One of the rude awakenings for leaders promoted from within a team is the uncomfortable recognition that the easy camaraderie of the pre-promotion days immediately gives way to an awkward distancing of relationships. Congratulations on your promotion. Oh, and you’re no longer part of the gang
very academic quarter for the past few years, a good colleague has invited me to be a guest speaker in her senior-level college management class and talk about leadership. I'm on the schedule tonight and I love this experience. It’s great to have to stand in front of a group of early-career professionals and go through the humbling experience of recognizing that you are talking based on the road traveled and their view is on the unchartered horizons in front of them.
My parting observation is that it is absolutely essential for us to explore and develop our skills and talents in our professional lives. Life is precious and preciously short, and it's a good idea to quit wasting time and start sorting out how to leverage our strengths and talents in our work.
Job search is a hot topic right now, and I received a number of notes from individuals who read my Irreverent Opinions of a Resume Hobbyist post the other day, asking for input about how to craft a Personal/Professional Value Proposition to support their job-hunting activities. I said in the post that I view this as the hardest task in developing an effective resume (and self-marketing strategy), and is the area where you will likely spend the most time creating content and agonizing over wording.
Marketing yourself is a tough job and one of the most important jobs that you will ever undertake. And then undertake again. And again. I have no claims on “expert” status when it comes to personal marketing materials, but I do have claims on hiring expert talent to grow businesses. Somewhere out there is a hiring executive hoping that the next superstar is in that pile of paper or e-mail messages. A little common-sense advice might just help you stand out and show this executive why you are the answer.
