I’ve been fortunate to receive some wonderful feedback from my clients. It’s been a privilege to help them through crises, act as a listening partner and collaborator, and contribute to their organization’s growth. I’ve seen firsthand how external resources can be a lifeline when facing challenges. I’m fortunate to have a vast network that I can connect you with, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support.
One topic I feel strongly about is the importance of feedback in the workplace. Unfortunately, not all leaders provide feedback, and waiting for performance reviews can be detrimental. I encourage you to take control of managing your leaders by proactively asking for feedback.
I’ve developed a framework for soliciting feedback, which includes asking what to continue, what to start, and what to change. It’s crucial to qualify the value you’ve brought to the organization and have face-to-face conversations to receive feedback.
When asking these questions, here are a few things to remember:
Gratitude is a powerful tool. It’s important to acknowledge positive feedback and use the foolproof 1-to-1 formula to position your value and ensure your contributions are recognized and valued.
When receiving recognition, pause and slow down. Show gratitude and acknowledge the effort others put into sharing their feedback and the value they see in your work.
Seek to understand constructive feedback. Constructive feedback may not feel good initially, but it provides valuable data and insight that can help us show progress and meet objectives.
I urge you to take this framework and apply it to your own situations. If you’re a leader with team members who struggle with managing their careers and asking for feedback, share this podcast episode. For leaders who don’t have the time to teach these skills, I offer my assistance as the “drop-in CEO” to facilitate conversations or build capabilities within organizations.
If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips?
If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success!
Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself.
However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board.
Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me by schedule a short call and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success.
I recently learned the significance of listening to people’s stories and understanding their emotions. When working with a client, I realized that spending time listening and empathizing with team members had a far greater impact on organizational success than simply trying to solve their problems one by one. This experience inspired me to make a course correction in my leadership style.
Being an inspirational leader vs. trying to spend your day putting out fires requires a higher level of trust between you and your team. Here are three tips that will help you get there:
Create moments or experiences that inspire others. I’ve captivated podcast hosts with my storytelling, leaving them speechless and eager to ask the next question. By drawing people in with engaging stories, you can inspire and motivate them.
Ask your team what they need to succeed. This approach shifts the focus from tactical work to personal growth and empowerment. By encouraging individuals to think about their own success and taking control of their destiny, they are no longer stuck in a victim mentality.
Show gratitude and recognize the little things that others have done. I remember when someone expressed appreciation for my work, which made me feel wonderful and inspired me to reciprocate. By expressing gratitude and empathy, you can foster human connection and inspire others to support you.
In conclusion, being an inspirational leader rather than just an influencer is crucial. By following the framework of checking in with your team, telling stories to engage them, asking what they need to succeed, and showing gratitude, you can inspire and motivate others. When people feel inspired by their interactions with you, they are more likely to prioritize your needs and be responsive.
If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips?
If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success!
Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself.
However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board.
Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register.
Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me by schedule a short call and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success.
Did I just say that? Did I dispel every belief you had about working harder to get ahead? I’ve learned the hard way that you can only get promoted so far with your technical capability and hard work and then you hit a wall and then you get frustrated.
I’m even more frustrated when leaders in the C-Suite are not transparent about what to tell their staff why they cannot get ahead. Could it be you want to protect their resources? Or do they lack the skills to articulate feedback that will either help the employee or steer them in the right direction?
Well, today is a new day and I’d like to share with you my experience and a framework that can help you to work smarter and get promoted faster.
In a past role, I worked hard and I received 4 promotions in 7 years. That all came to an end when my advocate moved on and then I was stuck. I started shopping myself around within the company and no door would lead to where I wanted to go both career and financial. Instead I turned my energy outside and with that move to a new company, I was moved up again to 2 promotions in 4 years. This success happened by taking control of my career, networking with the right people and setting goals for myself. I soon learned that hustle doesn’t always work but the way you work will get you ahead faster.
So let’s turn to you: How do we turn this into a framework that can work for you?
5 Tips for working smarter, not harder towards your career goals
Advocates: are people who have your back and are always singing your praises. Lean into it, see how you can help, they are the ones that will promote or pull you ahead.
Messaging: It’s not what you say, but how you say it – I teach this information vs. messaging; an essential skill you need. Contact me if you want to learn more, I talk about this as one of the highest missing skills for up and coming leaders
Talking points – aka executive presence. What are the 3-5 things you believe in and are your core values? Have stories to demonstrate them and be ready to showcase them in an interview or presentation. When you lead with talking points, you create consistency in your messaging and you become a trusted resource.
Stakeholder management – when starting a project, know who the stakeholders are and make sure you have a relationship with them. Consider meeting regularly and when you have your next initiative, float it to them for their input so when you position it, they’ve already bought into your idea.
Build an external network that is intentional. I regret not having done this while working within a company. I had 800 LI connections when I started and now I have 7500 and growing. With more eyeballs on you and your experience, the greater that there will be pull vs. the constant push.
If you are aspiring to the C-Suite, and tired of the hustle, are you ready to change how you work and implement these tips?
If you are a business owner or C-Suite leader, are you ready to invest in your people and help them be successful? Their success is your success!
Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself.
However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board.
Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event you can visit our page and register.
Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success.
I love working with CEO’s, C-Suite Leaders and leaders of tomorrow, because they’re so talented; but sometimes they hit a barrier and need my help. My heart hurts when I see them struggle and it validates the work I’m meant to do; to help them navigate challenges with confidence. One trend I have noticed is their inability to set personal boundaries to ensure their success.
For me, as you can see I’m a prolific content creator and I produce 1 guest and 1 solo episode a month. However, I have some vacation time and a few client projects that need to get done and I can’t also be doing my usual networking and podcasting through the summer. So I’ve built an inventory of interviews and closed down my calendar for a month in June /July when I won’t be recording. I’ve also limited my calendar to allow only a few networking meetings. Setting boundaries gives me some breathing room to not feel stressed, manage my client work and also enjoy my summer. Setting boundaries feels uncomfortable to me at times, but at the same time, I have a sense of calm and peace of mind that I’m in control
How do we turn this into a framework that can work for you?
Inventory the things that can be delayed / don’t haveto be done for the next month or reduce the number of activities.
Set your schedule when you will start work, end work and force yourself to shut down your computer. For me, I start early, but I have my schedule such that most days I am done at 5. I close my laptop and know I’ve run out of energy to be most effective. I discipline myself to stop and know I’ll have twice as much energy the next morning to get those things done.
Time block when you will do administrative work, interactive work with colleagues/meetings, creative time – I know this is not always possible, but unless you plan your work, how will you ever get to a point where you feel like you’re in control?
If urgent matters come your way – pause and assess(delay) how urgent it is, or could it be delayed a few hours until you finish your creative or collaborative work uninterrupted. Sometimes people simply want to be acknowledged and know they will get your undivided attention when you are ready.
Take 20 minutes at whatever point in the day you feel like you start to wander and get off track. I’ve taken a late lunch between 2-3 and sat outside for 20 minutes. It’s very calming to my nerves. I told you I’m in personal wellness and when I go, go, go, my heart rate remains in the 70’s all day. When I pause for 20 minutes it goes back down into the high 50’s and it’s almost like I’ve had a nap. I come back to my work and the batteries are charged. 20 minutes for yourself won’t negatively impact your day. Go now, and take 20 for yourself!
By the way, I’m not perfect! I’m continually honing this skill. If I fall off the wagon I realize that tomorrow’s another day to be successful and learn how to set boundaries.
So there you have it! It’s not a difficult concept, but sometimes difficult for leaders to enforce self discipline. People are watching your behaviors. Failure to change will have a ripple effect in your organization leaving everyone stressed and in less than optimal health.
Now is the time for you to collect your thoughts and take action. I want you to succeed and this framework can enable you to do it yourself.
However, if you need more help, I’m here for you as the Drop In CEO, CEO whisperer or as a sounding board.
Maybe you simply need a support system to apply these new insights. I find leaders need a place to talk through the challenges and that’s why I created The Drop In CEO Collective, a forum for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow. To learn more about our next event on June 13th you can visit our page and register.
Would you rather have a quick 1-2-1 to discuss your specific challenge? Could The Drop In CEO be your support system? Direct Message me on LI or contact me via my website and let’s have a conversation. Until then, I wish you much success.
More than once the community has asked for resources that I’ve found useful to creating a greater impact by elevating your skills and those of others.
Enjoy this curated list, share with others and let the authors now how you found them through The Drop In CEO community.
Drive your Career (I know the author) – Great tools to align with the people who can influence your future. Been on my podcast.
The 48 Laws of Power (given to me be a prior boss / past Navy) – Hard read, but takes you through politics and power and you find the tactics that work for you. Taught me a lot and from there I started to move up faster.
The CEO only Does Three Things – I know the author, been on my podcast. For you, it’s about setting your mindset to think like a CEO and then you’ll be perceived for those roles.
The Motivation Myth – I know the author and interviewed him. A great resource on how to motivate teams; different than traditional business.
The Leaders Mindset – I’ve wanted to interview the author, but doesn’t respond. I will someday. Very forward thinking in leadership mindset.
Good to Great – this is a classic. I should probably interview the author someday. This was really really good for me as I was setting up my strategy for the long game vs. short term thinking.
The only Leaders Worth Following – I know the author and he was on my podcast. Really, really good about what makes a leader worth following.
The Trusted Leader – I know the author and interviewed them on my podcast. Really good about trust and the making of great leaders that people will follow.
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:
I remember having a 1-2-1 with my boss and feeling proud of how well I prepared for that meeting. I knew I was going in with concrete topics I wanted to discuss and solutions to each for a good conversation and enrichment. To my surprise, they said they appreciate my ideas, but told me to only focus on the short term projects and not the long term ones that could make a significant impact. I left the meeting deflated and questioned if I was in the right role or was I doing the right job. I thought my boss was a bit harsh and I couldn’t understand it. I wanted to react, but instead I simply responded with compliance to his request and left the meeting unfulfilled.
Have you ever felt that way after a meeting? Knowing this can be a challenge for many, I wanted to provide you some insight in how to win over difficult people.
Check your mindset before evolving new skills to manage difficult people.
The first thing we must do is to check in on yourself and your mindset when it comes to who you “perceive” as being difficult. I suggest you think about a particular situation you’ve encountered and these themes about being perceived as difficult:
It’s a gap between your standard of behavior and theirs
If you were having a bad day, would you want others to judge you in that moment as the way you are all the time and with everyone?
Could there be a reason why they behave that way that is embraced culturally? It may simply be not acceptable in the culture you are familiar with
What does it mean to be perceived as difficult?
Let’s also ground ourselves in what it means to be difficult because these are the items that can trigger you to “react” vs. “respond” and control your interaction with that person.
People are perceived as difficult when:
Micromanaging your work
Come across short – you interpret them as being condescending
Publicly humiliate you
Chastise you for sending an email or reaching out to a person in the organization
Nit picking about insignificant details in a presentation
So now that we’ve qualified the gap you see in the people and the scenarios for which they show up as difficult, what are some tools you can employ to win over difficult people?
Employ a Framework that assumes the person is good and means well
Starting from a place of assuming the person is just like you and has good intentions. Also know there could be external influences on this person that cause them to behave in a way that could be “survival” in the culture they reside. You can go in with this approach that could improve the outcome of a 1-2-1 with them:
Gratitude – thank them for their time, guidance, or feedback. Relate it to a recent issue
Acknowledge them – sometimes these individuals are seeking attention and being “loud” or imparting their views is a way that speaks to their value or higher needs. They may not be getting acknowledged by their peers or those higher in leadership.
Discuss the Gap between standards or expectations – this could be behavior, culture or ways of working. Be clear to show your view vs. your bosses view and gain consensus on the gap. Ask probing questions about their view on the gap and ways to close them. Again, it could be they don’t have good skills in communicating gap, so it come across as “difficult”
Try this on a colleague before you try this on the person you perceive as difficult. Once you have the confidence, go in strong expecting the best. The good news is you may come to a higher level of understanding about the person and then you no longer see them as difficult. The even better news is if the person continues their behavior, you’ve at least developed a new skill in having a constructive conversation and you responded with control. This skill can be taken to all parts of your career and personal life.
So what happened to me and the person I perceived as difficult? I practiced this framework and they no longer picked apart my work. I was gracious to their needs and keep them informed of the work I was doing. They continued to communicate their support for the work I was doing and kindly provided feedback in a way that was constructive vs. destructive in the past. Who knows, I may have taught the other person new ways to communicate!
Sounds easy? Maybe it is easy, but hard to develop the new skills on your own.? My C-Suite Academy contains content like this and so much more that will help you take control of your career.
I recently interviewed Patrick on my podcast and starting from a place of building trust in relationships can be the foundational skill you need to manage difficult people and conversations.
When you are feeling frustrated, an uplifting song that pulls you to a higher level is what this song delivers. I’m feeling overwhelmed and grateful for the work I have now in service to clients and when I feel down, this song and artist lifts me up. I’m strong and I have strong people around me to be successful. I want you to be successful and this is my little gift for you.
Good Advice
“You may not be able to change the situation, but you can make decisions
on how to control the situation with the fullest of confidence.”
When you think of model employee traits do you imagine someone who is loyal, obedient, and trustworthy? Someone who listens to and follows instructions? So often we’re taught to be obedient and follow the boss’s lead, but there’s an opportunity to get more out of your relationship with your boss. The truth is, they only know what they know from past experiences. It’s on you as an aspiring C-Suite Leader to take accountability for the outcome of the future and to stay on track with your career.
One of my mentees recently shared with me a question that their boss posed to them. It was during their 1-on-1 where they raised the question about applying for a position. Their boss responded: “Are you sure you’re ready for that?” And with that, my mentee was taken aback and had to react and justify their position. In my opinion, this was an act of deflection vs. having a constructive conversation. I was saddened to hear my mentee had such a poor experience and this article is dedicated to them with the following tips on “How to Manage Your Boss” and get what you need out of a conversation.
Create a structure around your 1-on-1’s
Without a compass you are destined to walk around in circles and the same goes for your meetings. I provide the following framework that you can adjust to suit your needs, but it establishes an expectation for each conversation:
What does your boss need to be successful
Have priorities changed?
Personal Development
Strategic Planning
Tactical
Feedback
It’s a bit of a political game, but you have to make sure at the end of the day you’re meeting your boss’s needs. In some toxic environments, your willingness to help others and extend yourself will be met with adversity and you want to avoid that. In great cultures, your boss will be pleased to see your support.
Change is inevitable so if you had an agenda going in, be ready to adjust your plan while still keeping track of your priorities.
Personal Development
Always start with personal development, because if you don’t you’ll never get to it. This is where you talk about what you’re doing to improve current performance and discuss what needs to be developed to get to the next level. Should your boss be evasive as was with my mentee “Do you think you’re ready,” this is where you can discuss any gaps and actions to close those gaps. You can ask the requirements of the new position. You can ask what they see as the gaps that need to be closed. You can seek guidance on what resources you can use to close the gap; perhaps even shadow someone who has the skills that are missing. You can always get some action out of this conversation so you take control of your growth.
Strategic Planning
I propose we next discuss the larger projects you are on. There is nothing worse than proceeding too far and learning you were not on track. Check in and confirm you are delivering or where you need barriers removed. One more tip; never say things are “fine,” but give three (3) details that demonstrate things are on track. Your boss does not know everything and if they have to report up on the status of a project, you’ve given them the details they need to assure confidence in you and up the ladder.
Tactical
The tactical conversation is about your daily work and interactions to get results on a short term view. So often bosses want to start the conversation there, but only because we’ve not provided them a framework to structure the conversation. It could be this is where they’re most comfortable because they know no better. Always be prepared with what is working, barriers you’re facing and also solutions you can propose. Never give a boss an option to jump in and solve the issue, but when you come in with your own thoughts, you give them something to respond to vs. react to a problem.
Feedback
Last, but not least and you’ll hear me talk about this so often, is ask for feedback periodically using qualifying language as to what to Continue, Start or Change. Posing questions in this way will position you for a positive experience and actionable things you can take away… but that’s another lesson for another day.
As for my mentee who I’ve shared this advice with, I am waiting to see if their situation changes. At the end of the day, they at least have a framework for constructive conversions with their boss as well as others.
As for you, I want to see you succeed and I believe these tips will help you to manage your boss. You are the C-Suite leader of tomorrow and I want to see you take control of your career and get promoted.
For more resources, you can listen to The Drop In CEO Podcast or check out my book The CEO’s Compass will help you get on track in days not months.
Resources
Good Reads
Your Mid-Career GPS: Four Steps to Figuring Out What’s Next by John Neral: I recently interviewed John and his work is so aligned to mine; helping Aspiring C-Suite Leaders get their career back on track and get promoted. John is very heart-centric and aligned with the Drop In CEO brand and I look forward to sharing the interview and promoting his book as well.
This song is for you if you’re going through some changes, both challenging and potentially very exciting. I often share with you how I’m feeling in my business by the songs I spotlight. I’ve started working with a new client and I’m exhilarated by learning about a new industry. I’m also going through a period of feeling uneasy as I’m building a path to serve my client, but also uneasy as to where I can serve and what is off limits. When I serve clients it’s more than a service, it’s for a lasting impact by elevating people and solving a greater business issue. For now, I’m only being asked to provide a service for which I’m grateful to serve, but sadly I can’t use the full range of my capability. However, as I share in this article, my job is to be in service to my client and ensure they are successful. During the journey, I hope to leave a lasting impact.
Good Advice
My solo episode from last week is an extension of this post and this is one of the insights I wish to leave with you.
“If your organization is not already having regular one-on-ones between leaders and their people, you can take personal accountability and initiate the conversation, even if it’s not part of the culture.”
I was at the hospital with my very sick husband and my boss asked me if I wanted to proceed with my performance review. I said yes and the next 45 minutes were a blur as I received a tongue lashing for what I did not accomplish that year. While they acknowledged where I was target in my performance, I did not hear it because I NEVER and I mean NEVER get a poor review. On top of not knowing what condition my husband would emerge from the hospital, I was shell shocked to say the least.
Out of tough times comes reflection and new insights into personal performance for which I soon discovered I did not have good decision making skills when it came to prioritization. The gift of having a negative review was it short circuited the behavior of trying to do everything and failing in some of my priorities. I later took an online course in prioritization and good decision logic. Alas there is good news and bad news from this situation. My boss never followed up with me on how the training went and mentor me through the process. The good news is I practiced these skills on my own for which I’m grateful to carry this forward to teach aspiring C-suite leaders so they don’t have to struggle like I did.
Actionable tips to make a difference in days, not months.
A few simple tips I teach in the C-Suite Academy (CSA) are the following:
Write down your core values – by doing this, you establish a goal post for which you make decisions that impact your personal life.
Write down why you lead – this gives you clarity why you’ve worked so hard to get to this point and why you want to continue
Ask yourself how you lead – this will give you insight if you micromanage and are causing your own stress.
How do you prioritize your work – do you block time to do emails, do you dedicate creative time, if an urgent item comes into your queue, do you have a process to manage it without disruption? I teach the Eisenhower Matrix to help define what is urgent vs. important and it’s been a game changer
Do you have a weekly or monthly 1:1 with your boss to manage priorities? If not, start now!
Is your boss also a mentor? If not, find that person fast so they can help you with perspective in making decisions while being grounded in your values and why you lead.
I wish I had a leader who would have taught me these things vs. simply giving me a poor review. It is because I was blindsided and had a professional setback that I quickly had to recover and now these insights I can share with you.
For more information about C-Suite Academy (CSA) dedicated to the aspiring C-Suite leader, simply email me or connect with me for a quick chat. I can’t wait to help you be successful and reach your goals!
For more resources, you can listen to The Drop In CEO Podcast or check out my book The CEO’s Compass will help you get on track in days not months.
I recently interviewed Tony and can’t wait for his interview to air. His book is an inspiration to help you follow the path you were meant to follow. While moving up in your career you seek to meet all your objectives; but pause and reflect as to what is the work you were meant to do? It may be different.
This song has a slightly sad note along with a playful melody. I often share songs with you that describe the moment I am in. I recently made a slight change to my streams of income in my business to support my goals. I realize it’s a temporary course correction for which it enables me to continue to move forward with my goals; such as the C-Suite Academy. Let me know what inspiration you get from this melody.
Good Advice
My conversation with Dr. Jason Brooks affirmed my passion to help aspiring C-Suite Leaders. It is my hope and wish through providing you these amazing resources that I can move C-Suite leaders closer to their goals.
“Leadership is the art of motivating and moving a group of people to
