Job / Career
Confidence
I’ve been reading on attitude and how it affects ones career lately. There are loads of materials on this subject, particularly on the subject of how women’s attitude often differs from men’s. That difference in attitude can make a world of difference in career success. You’ll be seeing more posts on that in the near future.
But quickly, I’d like to share with you an article a colleague sent me a few days ago. It’s titled “She’s Gotta Have ‘It’”. It’s an old article from Business Week. The article largely deals with executive presence. It’s not that particularly interesting nor did it offer too many solid go-to tips. However, there was one line that I thought was very enlightening that I really wanted to share with you all:
The best news about confidence is that it’s easier to develop than competence – the part of the job senior women usually have licked.
So, how to develop confidence? As I finish my reading, I’m sure I’ll have more on this topic. However, really simply, one need to start with giving it your best. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of attitude. You can walk around questioning if your best is good enough, or be confidence in knowing that you’ve given it all. After all, if your best isn’t good enough, that’s really a competence issue. There needs to be further development, or sometimes it’s just not the right job. Regardless, your attitude affects how others perceives your effort. If you wonder if your effort is good enough, surely others will too. So, why start that line of question? So, until you’re told differently, you have to assume that you have that job, and continue to have that job, because you are good enough for that job. So, be confident knowing that.
What do top execs look for in emerging leaders?
I really enjoyed the Women Unlimited web panel that I attended last week. It was a panel of top executives from different industries talking about what it takes to be a leader. One question particularly piqued my interest: What do you all look for in emerging leaders? Here is the list of qualities the panelists listed:
- Critical Thinking
- Curiosity
- Global mindset
- Team player
- Thoughtful yet decisive
- Not afraid of constructive conflict (not afraid to push back)
- Not afraid of change
I think this is a great list, and something I can certainly keep in mind to develop. After all, I’m no top executive yet 
. Some qualities on this list seemed apparent. Others surprised me a little. For example, being a team player is something they emphasized since grade school. Having a global mindset makes sense as the world gets flatter with technology. Critical thinking and change management are also skills that many leadership courses discuss. I’m excited to learn that curiosity is valued, because I certainly value it. I like the point about being decisive. I think we’ve all worked for leaders that are not and how that wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience… Constructive conflict is an idea that I’m familiar with, but the first time I’ve heard it referenced specifically, and given a name, and made it “real”. A leader cannot be afraid of conflict. A leader cannot be afraid of saying no. A leader cannot be afraid to engage. Constructive conflict, a nice term that I learned.
Would you add anything to this list?
Photo credit: Tatt Yeo
Rules of the game
Last week, I attended a webcast by Women Unlimited. It was a panel discussion on leadership. With contributions from top executives, both male and female, across industries, the group discussed the rule of the games. I thought I’d share these rules here:
- Know the rules
- Assess your impact
- Don’t do it alone
- Manage work, lead people
- Look like a leader
- Think excellence, not perfection
- Play well with others
- Take risks, make decisions
- Seed for the future
- Enjoy the game
I think these rules are very powerful. As I move through my career, I can’t help but to acknowledge that there is such a thing as office politics. Now, the game of office politics is often viewed negatively. However, I think it’s all in how you play the game. You can certainly play it honorably. I’ve observed it in real life.
The rules above help us navigate this game. First you must know how the organization is ran. Once you figured that out, you can decided how you are going to play the game. There is also the decision that this isn’t a game you want to play (at which point, you may want to consider changing organization / job). Rule 1 and 2 speak to this.
Next, build a team. We all need help. We all need each other. We all need teams, even for overachievers! Sometimes, leaders like to do everything on their own. But ultimately, the higher one go, the more we need to rely on others. I may know marketing, but I don’t know supply chain, for example. I may know marketing, but I don’t know everything about marketing, and I need peers as sounding boards. I need teams. We all do. After all, no man is an island. Rule 3 and 7 speak to this.
Before, we manage others, we first need to manage ourselves. Lead by example. The higher one go, the more one need to look beyond the functions and the specifics, but to look at the bigger picture. Rule 4, 5, 6, and 8 speak to this.
Finally, leaders are always looking at the future and having fun in what they do. After all, why else would we do it? Rule 9 and 10.
More on these rules can be found in Women Are Changing the Corporate Landscape
Photo credit: Peter Hayes
Jeannie Chan is a Brand Manager for a Fortune 500 consumer goods company. She considers herself a marketer, a traveler, and a foodie. Jeanne lives in NYC. 
