Jennifer McClure`

Equipping people leaders to navigate change — and design the future — with boldness and purpose.

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How to Lead with Impact: 4 Key Traits of Mentors Who Make a Difference

After working over twenty years in Human Resources and Recruiting leadership roles, in February 2010, I made the decision to step out on my own and start my company – Unbridled Talent, LLC.

I’d been considering the decision to start my business for a few months, and finally, in a conversation with my mentor* (who also happened to be my boss), he encouraged me to pursue my dream, and expressed his strong belief in my skills and talent, as well as my ability to make the right choices for my future. He said:

“Just know that whichever path you choose, I will always be your balcony person. I’m here for you and I want you to succeed.”

At that time, the mental image of looking up and seeing him in the balcony cheering for me really resonated with me. That statement and sentiment — which I’ve never forgotten — had a huge impact on me then, as it still does over thirteen years later.

It’s a powerful thing when someone believes in you and wants you to succeed.

It’s even more powerful when that person cares enough to provide you with honest coaching, feedback, and support – even when you screw up.

Especially when you screw up. Because you will.

This year, as I approached another anniversary of starting my speaking and coaching business, I thought about the fact that I’ve been able to beat the odds against succeeding as a small business, and was also to stay afloat during a global pandemic that practically devastated my industry. I also thought about how any success that I have achieved can be directly correlated to those who have been “balcony people” for me.

What does it mean to be a balcony person?

1. Balcony people are intentional with their encouragement.

We all have heard the phrase “what gets scheduled, gets done.” For me, that means not only adding important tasks to my To Do list app, but also blocking time to complete the task on my calendar.

Acknowledging and encouraging those who are important relationships in your life is a critical activity, and that shouldn’t get lost lost among the many “things I should probably do” tasks on your list.

2. Balcony people listen well, and ensure others feel they’ve been heard.

In such a busy, dispersed, and distracted world, people are feeling more disconnected than ever at work, and this lack of connection can greatly impact not only their own work life, but it impacts their workplaces as well.

According to a report – The Heard and the Heard-Nots – published by The Workforce Institute at UKG:

  • Employees with very high senses of belonging (95%) and engagement (92%) are significantly more likely to feel heard than those with very low belonging (25%) or engagement (30%).
  • Organizations are much more likely to perform well financially (88%) when their employees feel heard, engaged, and a sense of belonging.”

Whether you’re someone’s mentor, their boss, their colleague, or their friend, one of the best gifts you can give to them is to be a good listener.

The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them. ~ Ralph Nichols

3. Balcony people focus more on facilitating victories that solving problems.

As someone who is highly oriented as a problem-solver, my tendency is to listen to others, and then attempt to offer solutions to any problems that they may be struggling with. I’ve often joked that “If you’re looking for free unsolicited advice, just come to me. I’ve got lots of it.” 😊

Thankfully, due to some good executive coach training, I’ve learned that giving people advice – solicited or unsolicited – is NOT the most effective way to help others to achieve results.

The best way to help others to achieve success — and to own their results — is to listen carefully and ask good questions.

Often, people have the solutions to the challenges they’re facing within them, and they’re trying to discover these answers by talking through issues with someone else.

A good coach / balcony person gets more satisfaction in helping and supporting others to discover and create wins themselves, rather than being the source of the solution.

4. Balcony people have the courage to share constructive feedback – even when it’s difficult.

I’ve found that the people who care most about my success are the people in my life who are willing to deliver constructive criticism when I need it. They’re also the people who help me the most to improve and continue to grow.

However, if you’re considering giving someone that you support difficult feedback – even if they’ve asked for your opinion – keep in mind mutual trust and respect must be present for it to be received in the way that you might intend. If you haven’t invested enough time in the relationship yet to develop these critical aspects, focus instead on asking thoughtful questions. (As indicated above.)

By asking good questions, the person may discover some of the issues on their own, and your support of them in this process will go a long way to developing the trust needed to make future interactions most impactful.

Do you know who the balcony people are in your own life?

If you have a balcony person (or people) in your life, consider yourself blessed! These types of people are some of the most valuable folks to have in your network.

I encourage you to take the time today to send them a quick note, text or call, and let them know how much their support, belief, and encouragement means to you.

I also encourage you to multiply your blessings by being intentional about being a balcony person for someone else. The first step is to identify who that person will be, and then create an intentional plan to invest in their life. 🙌🏼

* Thank you to Mike Sipple Sr. for being my balcony person back in 2010. Your belief in and support of me helped me to pursue my dream, which I’m still living today. You’ll always be one of the best examples of what a balcony person should be – to me, and to so many others whose lives you have touched over the years.

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As a keynote speaker and leadership coach, Jennifer McClure helps leaders to embrace the future of work, and to develop the skills necessary to lead their organizations and the people on their teams to take bold actions that positively impact business results.

Want more leadership and future of work insights from me?

SUBSCRIBE to get my weekly Impact Makers newsletter delivered to your inbox!

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Transformative HR Leadership: Embracing Disruption and Shaping the Future of Work

On episode 85 of the Impact Makers podcast, I’m sharing a conversation with you that I had recently with Shari Simpson – Senior Manager of Thought Leadership at Paylocity – on the HR Mixtape podcast, which she hosts.

I asked Shari if I could also share the conversation with the Impact Makers community, because I thought she asked some great questions about the challenges and opportunities that HR leaders are facing in a world where work and employee expectations have changed forever.

We discussed how technology and artificial intelligence impacts HR, as well as how HR can lead in the future of work in the areas of attracting and retaining talent, redefining employee engagement, and connecting employees with meaning and purpose in their work. We also touched on how HR leaders can build their influence, and make a significant impact in their organizations as well as the broader HR community.

I’ve linked to the episode of the HR Mixtape podcast where this conversation originally appeared below. I encourage you to connect with Shari, and to follow or subscribe to the HR Mixtape podcast so you can listen to more thought-provoking interviews, compliance tips, coffee chats, and the latest HR-related news.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • Current and future challenges confronting HR leaders.
  • The crucial role of HR in adopting technology impacting the workplace.
  • The influence of consumer experience on employee satisfaction and competitiveness in the labor market.
  • Defining employee engagement and strategies for positive impact.
  • The significance of a learner’s mindset for HR leaders and methods to gain beneficial insights.
  • Guidance for HR leaders on enhancing their influence and contributing to meaningful conversations in their profession, company, and industry.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 85

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Shari Simpson – LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram

HR Mixtape Podcast

HR Mixtape Podcast — HR Evolved: Navigating Challenges and Embracing the Future with Jennifer McClure

PCTY Talks Podcast — Creating Your Personal HR Brand with Jennifer McClure

Re:Thinking with Adam Grant — ChatGPT did NOT title this podcast (w/ Allie Miller & Ethan Mollick)

Impact Makers Podcast — Defining Return on Workforce Investment in the Future of Work with Dr. Alexander Alonso

Redefining Work Podcast with Lars Schmidt

Punk Rock HR Podcast with Laurie Ruettimann

Digital HR Leaders Podcast with David Green

Kris Dunn – The HR Capitalist

Noah Warder – LinkedIn

Tracie Sponenberg – LinkedIn

Julie Turney – LinkedIn

Subscribe to Jennifer McClure’s Impact Makers Newsletter

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Leading by Influence, Not Authority: 6 Steps to Elevate Your Leadership Game

If you’re a leader of people in your organization, I’ve got great news for you!

You’re in the best position possible to drive business growth, and to create positive and meaningful change in your organization, as well as in the lives of the people that you lead and serve.

In other words, your team needs you, and they need you to share your ideas and expertise in order to grow and successfully navigate the challenges that lie ahead.

However, it’s one thing to have ideas – because everybody has ideas – but the only way that your ideas will actually be heard, and ultimately implemented, is if you’ve done the necessary work ahead of time to build your influence.

3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts To Increase Your Influence

DO – Make decisions

Share your ideas and unique perspectives on situations encountered by your team members, and in your business. When appropriate, invite and consider ideas and opinions from others, but remember, as a leader, it’s important for you to be decisive.

It’s also important to remember that being decisive doesn’t necessarily mean that as the leader, you have to make all of the decisions. Sometimes, the best decision is to delegate, and sometimes the best decision is to provide a framework and permission where others are able to make decisions on their own. For example, this article in the MIT Sloan Management Review – Effective Leaders Decide About Deciding – shares a great framework for how leaders can help their teams make faster decisions.

DO – Develop your network and your Personal Brand

To be effective in organizations today, you must be able to influence people.

How do you develop influence?

One of the best ways to be seen as influential inside your organization is to be viewed as influential outside of it.

Build your reputation as someone who is well-connected, sought out by others, and who represents your profession/your company/your team well. Share your experience through mentoring and coaching others, volunteering with networking and professional groups, writing for industry and professional publications, and through regular posting on LinkedIn.

The most influential people are those that others want to be involved, because their experience, relationships, and ideas create impact.

DO – Always bring data

Do your homework and demonstrate your expertise by evaluating what’s happening in the global marketplace, within your industry, and among your competitors.

Use that information to inform decisions, and always make a connection between your ideas, proposals and recommendations to the bottom-line.

DON’T – Hide behind policies and laws

One of the quickest paths to being perceived as someone with little influence is to try to force compliance, or to put obstacles in someone’s path by quoting policies or laws – which is the corporate-speak equivalent of “I just don’t want you to do that.”

Help others to understand the intentions and implications of the rules, and work to identify solutions that incorporate them.

DON’T – Take conflict personally

If you’ve ever wished for a quote from The Godfather that you can apply to work, here it is:

It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business.

Conflict can be a good thing on the path to the best ideas and solutions – but only if it’s healthy. When healthy conflict is viewed as a benefit, it can open our eyes to new ideas, teach us to be better listeners, and lead to better solutions.

Increase your influence by ensuring that when conflict arises in the workplace, it’s healthy and positive. Listen when others criticize your ideas or disagree with your recommendations, ask thoughtful questions to better understand their point of view, and provide constructive feedback to others when you disagree or don’t understand.

DON’T – Wait to be told what to do

Have you ever found yourself saying, “Nobody asked me!” If so, that’s a problem – and it’s your problem, not theirs.

Be vigilant and seek to understand any challenges or opportunities that are facing the business, and proactively identify how you and your team can best help the organization to deliver upon strategic objectives.

If you want to be heard, don’t wait to take action.

Want To Increase Your Influence?

If you want to be the one providing leadership on your team’s path to success, focus on building relationships and influence now with key leaders in your organization, in your industry, and in your profession.

By increasing your influence, you’ll be able to get your ideas heard.

As a keynote speaker and leadership coach, Jennifer McClure helps leaders to embrace the future of work, and to develop the skills necessary to lead their organizations and the people on their teams to take bold actions that positively impact business results.

Want more leadership and future of work insights from me?

SUBSCRIBE to get my weekly Impact Makers newsletter delivered to your inbox!

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Poetry, Hip Hop, and HR: Creativity and Leading in the Future of Work With Arend Boersema

Have you ever thought of poetry as a tool for revolutionizing your thought process and sparking creativity? Well, my guest on episode 84 of the Impact Makers podcast has!

Arend Boersema, is a human resources leader, hip-hop enthusiast, spoken word poet and writer, and in our conversation, he shares how we can use art forms like poetry to disrupt our thinking, and to unlock creativity in the workplace.

Having lived in various countries and cultures around the world, Arend embraces his diverse identity as a global citizen, and utilizes his passions and experience to help leaders to tap into their creativity, and to think differently about work and life. He’s a firm believer that writing poetry can be a useful activity to explore self-expression and uncover new ideas.

During the pandemic, Arend found solace in writing and capturing his experiences through spoken word poetry, and this creative expression culminated in the publication of his book, “Poetry at the Heart of Business.”

As an HR and organizational development expert, Arend incorporates spoken word poetry, hip-hop, and haikus into training classes, retreats, and summits as tools to encourage creative thinking, and to foster a sense of community among participants.

This episode is a fascinating blend of art, creativity, and leadership that you wouldn’t want to miss. I hope that it sparks something in you, and inspires you to use poetry, hip hop lyrics, or some other form of art that you may be passionate about to engage your own creativity and self-expression in your leadership journey going forward.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • The importance of HR in creating a positive employee experience and fostering company culture.
  • How incorporating storytelling and spoken word poetry into your work can make concepts and feelings come to life in unique ways.
  • How embracing creativity and self-expression can enhance leadership skills and help us to connect with others on a deeper level.
  • Using poetry and art as tools for personal growth, self-reflection, and making sense of the world.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 84

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Arend Boersema – Website, LinkedIn Profile

Book – Poetry at the Heart of Business : Spoken Word Poetry Exploring the Concept of Company Culture & Belonging by Arend Boersema

DisruptHR Philadelphia Talk – Do You Even Hear Yourself? (Leadership & Self-Reflection) | Arend Boersema

DisruptHR Philadelphia Talk – Turns Out, You Can Fix Stupid | Arend Boersema

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The Power of Self-Care: Prioritizing Your Well-Being to Create Greater Impact

 

In our fast-paced and demanding world, self-care is often neglected, leading to negative consequences for our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. However, prioritizing self-care is crucial for enhancing leadership abilities and talent development. If you want to function at your best, and make the most impact at work and in life, it’s critical to develop and implement practical strategies to prioritize your well-being, in order to enable you to become the best version of yourself.

The Impact of Neglecting Self-Care

I learned the hard way about the consequences of neglecting self-care. Back in 2011, I was balancing the demands of starting a business, parenting, and dealing with my both of my parents being diagnosed with serious health issues within a couple of weeks of each other. After several months of dealing with all this stress, I began experiencing severe tingling in my legs that prevented me from sleeping – or even being still comfortably. As a result, I ended up in the emergency room for the first time in my life. This was a real wake-up call for me, and highlighted the significant impact that stress and anxiety was having on my health and well-being. Recognizing the importance of self-care, I made a commitment to implement strategies to manage everyday stress better, in order to improve my physical and mental health.

Put Yourself First

Just as safety presentations on airplanes remind us to put on our own oxygen masks before assisting others, prioritizing self-care is crucial. Leadership expert Michael Hyatt emphasizes that taking care of ourselves is essential for effectively serving others, and I love this quote that I came across from self-care and mindfulness expert Shelly Tygielski:

“Self-Care is a radical act of love that increases your capacity for impact. A better world starts with the best version of you.”

Physical Self-Care: Embrace the Outdoors and Movement

Spending time outdoors and engaging in physical activities can have a profound impact on our well-being. Research shows that being in nature and participating in exercise can boost our mood and overall health. Find a physical activity or hobby that motivates you to get outside and move. Whether it’s playing a sport, going for a walk, or participating in races, embracing an active lifestyle is a vital aspect of self-care.

Emotional Self-Care: Happiness Exercises for Emotional Well-Being

Managing emotional stress is essential for personal and professional growth. Renowned happiness researcher and best-selling author Shawn Achor suggests six daily happiness exercises to cultivate emotional resilience. These exercises include gratitude exercises, reflecting on positive experiences, engaging in fun cardio activities, practicing daily meditation, performing conscious acts of kindness, and deepening social connections. By incorporating these practices, you can enhance your emotional well-being.

Relational Self-Care: Nurturing Meaningful Connections

Building and nurturing relationships is essential for a fulfilling life. Intentionally investing in meaningful connections can significantly impact your personal and professional growth. Engage in activities that allow you to connect with others, such as volunteering or participating in community initiatives. By supporting others, you contribute to their well-being and experience joy and fulfillment in return.

Temporal Self-Care: Reclaiming and Utilizing Your Time Wisely

Effective time management is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and maximizing productivity. Design your ideal day and week, allocating dedicated time for essential activities. Techniques like calendar blocking can help you prioritize tasks, prevent overwhelm, and foster a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, incorporate daily unstructured or creative time to promote innovation and reflection for personal and professional growth.

Occupational Self-Care: Creating an Organized and Inspiring Workspace

Your workspace plays a significant role in your overall well-being and productivity. Take the time to declutter and organize your environment, as research suggests that clutter contributes to stress and anxiety. An organized workspace enhances productivity, provides mental clarity, and facilitates creative thinking. Embrace the power of a clean and inspiring workspace to unlock your full potential.

Embrace Self-Care for Personal Growth and Success

Prioritizing self-care is not selfish; it’s an act of self-love that empowers you to show up as your best self in all aspects of life.

By attending to your physical, emotional, relational, temporal, and occupational well-being, you create a solid foundation for personal growth and success. Remember, taking care of yourself enables you to care for others and make a more significant impact on those around you. Embrace these self-care practices and take action today to prioritize your well-being and unlock your full potential as a leader.

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