Jennifer McClure`

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

Written by

Future Fluidity and the Evolving Role of Leadership in the Age of Disruption With Dr. Tanvi Gautam

On episode 96 of the Impact Makers podcast, I welcome Dr. Tanvi Gautam, a world-renowned leadership development expert.

Dr. Gautam is a multi-award-winning keynote speaker, executive coach, author, and senior faculty and program director at Singapore Management University. She uses a combination of head and heart-based tools for upgrading leaders and to create culture transformation in organizations.

As we navigate a world rocked by global disruption, Dr. Gautam highlights how leadership is evolving and why it’s critical to adopt new tools and resources. She also shares her insights on the essence of true leadership, the essential leadership skills required in the age of disruption, and the intriguing concept of ‘future fluidity’.

Dr. Gautam shares how to cultivate flexibility and resilience — essential tools for navigating an uncertain future, and we explore the role technology plays in enhancing visibility and influence.

Whether you’re an emerging leader or an established executive, I think you’ll learn quite a bit from this episode, and will leave with practical steps you can take to evolve your own leadership skills.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • The focus of Dr. Gautam’s work – creating unstoppable leaders who can help their companies upgrade in the new age of disruption.
  • 4 skills that all leaders must develop to succeed in the future of work.
  • Why the tools, resources, and mindsets that made leaders successful in the past, are not what will be needed in the emerging world.
  • How viewing disruption and being disrupted as an invitation to reimagine and reinvent can create possibilities versus getting stuck or falling behind.
  • But how has leadership changed in a post-pandemic world?
  • Why developing the skills of rest and recovery will be a competitive advantage for both leaders and organizations.
  • The concept of “future fluidity”, and how developing this skill can help leaders to successfully navigate change and uncertainty.
  • Dr. Gautam’s forthcoming book – Deep Collaboration – will explore the five crucial conversations leaders must have to enable collaboration across organizational silos and boundaries.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 96

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Dr. Tanvi Gautam – Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Book — The Spark Lies Within: And other secrets of women leading inspired and authentic lives by Dr. Tanvi Gautam

WorkLife with Adam Grant Podcast: The Science of Recharging on Weekends and Vacations

Written by

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

 

Written by

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!

Written by

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

When you think about people who have changed the world in positive and meaningful ways, who comes to mind?

Maybe you think of people like Martin Luther King Jr., who dedicated his life to the nonviolent struggle for civil rights in the United States, or Steve Jobs who brought products into play that transformed our lives and redefined entire industries, or Mother Theresa, whose higher purpose was to care for the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged around the world.

It makes sense that these individuals are thought of as world-changers. They’ve invented products, or started movements that have had a lasting impact on us all.

Now, I want you to think about who has changed YOUR world.

On your list, you might include a parent, a religious leader, a boss, or even a teacher. These types of people hold places in our lives that position them for great opportunities to influence.

But what about you?

Would anyone name you as someone who has influenced his or her life?

If not, why not?

5 Reasons You May Think You Can’t Change the World

1. I’ve got nothing to offer.

If you’re a human, the truth is that there are many good things – and maybe a few not so good things – that make up who you are.

So, even without much effort, you’ve got something – and you can use your life experiences to help someone else.

2. I’m really not that interesting.

The good news is that influencing others is not about you. It’s about them.

You influence others by focusing on their story – not yours.

3. I’m not super successful.

Your level of success in being of value to others has less to do with your own accomplishments, than your ability to listen.

Many people are seeking mentors who they can simply talk to, who will listen, and then share their perspective.

4. I’ve got some skeletons in my closet.

We all do. Failure makes us human.

It also means that there’s someone out there who can relate to – and learn from your failures.

(So can you.)

5. Nobody has ever asked me to be a mentor or influencer in their life.

Then your first opportunity is waiting for you!

Don’t wait for someone to ask you to speak into his or her life. Most likely, the people who have influenced you the most weren’t invited to do so.

So how CAN you change the world?

One person at a time.

You don’t have to invent something with lasting impact or create a movement to change the world.

There is somebody in your life that needs your influence.

There is somebody in your life that is ready to benefit from your knowledge, skills and expertise.

As Steve Jobs once said:

“…the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

I believe that you can change the world.

Just do it.

You CAN Change The World – a DisruptHR Talk by Jennifer McClure – CEO of Unbridled Talent LLC & Chief Excitement Officer of DisruptHR LLC

___________________________

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!

Written by

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!

Need A Speaker?

I've delivered keynotes and led workshops at over 350 conferences and corporate events.

If you want to check my availability for your event, or if you have questions, click below.

Start the Conversation »

Recent Blog Posts

Connect on Social