It’s time to check in on the perception of your personal brand. What perception do you think that you have and is it the one that you want? Your personal brand is judged by people each and every day, usually in the first few seconds. As soon as they meet you they are looking at your appearance, listening to what you say and also how you say things. Their brain automatically creates a perception as they measure you against an…
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If I could only find some time to just think. I have heard this from some of my friends this week and to be honest, I have said it to myself. When there is so much happening, it can be easy to get caught up in the mode of being busy and not taking any time to think. You just keep doing more things without a lot of thought behind them. Sometimes you can get paralyzed by the sheer number…
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Communication is something that most people do without thinking about it. They speak in a way that makes sense to them in meetings and assume that their message is being heard. If they don’t share the information in a clear and concise way then their message may not be getting through and they have no idea. Unclear communication can create a perception among their leadership that they aren’t ready for a higher level role. Why is it so challenging to…
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When you have tried to do something repeatedly and it doesn’t work, then you have to shift gears and try a different approach. Sam was faced with this challenge in his role as a program lead supporting his executive leader. Although he is a director, he has the responsibility for getting many VPs to deliver what is needed for the program. He understands that they are busy, but he feels like he is constantly trying to track them down to…
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As I talk to leaders about how to be more visible, I notice that they choose ideas that are in their comfort zone. They haven’t had the exposure to something else or they have some fear that gets in the way. They will select ideas that will give them a little more visibility than they have now, but when I push them to think bigger, it is amazing to see what happens! My questions create thinking that generates bigger ideas. That allows them to create bigger…
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John who had been leading his new team for about a year, came to me and said he wanted to be viewed by others as strategic. I asked him why it was important for him to be viewed as strategic? He said that his manager gave him feedback that he wasn’t being strategic enough and that he was still too focused on the details. His manager said that this was creating a perception that he didn’t have what it takes to…
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I like to do leadership assessments for clients to help them learn more about who they are as leaders and how they are perceived. It also helps me get to know them better as their coach. Without fail, there is always an “aha” moment that occurs as we go through the results. How they see themselves is contradicted by the way that others see them, but they had no idea. Some people hesitate to do assessments because they have some fear…
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The thought of leaving your current role creates so much fear and may cause you to hesitate. You will only do it when the pain of staying is too great and the new role seems like it will be a much better fit. In my experience, change occurs when you are ready for it. Going through the job change might feel like scary, but the experience can help you grow in so many ways. You will meet new people, learn new…
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Client Question: “My project was implemented, but we have a few issues that we need to address. I feel like it isn’t being perceived as a success.” Although there is a ton of planning that goes into launching a new product, system or project, there are still some things that could go wrong. You do what you can to proactively prepare for those things, but you may not be able to prevent all issues from occurring. Big implementations have…
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I saw a clip last night of the UCONN Women’s Basketball Coach, Geno Auriemma talking about the importance of body language in a game. “We put a huge premium on body language,” Auriemma said. “And if your body language is bad, you will never get in the game. Ever. I don’t care how good you are.” The Coach has set this expectation with his team and for him this applies whether you are in the game or sitting on the…
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