leaders fail because they look like they have it all figured out, but the outcome is quite different resulting in burnout.
The most important question a leader can ask is what else do they not know. Those that ask for outside counsel are seen as the strong leaders and those worth following into the next crisis. It ultimately comes down to: how do you know what you don’t know? By asking yourself, asking your team and asking someone from the outside, you build the confidence you need to be the leader of today and also model the behavior for those who follow you. And now I turn to you… will you ask for help?
The Drop In CEO is here to help; all you have to do is ask.
If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me. I love helping C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow reach their career goals.
Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:
