5 questions to help you define your leadership brand

5 questions to help you define yur leadership brand5 questions to help you define your leadership brandIf you ask someone to describe a person with a compelling leadership brand, they will often struggle initially to explain exactly why that person is so effective. Maybe this is because everything that we do, say, and embody at work creates the brand for which we become known. For some, this is just too heady a realization to bear People in this camp may feel powerless about their reputation thinking, Others are going to make their minds up about me. I cant control their views.For others, creating a leadership brand is theworlds fruchtwein golden opportunity. It means taking an active role in what you project to the world and what kind of results you get.Yetbuilding a visionfor your brand and then living it is practically counter intuitive. It constantly requires us to look up from our work, from our day to day duties, and ask ourselves, Is what Im doing in line with the professi onal I want to become? This kind of introspection can fall right off a to-do list when your priorities begin to compete.For those smart individuals who still struggle with the brand they convey, the reasons can center arounda mismatch in brand and culture. A person may be presenting a brand that earned them street cred at their last company but thats incompatible with their current employer. Another professional may be leading with traits that a very technical industry prizes, rather than the more relationship oriented ones needed within their current firm. Worse still, some people put no thinking at all into what they project and convey about themselves.Consider these questions as you proactively shape your leadership brand now - and your legacy for the future. Remember, youre training people how to treat you and see you in every interaction you have with them.What are the hero stories most oftentold within my company?In other words, what traits and habits do people most respect a round the office? Are heroic acts seen as going above and beyond for teammates, delighting clients with deliverables, or being active in community involvement? Take note and ask yourself if youre behaving in these ways. If not, ask yourself how you can, at a minimum, put yourself in the path of these kinds of opportunities.What do the most influential people here have in common?Many top influencershave no more hierarchical power than you do. They are often seen as plugged in employees who are in hauch with whats going on, fassonally and informally. People listen to influencers. Theyre more readily swayed by them than the average colleague. Are these power people vocal and unafraid to challenge ideas? Are they particularly agile and positive when dealing with change? Put your finger on why theyre power people so that you can widen your own span of influence.Where I am an expert/emerging expert?I can guarantee you have a specialty that can be channeled and shaped in different directio ns. Are you a programming genius with visions of leading a corporate team? Do you dream of becoming a programmer for only cause-based non profits? Do you want to pivot your programming skills into teaching it at the college level? We all have core strengths and skills that can be channeled. Know exactly whereyour core strengthsare today and what avenue you want to take them down next. After all, if you dont know where you want to specialize next, no one on earth can help you get there.What keywords do people associate with me?Following each important presentation or sales pitch you give, ask someone you trust for two things you did well and two things you could improve for next time. You should also besoliciting feedbackregularly from your manager and paying close attention to the words he or she uses in response. Did you ask for feedback on the report you wrote and hear that youre thorough, well read, and persuasive in your communication? On the other hand, did you hear that you ne ed more polish or clarity? Decide if you like the words you hear and then adapt.Do I behave consistently?Colleagues will form their impressions of you based on repetitive interactions with you. Are you giving them a coordinated, consistent you? In writingPushback, one executive I interviewed recalled, I like to work on a no-surprise basis. People like knowing what theyre going to get from you. Ask yourself if your mood or the caliber of the person youre interacting with dictates how professional you are. If it does, you need to think about putting out a brand that people feel they can count on, whether or not the chips are down or something is going on for you personally.Once you pin down what you want your leadership brand to look like, its time to focus. This will mean inevitablysaying no to projects or assignmentsthat dont give you experience in your newly identified sweet spot. You may not be able to negotiate or barter your way out of every dead-end project given to you, but at a minimum, have an active voice in the matterThe look and feel of who you are should be tied together across mediums, from yourLinkedIn photo and profile, to the appearance of your desk, to the way you put ideas forward in meetings. Build your vision for your brand, share it with your inner circle, and then reward yourself when you live it. Doing so will only become more and more natural.How are you building a leadership brand around your expertise?Whats challenged you or really worked for you?Selena Rezvani is VP of Consulting and Research atBeLeaderly.com.Author of the award-winning bookPushback, Selena delivers keynotes and culture change at some of the worlds most recognized companies, speaking on negotiation and self-advocacy, the new rules of teamwork, and leading through change.Thisarticleappeared onBe Leaderly.

5 Tips to Get an At Home Career

5 Tips to Get an At Home Career5 Tips to Get an At Home CareerWhether youre looking to ditch your killer commute or you need a little more flexibility in your schedule, there are many reasons why you might want to consider an at-home career. While the transition from in-office to home office might seem like hiking up Mount Everest, its actually easier than you might think. Heres how to get an at home career- and find a job that you love.Set the stage.Most likely youve heard of the expression, If you build it, they will come. The same holds true for your desire to work from home. Even if you have never worked at home before, you need to create an atmosphere of success. Start by setting up your home office- whether its a desk in the living room or a dedicated space above the garage. Once you have your space set up, youll be motivated to make your dream of working from into a reality.Redesign your resume. Like everyone, your resume and cover letter boast your accomplishments, accolades and awards. But youre not looking for a job like everyone else- you need a position that allows you to telecommute. So take a good look at your resume and then create a second one. The skills to list on your resume include ones that make working from home a cinch, such as your ability to work independently, your excellent communication skills and your laser-like focus. If youve worked from home before, be sure to showcase those positions on your resume as well.Tailor your job search.To save time, money (and a lot of frustration), youll need to be specific when you job search. That means looking for positions that specifically offer the option to telecommute. But beware of too-good-to-be-true positions that offer oodles of cash to work from home after all, there are a lot of job scams out there. So do your due diligence when applying for jobs that allow to be at home.Ramp up skills. While almost every industry offers many work from home positions, you might find that you dont have al l the skills necessary for those that allow telecommuting. So be flexible in the types of positions youre looking for, or consider taking a class or even a webinar in order to boost your skill set. Learning something new in a career youre passionate about is a win-win, whether you work from home or not.Connect with contacts. Of course it is perfectly acceptable to use your network to make a career change. Sure, you can reach out to former friendly bosses and coworkers on your quest to find an at-home career. But if you want to discover how to truly work from home, youll need to connect with people who have already done it successfully. Find out how they managed to find their positions and the path that they took. Most likely, you can emulate some of their steps to create your own road to work at home success.Working from home can seem like a major transition. And it is. But by taking small but decisive steps, anyone can successfully work from home in a job that they love.Readers, wh at steps have you taken (besides becoming members, that is) to find an at-home career? Let us know in the comments section below

3 Things To Give Up For A Successful Job Search (Pt 1)

3 Things To Give Up For A Successful Job Search (Pt 1)3 Things To Give Up For A Successful Job Search (Pt 1)Frustrating job search? Youre most definitely not alone. In the 90s you could dust off your resume, pass it around a few times, and lo and behold someone in your network had something for you. But the job search process is completely different today your resume is getting sucked into the ATS black hole, and you can barely get a response when you submit your application.While job search can be hard, hard does not directly translate into impossible. Much of the difficulty may lie in old-school thinking and acting. So lets go over the first 3 things you need to give up in order to have a successful job searchGive up compartmentalizing your search.Jewel, what is the best approach? Should I apply for as many things as I can online? How should I work my network the right way? Or do I get the most bang for my buck trying to build a new network, even though that seems like an uphill ba ttle?The issue is phrasing the question as an either / or, when, really, the answer is both, and, and plus. There is no one magic bullet. Rathe, your job search will come to the smoothest, fastest conclusion when you balance a handful of activities.There is nothing stopping you from applying online AND leveraging LinkedIn to find the relevant decision maker AND approaching your network the right way AND identifying new contacts to add to your network.Give up your need for someone elses permission.The thing that repeatedly pains me the most from my 19 years of writing resumes is when the candidate tells me theyre going to run it by their friends, their brother-in-law, the recruiter they know, and the former boss from 3 jobs ago. Some level of critiquing and constructive criticism is fine. Needing the opinion of everyone on earth is a crutch there, I said it.Who are you asking? Why are you asking them? What are they really going to tell you that will make or break you? So what if the y say make this point into a bullet, change that point to a different place on the resume, and change the font (into something they like from 1982). Id rather see you devote the time you spend asking everyone what they think, to instead identify relevant decision makers and reaching out to them directly regarding the opportunities you want.You are a whole, entire, intelligent, educated professional. You are enough. Own that. Move forward. Ive seen imperfect candidates land the roles they wanted and deserved inside of 3 weeks, while other candidates languish trying to figure out whether something on the resume should be in bold or if their margins are the right size.Give up ignoring your vision for your future.If youve been working for a couple of decades, then you have a strong idea of what youre good at and what you want to do career changers notwithstanding. You know when your vision just gets ruined? It coincides with when you get desperate.Desperation is never a good look you w ant to, cast a wide net, or figure you can adapt to practically anything. I believe that you can. But I dont believe that you should. Please dont settle. While settling may land you a position in the short-term, its not something you, your spouse, or your household will be happy with in the long run.Solidify your vision. Articulate your vision. Target your vision. Where you direct your focus is where you will find the work that truly energizes you and excites you day in, day out, and over the long term.Your age and your years of experience bring wisdom, patients, and other positive elements that you most definitely hold over candidates who are just coming out of school. You have something of value over and above your actual expertise. Take multiple avenues in your job search all at the same time, no need to wait for someone elses permission, and identify what you want and pursue that just that.One of the things we concentrate on in 5 Secret Job Search Hacks For The Age 50+ Job-Hunt er, is how to find out the best people to contact for the roles you really and truly want. Join us for the free presentation. Im certain youll learn something new that you can add to your job search process.