Think Differently About Engaging with Your Organization’s Top Leaders

Your assumption that they're busy doing top-leader things and don't want to hear from you is partially flawed. Most senior leaders I've worked with and around love to hear from individuals at all levels. Here are five ideas to help you think differently about engaging with your organization's top leaders:

Help Aspiring Managers Explore and Experiment Before Leaping into the Role

Moving from contributor to manager is one of the most awkward transitions a person will undertake in their working life. It's an unnatural act, where you take almost everything you know about success in your day job and push it over into the "Never Mind" column.Instead of perpetuating the "hope" approach to identifying and developing new managers, try my favorite question, "Why manage?" three times, backed by some exploration and experimentation.

Ignore these Five Facts of Organizational Life at Your Peril

The "I" topic for influence comes up regularly in my emerging leader coaching calls. Individuals frustrated with their assignments or feeling as if they're being bypassed for the best opportunities mostly share one common thread: they are under-invested in striving to grow their workplace influence. Here are five unavoidable facts of life that suggest influence development must be part of your work.

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