Jennifer McClure`

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Written by Jennifer McClure

4 Steps to Building a Business Case That Will Get Your Proposals Approved

As a leader, you fill a critical role inside your company. You lead or initiate key projects that can positively – or negatively – impact business performance.

As a result, you must master the art of building (and selling) an effective business case in order to gain executive approval and implement key strategies necessary to achieve strategic business objectives.

Following a workshop that I delivered on the topic of “Building an Effective Business Case for Leadership Development” at a conference attended by senior human resources and talent acquisition leaders, one of the attendees came forward at the end of the workshop and explained to me that she was having difficulty getting her executive team to agree to move forward with a leadership development program she and her team had recently proposed.

Obviously frustrated, she was seeking any tips or tricks that I might be able to offer her to get the CEO and the executive team to buy-in to the proposed program that her team had spent months researching and creating.

Before offering any coaching or advice, I wanted to gather a little more information. So, I asked:

“Why did you initially decide to create a leadership development program?”

She thought for a minute, before jokingly saying,

“I don’t really know. I guess because it seems like the right thing to do.”

Okay. 🤔

Sensing why she might be having difficulty selling her proposal to the executive team, I tried another angle:

“Is there a specific problem in your organization that you believe implementing a leadership development program would solve?”

Seeing where the conversation was going, she smiled and said,

“I can’t really think of anything specific. I guess that’s a big part of the problem.” 

Boom! 💥

To gain approval for any new program, initiative, or process – basically anything that requires the decision to allocate money, time, or resources – business leaders MUST build an effective business case.

Four Critical Steps for Building a Successful Business Case

1. Define the problem.

Success Tip: Opportunities are problems with smiley faces.

Problems in need of a solution can come in the form of areas that cause pain, or areas that represent missed opportunities. There’s a reason that you’re compelled to investigate a solution.

To set your business case up for success, you’ve got to be able to articulate the source of pain or opportunity to your organization by using data.

If you can’t effectively explain the problem or opportunity? Then you’ll have even more difficulty explaining the need for a solution.

2. Quantify how the problem negatively impacts business results.

Success Tip: This is always about money.

Business executives speak the language of money.

To communicate with them effectively, you must be able to analyze available data, and explain how not solving the problem(s) identified is costing the company money – or where the opportunity to make money is not being capitalized upon because a solution has not yet been implemented.

If executives cannot see how failure to act on a problem negatively impacts their bonuses and the bottom line, they’ll apply their focus and resources elsewhere – and your business case will go nowhere.

3. Evaluate possible solutions and make a recommendation.

Success Tip: Always propose more than one possible solution.

The savvy business leader always explores and proposes multiple solutions – or versions of a solution – in order to open the minds of decision-makers to possibilities, rather than giving them only one option that they must approve or reject.

However, it’s not enough to just propose options.

The executive team will expect you to utilize data analysis, and your expertise, to recommend the best solution. They’ll also expect you to be able to defend your recommendation and to negotiate alternatives – because that’s how business gets done.

4. Quantify how your recommended solution positively impacts business results.

Success Tip: This is also always about money.

The final step in building an effective business case involves defining an implementation plan for your recommended solution, and detailing how successful implementation will enable the company to make more money, increase customer satisfaction, improve retention, improve employee engagement, etc. — in financial terms.

To get approved, a business case must include liberal use of numbers with currency signs and/or percentage symbols. Key words that executives pay attention to include increase, decrease, improve, grow, reduce, etc.

—

At the workshop I mentioned previously, after taking a few moments to share these critical steps for presenting a successful business case with my new friend, she left the workshop realizing that she had quite a bit of homework to do before making her proposal again — IF she was able to show that it was truly worth the investment of time and money by her organization.

I’m confident that by working through the four steps to building a successful business case listed above, she’ll increase her chances for gaining approval for her initiative — or have a better understanding as to why it’s not important to pursue.

And you can do this too.


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!

Categories: Blog, Leadership
Posted on September 19, 2023

Written by Jennifer McClure

Create High-Impact Presentations and Build a Profitable Speaking Business With Jennifer McClure and Dr. Daniel Crosby [Replay]

I’ve had the best job in the world for over 10 years now – where I have the privilege of speaking on stages and in training rooms to groups of leaders around the world about how to increase their influence, focus strategically, and make a positive impact at work and in life.

When I stepped out on my own in 2010 to start my speaking business, I had a little bit of experience, a healthy dose of confidence, and a whole lot of hope that I could build the relationships, and create impactful presentations that would result in a successful speaking business.

But like a lot of things in my life where I tend to jump off the cliff first, and then think about my parachute later, I wasn’t fully prepared for what it would take to find my lane, to determine how to set my speaking fees, or how to become a recognized expert.

So, queue admission into the school of hard knocks, where I’ve gained quite an education along the way, and as a result, have ultimately managed to build a business and life that I truly love.

Last year, my friend Dr. Daniel Crosby – who is a great public speaker himself, and was a also my guest on episode 14 of the Impact Makers Podcast, where he talked about understanding human behavior to do well, do good and do you – asked if I would join him on his Standard Deviations podcast to talk about what it takes to create great presentations — and if you’re into that kind of thing, how to actually get paid to speak, which is one of the most frequently asked questions we both receive.

Over a year later, the content of our conversation is still accurate and timely, and I continue to hear from people in Dr. Crosby’s audience who have found it helpful. So I asked him if I could share it with you today, and if you’re interested in crafting great presentations, and/or getting paid to speak, I think you’ll find it helpful.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • My path from HR executive to professional speaker, and why I felt like I needed at least 20 years of work experience before starting.
  • How giving away 10% of my time to help others helped me to get started as a speaker, and discover the work that I truly loved.
  • My personal recipe for crafting a great presentation.
  • What comedians and preachers can teach us about giving great presentations.
  • What adult learning theory tells us about what makes for a good speech.
  • Strategies for determining your speaking fee, what can happen if your price is too low, and how to get paid more.
  • Three books that I recommend for speakers to help with picking a lane, determining your pricing strategy, and building a memorable brand.
  • What Dr. Crosby did that 10x’d his speaking revenue.
  • 3 concrete steps to take to build a profitable speaking business.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 91

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

FREE RESOURCE: 10 Tips To BUILD YOUR BRAND and LAND Gigs as a Speaker!

Dr. Daniel Crosby LinkedIn

Dr. Daniel Crosby Twitter

Standard Deviations Podcast

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 014: Understanding Human Behavior to Do Well, Do Good and Do You with Dr. Daniel Crosby

Standard Deviations Podcast Episode 14: Jennifer McClure – On Becoming a Public Speaker

Centennial, Inc.

Mike Sipple, Sr.

Michelle Cushatt

Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional’s Guide to Building Your Platform by Alan Weiss

Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional’s Guide to Growing a Practice by Alan Weiss

Ryan Estis

Jane Atkinson

The Wealthy Speaker 2.0: The Proven Formula for Building Your Successful Speaking Business by Jane Atkinson

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt

Laurie Ruettimann

Jon Acuff

Toastmasters International

Categories: Blog, Speaking
Posted on September 15, 2023

Written by Jennifer McClure

Employee Engagement in the Digital Age: The Essential Role of Connection in Remote Work

A few months into the “new normal” of 2020, a young friend of mine graduated from university, and after years of preparation and anticipation, accepted their dream job at their dream company – a large, well-established, global organization, which has won many awards for being a Great Place to Work.

In the early days of the pandemic, he moved across the country, bought a new house, and filled with pride, drove by the company’s large office building prior to his first day of work.

But a drive-by was as close to that building as he would get. Shortly after he had accepted his offer a few months earlier, most everyone at the company went to a remote work strategy as a result of the pandemic.

Like a well-oiled machine, prior to his first day on the job, the onboarding team sent office supplies, a new computer, a desktop monitor, and a mobile phone to his home address. New hire paperwork was delivered and signed electronically, and new hire training was completed via a series of virtual training modules that were available on demand.

On his first day, he got up early, dressed professionally, made a cup of coffee – and made the 25-step commute to his new home office.

First on the agenda was a video call with an HR representative, and then a quick connect call with his new boss, neither of whom he’d ever met in person. Each person was friendly, welcomed him to the team, and instructed him to reach out via instant messenger or email any time he had questions or concerns.

Unfortunately, as work days turned into work weeks, “going to work” didn’t feel much different than going to play video games, or going to watch TV, or going to bed – because all of those things happened in the same place, and without other people.

After a couple of months, the initial excitement around starting a new career, and a new life in a new city began to wane.

There was plenty of work to do, and clear goals to achieve, but there was no connection with his boss, his team – or the company. The virtual training had been thorough, but with no opportunity to get to know anyone beyond video calls or virtual team meetings, he felt disconnected – and disappointed. As a new hire, he found it difficult to ask questions in virtual team meetings, and it felt intrusive to send people multiple IM’s to follow up, or to learn more about a topic that was discussed.

By the time I reached out to him to ask how things were going, he was already taking calls from recruiters, and responding to other job offers on LinkedIn. When I asked why he would want to leave such a great opportunity at a company well-known for having a great culture, he shared that he didn’t feel like the work that he did mattered, and he didn’t feel any connection to his boss, his team, or the company. He said:

I don’t even know what the company’s culture is. I can read about it, but I don’t feel it.

Unfortunately, this experience isn’t something that happens just with new hires, or remote employees. The importance of creating connection – to the company, to the work, to the team, and to the manager – is critical, whether we’re working together in an office, or separately in our own homes, or from a local coffee shop. And the job of creating connection falls squarely on us as leaders of people.

As people leaders, we’ve long been obsessed with improving employee engagement, but we’ve also often missed the mark by equating high levels of engagement with perks like free food, ping pong tables, or bringing pets to work – things that we perceive make people happy.

The truth is that employee engagement is an outcome of whether employees truly feel connected to the company, and to its purpose.

As a leader, creating connection for your team members is one of your most important, most difficult, and most rewarding jobs. Employees who feel connected to the company’s reason for existing, can successfully navigate through challenges, difficulties, and frustrations, (or a global pandemic), because they feel that the work that they do matters.

So, what can you do, as a leader, to ensure that your employees experience connection to their work, to you, to their team, and to the organization?

Leaders Must Be Visible, Available, and Approachable

Over the last 20 years, Gallup has reliably measured employee engagement, and the percentage of employees who are actively engaged at work hasn’t really veered that much from about one third, plus or minus a couple of percentage points. However, according to their surveys, about 3 months into the global pandemic, employee engagement reached record levels in June 2020.

Why did employee engagement go up, during such a challenging time?

While there were many reasons, including gratitude for even having a job, one of the key reasons was increased visibility and communication from leadership.

Think back to March 2020.

Whether your workplace laid employees off, sent everyone home to work, or navigated the challenges of providing a safe place to work for essential employees, communication efforts likely increased exponentially. There were daily check in calls among team members, and with managers, and there were frequent “all hands” Zoom or Teams calls where leaders would share plans for the day – that was about all we could handle at that point – as well as how they were addressing the unknowns.

The increased communication, and check-ins created a shared experience, with a common goal – to safely get through the challenges, and meet customers’ needs.

It’s critical for leaders to communicate consistently, to focus their teams on a common purpose, and to connect with employees individually on an ongoing basis, not just in times of difficulty or great challenge.

Employees Need to Be Seen, Valued and Cared For

As encouraging as it was to learn that employees felt more connected to their work than ever during a time of global upheaval, unfortunately, it didn’t last.

Gallup’s measurements revealed an “historic decrease” in employee engagement just a month after the unprecedented rise.

What happened?

As the pandemic response dragged on, and the “new” future of work became more routine, leaders likely backed off of their daily communications and check-ins. The US also experienced significant cultural upheaval and strife following the killing of George Floyd. Employees felt less prepared for the daily challenges in their work-life, and often unsupported in their personal life as they experienced collective trauma and uncertainty following such a horrific event.

Unfortunately, during this critical time when many employees were experiencing a flurry of complicated emotions, many leaders did not feel qualified or educated enough to address how their employees were feeling, and as a result, may not have addressed them at all.

Dealing with humans and human emotions can be tricky, but as leaders, our job is to care for those that we lead and serve.

Often, one of the best ways to show that you care, is to ask how someone is doing, and then to actually listen. No answers or solutions required.

So, what ultimately happened with my friend above?

After struggling for several months, working for a leader who was unavailable, and difficult to approach, another leader who participated in project meetings with him regularly reached out to him one day via IM, and simply asked:

“Are you okay?”

This leader created a safe space for him to share his struggles with feeling connected, respected and valued, and he offered his support. He also connected my friend with an extremely helpful and caring HR leader, who provided positive coaching and resources to assist him with addressing the poor relationship he had with his direct manager.

Ultimately, my friend applied for another role in the company after a few months, and accepted a transfer to another division.

Now, working for a different leader, he’s found a new life and purpose in the organization, in a role where he feels that he’s really making a difference. Before moving into this new role, he made a point to reach out to the manager who asked him how he was doing that day, as well as the HR leader, to thank them for their help and support.

As leaders, each of us is in a powerful position where we can make a real difference in someone’s life — and to do that effectively, we must prioritize communication, connection, and caring.

Do that, and you’ll create real value in your organization, as well as in the lives of those that you lead and serve.


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!

Categories: Blog, Effective Communication, Leadership
Posted on September 12, 2023

Written by Jennifer McClure

The Best Articles & Resources for Leaders Transforming the Future of Work: August 2023

Each week, I send a brief email newsletter to leaders seeking to disrupt and transform the future of work.

In this weekly letter, I share my learnings and experiences from over 3 decades of work as a human resources leader, executive coach, and entrepreneur, along with tools, tips and resources that are personally curated to help leaders establish credibility, communicate confidently, and lead with impact.

If you’d like to receive the weekly Impact Makers email newsletter, you can subscribe HERE.

Following are a few of the best resources that I created, read, reviewed, and shared in the month of August 2023.

HIGH-IMPACT LEADERSHIP:

Great leaders promote a culture of curiosity – they lead with questions, not answers.

✏️ The 50 Most Powerful Questions Smart Leaders Can Ask by Gustavo Razzetti

PERSONAL BRANDING / THOUGHT LEADERSHIP:

Can you answer the question “What do you do?” in one sentence that makes someone want to know more?

✏️ How to Simplify the Way You Talk About Your Work (No Jargon Allowed) by Lee Price

I enjoyed this discussion on how to use writing to connect with your audience and communicate who you are as a thought leader.

🎧 Steal the Show podcast — How to Use Writing as a Thought Leader with Michael Port and Queena B.

PRESENTATIONS & PUBLIC SPEAKING:

To succeed as a professional speaker, you need a plan.

On this podcast, Dan Irvin shares his 4-step prospecting and contact strategy, and the systems he’s developed that have turned his speaking business into a well-oiled machine generating over 6-figures a year.

🎧 The Speaker Lab Podcast: The 6 Step System to Book More Paid Speaking Gigs with Dan Irvin, M.A.Ed/Adult Education and Training

In this podcast, popular keynote speaker and New York Times best-selling author Jon Acuff shares his 15-year speaking journey, and the lessons he wishes he had known when he first started.

🎧 Speak Like a Pro: A Crash Course in Public Speaking

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING:

On August 1, 2023, Living Corporate, a media network focused on centering and amplifying Black and brown voices at work launched the Living Corporate Collective, an invite-only virtual space that will empower, educate, and elevate all of its members by facilitating monthly private webinars and sharing resources on the landscape of DEI and HR.

🎟 I’m in! Join me.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (one of the largest philanthropic Foundations in the US) created this toolkit to share their experiences, lessons and recommended tools and resources for implementing racial equity strategies as part of an HR function.

🗄 HR Toolkit for Racial Equity

HUMAN RESOURCES / PEOPLE & CULTURE:

Jennifer Kim’s focus is on teaching startups how to hire + grow, and in this post, she shares 3 lines of questioning to help founders or c-suite leaders filter out mediocre and incompetent people leaders from the applicant pool for Head of People jobs.

✏️ 3 interview questions to sniff out Heads of People who can’t deliver by Jennifer Kim

Employee engagement levels reached a record high in 2022, but it’s also the second year in a row where worker stress reached record levels as well.

🗄 Globally, Employees Are More Engaged — and More Stressed via Gallup

Lots of interesting insights in this report, including the significance of pay and compensation to today’s workforce, the importance and impact of flexibility, an increased desire for caring workplace cultures, and the effects of uncertainty about the future.

🗄 People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View via ADP Research

New research highlights three key times when bringing employees and teams together in person creates lasting connection.

✏️ In the Changing Role of the Office, It’s All about Moments That Matter via Microsoft WorkLab

The big brains and researchers at The RBL Group believe that HR functional effectiveness is about creating value for all stakeholders. Through extensive research and practice, they’ve identified 10 dimensions to create value-based HR, ensuring that HR is not about HR, but about creating value.

✏️ What Makes an Effective HR Function? via The RBL Group

RECRUITING & TALENT ACQUISITION:

Fifty-seven percent of job seekers are already using social media as part of their job search.

I was interviewed to share some tips – as well as key mistakes to avoid – in this article on Dice.com.

✏️ How to Use Social Media to Land a Job in Tech

BOOK OF THE MONTH:

One of the books I recommend to anyone interested in pursuing professional speaking is The Wealthy Speaker. The book covers in detail how to set yourself up for success as a professional speaker, including mindset, positioning, marketing, fees, creating an epic speech, and more.

A third and updated edition was released earlier this year. I’ve read all three, and always appreciate the refresher, as well as the new topics addressed, because the world (and the business of speaking) is ever-changing.

📕 The Wealthy Speaker 3.0: Your Recipe for Building the Speaking Business of Your Dreams by Jane Atkinson

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW:

Recently, I joined Bill Banham on the HRchat podcast to discuss all things DisruptHR LLC.

We spoke about the unanticipated wild ride that DisruptHR has been on over the last 10 years, and how it continues to grow expand around the world. I also highlight some standout events, some of my favorite DisruptHR Talks, and who my dream speaker would be. (You’ll never guess.😉)

🎧 A Decade of Disrupting HR: HRchat Episode 614 with Jennifer McClure

What the heck is a “balcony person”? And why would you want to be one?

As a leader, one of the most meaningful ways that you can make an impact in the lives of those that you lead and serve is to be a balcony person for them.

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

Are you a lifelong learner? If you want to be a successful leader, the answer has to be yes.

How do you create a customized leadership development plan that will help you become the best leader you can be?

✏️ 6 Resources to Create a Leadership Development Plan to Fuel Continuous Personal Growth and Career Success

In the ever-evolving future of work, it’s more important than ever to hire exceptional talent.

But beyond qualifications and experience, how can you discern if a candidate is truly exceptional?

✏️ Hiring for Success: An Interviewer’s Guide to Identifying Job Fit and Future Potential

When I’m given the opportunity to speak to an audience – whether from a stage, in front of a camera in my home office, or in a corporate conference room, it’s important to remember that being a “good” or “great” speaker isn’t about just sharing; it’s about resonating. And while every performance may not be a home run, there are certain missteps that I (and you) should avoid.

✏️ How to Deliver a Killer Presentation: Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes

You don’t have to be a famous celebrity or invent something that changes how millions of people engage with the world in order to make a difference. Every act of kindness, every word of encouragement, and every moment of connection has a ripple effect that impacts the people you come across every day.

✏️ You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Lead With Impact: 5 Ways to Make a Difference

THE IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST:

Want to discover innovative strategies to attract top talent, enhance HR processes, and redefine employee engagement in the future of work? I’ve got ideas you…

🎧 Transformative HR Leadership: Embracing Disruption and Shaping the Future of Work with Jennifer McClure and Shari Simpson, SHRM-SCP, MBA, MHRM

Khalilah “KO” Olokunola shares her personal story from the streets, to prison, to a job as the Chief People Officer of a for profit organization with the social mission to unite gang rivals and decrease violence, and now to boardrooms and training rooms around the world equipping leaders to create more impact.

🎧 From the Block to the Boardroom: Impact Architect Khalilah Olokunola Breaks Boundaries in HR

Zachary Nunn – CEO of Living Corporate – shares how he transformed his frustration with performative corporate DE&I efforts into a multimedia diversity, equity, and inclusion network that centers and amplifies Black and brown professionals in the workplace through narrative storytelling.

🎧 Amplifying Black and Brown Voices in the Workplace With Zachary Nunn, Founder of Living Corporate

Noah Warder – Head of People at Guusto shares about building people-centric cultures that provide purpose, well-being, and opportunities for all.

We also discuss the value of simplifying HR, quantifying ROI for people strategies, the importance of trust and transparency in fostering a strong company culture, and leveraging conflict for optimal results.

🎧 Creating People-First Cultures Through Transparency, Trust, and Transformative HR With Noah Warder

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practitioner, speaker, and podcast host Shahzia Noorally, M.Ed (she/her) discusses challenges and biases that persist in traditional leadership models. We also explore the concept of sponsorship versus mentorship, which can create a space for authentic expression, and amplify not just talent, but also the voices that often go unheard.

🎧 Challenging Traditional HR Paradigms to Create More Inclusive and Equitable Workplaces With Shahzia Noorally

FIND ME AT UPCOMING SPEAKING EVENTS & CONFERENCES:

Fall conference season is gearing up, and I’ll be speaking at the following events. I would love to connect IRL if you’ll be there too!

9/20/2023 – Edmonton, AB: Jobber Choose Your Impact Day

Superhero Leadership: Accept the Challenge, Push Past Uncertainty & Embrace the New World of Work

9/27/2023 – Dallas, TX: Federal Reserve Bank Minorities in Banking Forum

Defining and Communicating Your Personal Brand to Help Your Career and Your Organization Grow

10/3/2023 – New York, NY: LinkedIn Talent Connect

Transforming Your HR Team to Deliver Maximum Impact in Today’s Competitive Environment

10/26/23 – Broadview Heights, OH: Northeast Ohio SHRM

I’ll be discussing The Future of HR, along with John Bernatovicz, Tim Sackett, SPHR, SCP, George Sample, MBA, SPHR, and Lauren Rudman, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

 

Categories: Blog, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Future of Work, Human Resources, Leadership, Personal Branding, Recruiting
Posted on September 12, 2023

Written by Jennifer McClure

5 Things New Leaders Should Do to Set Themselves Up for Success

Congratulations! You’ve just been promoted or selected for a new leadership role, and you’re ready to embark upon the next phase in your career as a new manager of a team.

How can you set yourself up for success as a new leader?

Start by setting the following goals that focus on your team, your career, and your continued personal development:

1. Prioritize time on your calendar to meet your new team.

Within your first few days as a new leader, schedule a meeting with each of your new team members to get to know them — and to listen. Ask about their hobbies, their career goals, what they like or don’t like about their job, and if they have any ideas about what could be improved.

It’ll be easy to get lost in your new responsibilities and the plans for achieving your own goals, but never forget that it will take a team to help you get there.

Your team will be more engaged and committed to your success and overall company performance if you earn their trust and confidence, show a genuine interest in their wellbeing, and help them to connect their job to organizational goals.

2. Schedule 3 – 4 networking calls or meetings each month.

As a new leader, you’ll benefit from building relationships outside of your company through professional associations, alumni groups, and online social networks. Building a strong network is one of the most effective ways to grow your career, and these connections can provide you with a variety of perspectives throughout your career.

It’s important to be intentional about networking and connecting, and you should consider it an ongoing career development activity. Don’t wait until you’re in a time of need (such as beginning a job search) to get started, and make sure you prioritize your networking meetings by scheduling — and protecting — networking time on your calendar.

3. Choose your mentors and create a formal process for each relationship.

Billionaire business leaders Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey, as well as former PepsiCo Chairman & CEO Indra Nooyi have all benefitted from the wise advice and counsel of mentors throughout their careers, and so can you.

The right mentor can help you navigate tricky career decisions and connect you with people in their network who can open doors or create opportunities.

When choosing a mentor, seek out individuals who will be supportive but also frank with their advice and counsel. The best mentors are able to listen, serve as a sounding board, and share their perspective and experiences to position you for success.

Once your mentor has agreed to help you, be intentional about your relationship. Establish how often you’d like to connect in-person or on the phone, what your goals are for the process, and anything that you may be able to provide your mentor in return.

Keep in mind that your experiences and insights are valuable as well, and mentoring relationships should be mutually beneficial.

4. Read two to four books each month.

As you step into your new responsibilities, you’ll want to quickly get up to speed on everything you need to know about your company and your role, which will involve plenty of reading and studying. But to keep your thinking fresh and your mind creativity engaged, it’s important to not fall into the trap of turning off outside influences.

Daily reading can challenge your thinking and open your mind to possibilities, and it’s also been documented as a key success habit by author Tom Corley. For five years, Corley studied the daily habits of both extremely successful people and those living in poverty. The results were documented in his best-selling book Rich Habits – The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals and revealed that 88% of self-made millionaires in the study spent at least 30 minutes each day reading to learn.

It doesn’t matter where you’re getting the information—it could be Facebook or Twitter. The important thing is that you’re educating yourself.

~ Tom Corley

The habit of reading every day actually grows your brain and increases cognitive abilities. In other words, it makes you smarter 💡, while also developing your leadership qualities.

5. Take 10 minutes each morning to journal about the previous day.

Starting each day with a few moments of self-reflection is a great way to mentally prepare for a positive and productive start to your day by clearing out mental cobwebs, refocusing on what matters and intentionally setting yourself up for success. Daily writing can provide a cathartic release valve for the stresses of your daily life, and it can also be a powerful tool to assist you in evaluating your current circumstances, as well as your future goals and dreams.

In the book, The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, the authors assert that keeping a daily journal of work activities is one of the best strategies for learning about yourself and improving your professional performance over time.

A daily journal can also serve as a reference when the time comes to present your accomplishments (such as pitching yourself for a promotion), and it can also be helpful to look back to identify trends and personal growth, and to reflect on what you’ve learned along the way.

—

Based upon my experience coaching and working with high-performing leaders for the past 30 years, I can assure you that setting and implementing these five goals will not only be helpful to you in getting off to a great start as a new leader, but they’ll also benefit you throughout your entire career.


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!

Categories: Blog, Leadership
Posted on September 5, 2023

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Recent Posts

  • Why HR Should Be the Chief Disruption Officer in Every Organization
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  • Networking for Introverts: Practical Strategies for Building Meaningful Connections with Greg Roche
  • Leading with Vulnerability: The Key to Future-Ready Leadership with Jacob Morgan
  • Future Fluidity and the Evolving Role of Leadership in the Age of Disruption With Dr. Tanvi Gautam

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Recent Blog Posts

  • Why HR Should Be the Chief Disruption Officer in Every Organization
  • Mastering the Art of Virtual Networking: 5 Steps to Build Powerful Connections Online
  • Networking for Introverts: Practical Strategies for Building Meaningful Connections with Greg Roche
  • Leading with Vulnerability: The Key to Future-Ready Leadership with Jacob Morgan
  • Future Fluidity and the Evolving Role of Leadership in the Age of Disruption With Dr. Tanvi Gautam

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