Self-Assurance, Last on the List of Strengths…Really?!

  Imagine awakening each morning with a deep knowing – confidence in your ability to manage your own life – that you possess an inner compass that affirms the decisions you make throughout the day are the right ones. That would be a reassuring feeling, wouldn’t it? Why Does Self-Assurance Rank Last on the List? Self-Assurance® is the talent theme described above and identified by the Clifton Strengths Assessment®. The assessment identifies 34 distinct talent …

What Leader Wouldn’t Want to be Known as an Achiever?

leader, achiever, leadership, Clifton Strengths

Can you think of a leader who wouldn’t want to be known as an achiever? Most of us – leaders or not – would appreciate that moniker following behind our name. And for the 6 million plus people of the 20 million who have taken the Clifton Strengths® assessment, they can rightly claim the talent of Achiever®. But wait…isn’t “leader” synonymous with “achiever”? Specifically, Achiever® is defined by Gallup as: People especially talented in the …

The Ability to Generate Income: Two Sides of the Same Coin

generating income, income generation

A client’s greatest asset is the ability to generate income. That’s an early lesson I learned as a financial advisor. For most, this income generating ability comes from employment. For the few with investment assets great enough, it is still the ability to provide income – from their assets or otherwise – without depletion of assets before the end of the life cycle (cycles for a couple). What strengthens income generating ability Most of us …

How Relating to Others Makes a Good Leader Great

leader, leadership

Genuine. Authentic. Natural. You’re used to seeing these words on the labels of leather shoes or handbags. Yet, these adjectives are also used to describe great leaders. When you are with them, work with them or are simply influenced by them, their style of leadership is often described by how it feels: Genuine. Authentic. Natural. Some Leaders are Naturally Authentic. While any leader has the potential to engender these feelings in others, those with the …

How do you keep the right talent at the table?

team, table, talent

With the U.S. economy supporting over 167 million workers, unemployment levels are low and stable, averaging between 3.5 and 3.7 percent over the past year. While that’s great for our economy, it strains resources and creates challenges to find, recruit and retain talent. Strong salary, benefit and signing offers tempt employees to jump ship. Turnover and recruitment are expensive. So, just how do you keep the right talent at the table? Do you know talent when …

Are you a Strategic leader?

strategic leadership, strategic leaders

Strategic™ as a talent theme occurs frequently in the population, showing in the top 5 for 4 million of the 18 plus million people who have taken the Clifton Strengths® Assessment. That is a really great thing. Why? As we learn from the full definition, the ability to sort through the clutter and find the best route is not a skill that can be taught. Strategic leaders shine at establishing a path forward. Just ask …

Power Dynamics: How to Get YOUR Seat at the Table

gain a seat, seat at the table, power dynamics

Like the childhood game of musical chairs, getting a seat at the table can seem like a rare mix of chance and luck. Colleagues and friends pull out a chair for one another socially. In the real world of business, however, this rarely applies. Getting a seat at the table can be complicated Instead, you often find there is not an available seat – or it is obvious (not to mention awkward!) that you are …

Magic Happens When You Capitalize on Everyone’s Talents

team, table, talent

Need a solution to a problem? Find someone on your team with the talent theme of Restorative™. The short definition of this theme is: People especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.* Not only are they adept at solving problems – they can get energy from it! The talent theme of Restorative ranks #9 of the 34 themes, …

What’s your leadership style?

Leadership, Leadership Style, Leader

  Do you know your leadership style? Do you understand why others follow you? Are you looking to become a leader?   We are all leaders in some form or another You’ve heard the platitude that we are all leaders in some form or another. If we accept the generality of that statement, then we accept that leadership is a talent that we all possess. Yet is it really that generic? If we all have …

Significance: A Rare and Powerful Leadership Talent.

Significance | CliftonStrengths

Significance. The word conjures up an impression of importance. “It was a significant milestone in his life” or “She played a significant role in the product launch.” Not a bad thing indeed. Significance and the CliftonStrengths® Assessment Until Significance™ shows up in the top 5 or 10 talent themes of someone who has taken the CliftonStrengths® assessment. People especially talented in the Significance theme want to make a big impact. They are independent and sort …

How to Share Your Accomplishments Without Sounding Like a Braggart.

Accomplishments | Share your accomplishments

Let your accomplishments speak for themselves. Don’t get a big head. Nice girls don’t brag. Have you heard any of these from well-intentioned parents or teachers? In a general sense, these statements are not bad advice. What Happens When You Let Your Accomplishments “Speak for Themselves”? But your career – and your success in it – is not general! It is very specific to who you are and the talents that you bring to the …

If These Statements About Networking Are Familiar, Your Career is at RISK.

Networking | Business Network

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Maybe you haven’t bothered to read some of my posts on networking because you may think it doesn’t apply to you. Tell me if any of the following statements sound familiar: I’ve got a secure job at a large company. My work is completely internal. I don’t have the time to network. Networking just isn’t one of my top strengths. I’m in a good place right …

What is the difference between determination and persistence?

Persistence for success | Determination success in business

Determination – firmness of purpose; resoluteness. Persistence – firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. There is a difference here, yes? Subtle… and yet a difference. Determination and Persistence: Both Are Required for Success Determination is focus on the purpose. Persistence is the continuation of action around that purpose. Both are required for success. Determination brings the clarity of “I have decided,” while persistence describes the action …

Could you be suffering from imposter syndrome?

“Who is that? What is she doing here?” No, this isn’t a daytime soap opera or reality TV show. These are often the voices in our head that keep us from believing that we belong and that we deserve a seat at the table. Imposter Syndrome Can Strike Almost Anyone Often known as the “imposter syndrome,” it strikes the young and the experienced. Some say it is more common in women. All I know is …

Are you making the most of your business partnership?

Business partnership | Know your partner’s strengths | Partnership

Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses. -Marilyn vos Savant Powerful partnering can benefit both parties. How do you pair up? Strengths are never used in a vacuum. Make the Most of Your Business Partnership You’ve seen countless examples in my articles where strengths have collided, been navigated or been effectively deployed in negotiation. When it comes to strengths, there is always a ripple effect. You may be wondering how …

How to Navigate When the Stakes are High

high stakes

It’s on the calendar. That critical conversation or meeting that must happen between you and a client, employee, vendor, your boss or significant other. How do you navigate when the stakes are high? Preparation. Yep, no big secret or special formula, just good old-fashioned preparation. In my experience with hundreds of clients, the biggest challenge to successful high stakes navigation is the lack of preparation. Preparation requires that you are armed with facts, figures, and …

How to Avoid the Crossfire

Great leadership is often demonstrated when things are at their most heated.  In the crossfire that occurs within teams and with clients, truly great leaders shine, and the result is a stronger team and an improved client relationship.  But do we have to go there to get the results of great leadership? I work with clients on navigating the crossfire and recently helped a new leader with this.  His homework assignment was to “watch for …

How Do You Fit in and Yet Be Known for Something?

Square peg, round hole. Not a fit. Round peg, round hole. A fit. Yet nothing stands out. If the fit is really good, the round peg blends right in with the rest of the surface. How do you fit in and yet be known for something? This is a dilemma a client recently faced as he took on a new role at a new company. There are those awkward few days of simply learning how …

How to Get Known for Something

hand

“Your reputation precedes you.”  Is this a compliment or a condemnation?  You are known for something.  Or are you? Reputation is a matter of perception.  You view yourself as a team player that contributes specialized knowledge and experience to the project.  The other ten people in the room also view themselves as team players that contribute specialized knowledge and experience to the project.  Who’s right?  Everyone.  So that means your contributions compete with those of …

Those Darn Millennials

millennials

Those Darn Millennials make up a good portion of my client base.  For all the disregard and disrespect that is heaped on them, I find them to be eager, exciting and enthusiastic clients to work with. They are hungry for self-development, focused on making the most of their professional careers and willing to learn and experiment with different ways of thinking.  They face the same challenges that all of us do in balancing careers, family …