Showcasing Leadership Experience

The best leaders don’t hide—they bring their brand forward..... Being a CEO often means putting the company first. But what happens when your personal brand starts to disappear behind the corporate image? This was the challenge faced by the CEO of a healthcare tech company I worked with. They feared that showcasing their personal story would seem self-centered and detract from their company’s mission. Here’s what we did to strike the right balance: ➥Shared leadership moments: We introduced storytelling techniques, highlighting behind-the-scenes decisions during tough times. ➥ Balanced content: Posts shifted to include both company milestones and personal reflections on leadership lessons. ➥ Refreshed profile: Their LinkedIn summary was revamped to connect their personal purpose with the company’s vision. The results? ✔They became relatable to employees and peers alike. ✔Their personal posts received praise ✔ Their authenticity led to invitations for keynote speaking engagements. Your personal brand doesn’t compete with your company’s image—it can amplify it. Are you balancing the two effectively? Let me know how you approach this in the comments or message me to explore how you can amplify your impact through balance.

As we have been discussing in recent posts, leadership development can happen every day by observing others and learning what resonates with you. Observing Natalya Leahy, the new CEO of Lindblad Expeditions, highlighted some powerful techniques worth sharing. During a recent trip to the Galapagos (a Lindblad destination), Leahy showcased remarkable sensemaking—a crucial skill in today’s fast-paced world. What did she do? - Customer Engagement: Each night, she dined with different guests, asking them to describe their trip in just one word. This open-ended question promoted deeper insights into their experiences. And Leahy listened, probed, and learned.  - Staff Interaction: She took the time to meet with many on board—from room attendants to chefs and guides—gaining a firsthand understanding of their roles, opinions, and suggestions and emphasizing that every voice is important.  - Participating Fully: Leahy didn’t just observe; she joined Zodiac adventures and nature hikes, experiencing the journey alongside the guests. She now understands the customer experience from the inside out.  - Sharing Vision: She openly communicated her goals for the future, inviting collaboration from the team thus showcasing distributed leadership. This approach not only provided Leahy with valuable insights but also established connections within the company, energizing her team for future initiatives. By prioritizing both customer feedback and employee engagement, she laid the foundation for innovative offerings and a hands-on leadership style. A lot covered in a couple of days.    And for me, a new example for my classes, and some thoughts about how I can improve my sensemaking and relating.  

Show Leadership by Leading Volunteer Groups! If you're looking to demonstrate leadership in your current role but can’t find opportunities within the established structure, consider leading a volunteer group. Here's how to do it: 1. Identify a Problem: Look for a need that isn't being addressed. 2. Organize Volunteers: Gather a group of passionate volunteers to tackle the issue. Example from My Experience: As a test manager, my team was stretched thin, and we had no budget for performance testing, yet we needed to scale up our product to meet new customer demands. I asked each of the five dev teams for a volunteer to spend 25% of their time on performance testing. These volunteers could rotate quarterly. With this virtual group, we created a plan for testing individual services and the entire product. Each volunteer used our performance framework to test and report on their service. One volunteer ran end-to-end tests and reported overall results quarterly. Our Goals and Achievements: Goal: Double our support scale each quarter. Actions: Identified issues, sent performance reports quarterly, and asked dev teams to address them. Result: Improved performance without a dedicated performance tester budget. Summary: 1. Identify the problem. 2. Build the team by asking for volunteers or other managers for resources. 3. Accomplish the goal and report on the results. By doing this, you’ll show that you are: **Resourceful **Able to identify and solve problems **Capable of leading and influencing without direct management **Bringing value to your organization Good luck! #Leadership #VolunteerGroups #TeamBuilding #PerformanceTesting #CareerGrowth

I've been reflecting last night on what really stands out when I'm looking at profiles for TA Leadership or Manager roles, and I wanted to share some thoughts – not as a strict rulebook, but more like friendly advice from someone who has reviewed 1,000's upon 1,000's of CV's and LinkedIn profiles over the years. When you're aiming for that next step up or perhaps a new job, it's not just about listing your responsibilities. It's about showcasing your impact and how you lead. Here are a few things that always catch my eye, whether it's on a LinkedIn profile or a CV: Your Management Journey: Don't just say you "managed a team." Tell us how many people you've managed and, even better, share a glimpse into your management style. How do you support, mentor, and empower your team? Success Stories & Achievements: This is your time to shine! Instead of just listing tasks, highlight your biggest wins. Did you transform a recruiting process? Reduce time-to-hire significantly? Build a high-performing team from scratch? Give us the juicy details! Show Me the Data! 📊: Numbers speak volumes. Where possible, quantify your achievements. Did you improve conversion rates by X%? Reduce agency spend by Y? Increase candidate satisfaction scores? Data really brings your impact to life. How You Get Things Done: We all know what needs to be done, but how do you do it? Share examples of your strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and how you approach challenges. Navigating Stakeholder Seas: TA leaders are often at the heart of many relationships. How do you collaborate with key stakeholders (hiring managers, HR BPs, leadership)? Share an example of a successful partnership or how you've influenced important decisions. Think of your LinkedIn and CV as your personal story of impact and leadership. It's not just about what you've done, but the difference you've made and how you've done it. What other tips would you add for TA leaders or those aspiring to take the next step up the career ladder? You know I love you to comment below ❤️ #TALeadership #TalentAcquisition #CareerAdvice #RecruitingLeaders

Are you preparing for a job interview and want to showcase your leadership skills? Let me share some pointers that have helped me: - Prepare Relevant Examples: One thing I always do is prepare anecdotes that showcase my leadership experiences. Be it leading a project or stepping up in a challenging situation, have these stories at your fingertips. - Highlight Soft Skills: Technical skills are crucial, but never underestimate the power of soft skills. I always make sure to mention my communication, problem-solving abilities, and emotional intelligence. - Show Your Vision: In my interviews, I aim to demonstrate that I think long-term. I talk about my future goals and how they align with the company's mission and vision. It helps them see you as a person who can grow within the organization. - Ask Insightful Questions: I can't stress this enough. The interview is also your chance to learn about the company. So, I prepare some thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer. This shows that I'm not just focused on the job at hand but on the broader picture. - Confidence and Humility: Walk that fine line between being confident and humble. I always go into an interview sure of my skills but also open to learning. This balance can really impress interviewers. - Be Yourself: Authenticity has been my best asset in any interview. Being genuine helps the interviewer see the real you, and it makes the interaction more pleasant for both parties. - Follow Up: Once the interview is over, I make it a point to send a thank-you email, reinforcing my enthusiasm for the role and the company. Remember, showcasing your leadership isn't just about saying the right things... it's about communicating that you have a proven track record of leading effectively. As John C. Maxwell said, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." Wishing you all the best in your interviews! Do you have any tips to share? Let me know if these tips help you out. #JobInterview #Leadership #CareerGrowth

When the CEO asked me, '𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤?'  I was ready with a response that left an impression. I didn’t say how many years I had been with the company. 🙄 Or recite my role description. I communicated my VALUE. This sparked an engaging conversation, that allowed him and other leaders to learn more about me, creating a memorable interaction that helped me stand out.  Here’s the framework I used to confidently articulate my value: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿. Titles can be misleading. Think about your biggest strength and the impact of your work day-to-day. Including metrics or measurable results when talking about what you’re known for shows how you are delivering to company goals. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂.   What makes you great to work with? This is an easy way to highlight your skills and why people trust and value your input.  3️⃣ 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂.  Tie it to your passion or what drives you professionally and/or personally.  Here is an example of what I would say today: 𝘏𝘪, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘢, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘈𝘛𝘈𝘔. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘐𝘛 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘺 1, 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 84.1% 𝘵𝘰 88.5% 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳. 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦—𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘥𝘰.  𝘐’𝘮 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦? 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦. ✨ 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Tailor your pitch to the audience, too. For senior leaders, focus on outcomes. For networking, emphasize unique skills or passions.  Let’s practice, drop your introduction using this framework in the chat. ✍

How Do You Gain Leadership Experience Without a Formal Title? You’re in a team meeting, and the room is filled with chatter. You're not in a managerial position but just another team member in the hierarchy. Deadlines are fast approaching, and everyone seems overwhelmed. The manager also looks preoccupied, and no one is stepping up to organize the chaos. You notice this gap that needs to be filled. Someone has to bring structure, align the team, and ensure progress. But you’re not in charge—at least not officially. Thereafter you hesitate. Is this my place? But you want to lead, to inspire, and to drive change. You propose a way to organize tasks, volunteer to facilitate meetings and ensure everyone is aligned. Suddenly, people are listening to you, relying on your guidance, not because you have a title, but because you took ownership. This is what leadership without a formal role looks like. It’s about actions, not positions. It’s about creating impact, not waiting for authority. Here’s how anyone can build leadership experience without waiting for a promotion: 📌 Take initiative 📌 Be a problem solver 📌 Mentor and support 📌 Communicate effectively 📌 Ask for growth opportunities You can start leading from wherever you are. Leadership is a skill you grow into, and the journey begins with your first step. It is demonstrated through consistent effort and impact. What are some ways you’ve showcased leadership without a formal title?

"Why can’t I get to the next level? Why can’t I get a job leading the team?" That’s what someone asked me recently. They were frustrated. Stuck. They had all the right skills. The experience. The results. But the promotions weren’t coming. So I asked, “What story are you telling?” Turns out, their resume, cover letter, and interview approach all screamed star player—stats, achievements, MVP moments. But leadership roles don’t go to star players. They go to coaches. There’s a huge difference between "Look what I did!" and "Look what I helped others do." When you’re gunning for leadership, your story needs to shift—from being the engine to being the driver of the team. From solo success to shared victories. From taking the shot to setting others up to score. People don’t hire you for a leadership role just because you’re good at your job. They hire you for a leadership role when they see you can bring out the best in others. Want to move up? Start telling the story of the coach, not just the player. #Leadership #CareerGrowth #CoachingMindset #Storytelling #PromotionReady PerformancePoint LLC