3 Personal Leadership Skills To Master On The Path To Achievement

3 Personal Leadership Skills To Master On The Path To Achievement The first Personal Leadership skills I learned at the beginning of my career might surprise youI didnt start with positive affirmations or glorifying work-life balance.I started with daydreaming about what achievement really meant to me, because when I first started working I realized quickly that, despite the grueling hours, I didnt feel like I was achieving much of anything.When I was 30 years old and in my first job, I came as close as Id ever like to come to a mid-life crisis. I wascompletely overwhelmed. There were weeks I would work at my computer from 4 oclock in the morning to 9 oclock at night, in my pajamas, eating fast food, and drinking coffee all day long.It was exhausting. It was stressful! No matter how hard I worked, I never felt I was getting ahead in my career. At the end of one day, I just sank into my chair, totally exasperated. I remember thinking to myself, this is not the vision I have for my life.So you know what I did? I put down all that work, I closed my ey es, and I daydreamed. I dreamed about what I wanted my life to be.I wanted to have fun at work! I definitely wanted to advance in my career, and I wanted to make a difference. But if it wasnt too much to ask, I also wanted to enjoy my life along the way. That was the start of my journey. I believe I daydreamed my way into a new life.Now, as an Executive Coach, I spend my days helping people achieve what they want to achieve and lead the lives they want to live. Across the board, I find leaders essentially asking the one question that keeps them up at nightand its the same question for virtually everyone:How?!How do I reach my goals? How do I achieve my vision? How do I become the person I most want to be?You may be asking yourself the same question.The truth is, no one else will lead you to the kind of success you want, because yourethe only one who knows what success means to you. You have to lead yourself. I call that Personal Leadership. Its when you do what leaders do for yourse lf.Leaders define a compelling vision and inspire people to achieve it. Here, those inspired leaders are you! You consciously take on the role of a leader to define and achieve your own vision. Then you can lead yourself wherever you want.Think about what you want for your career and your life and start to see yourself as the leader who will get you there. Thats Personal Leadershipdefine and achieve your own vision, and then you can lead yourself wherever you want.When you master the practice of Personal Leadership, youll be inspired and reach higher goals, be happier at work and in your life, and, best of all, youll make your life easier.In my book,The Inner Edge, I describe 10 Practices of Personal Leadership. Taken together, they provide the Path to Achievement.The first practice: get clear on your goals.Its only possible to achieve what you want when youre clear about what it is you want. What do you want? Where do you see yourself? What do you secretly wish? Remember, this is y our vision. It can be as big as you want.A shortcut to finding clarity:Imagine your life just as youd like it to be.What are some of the things you want?What would your life look like?See yourself therewhere youve achieved that Big Goalbeing who you secretly know you can be!See how clear you can get. Thats important because that vision is your destination on the Path to Achievement.This sort of visualization is very powerful. Research shows that people who visualize themselves meeting their goals are twiceas confident that theyll achieve them. Your vision can be as big as you want because in your imagination you can let go of howyoure going to achieve your dreams, and just see them.Every time you start to doubt yourself, focus on that image. Soon it will become your reality, if you stay with it, keep leading yourself, and commit to continuing to Get Clarity.The second practice is to leverage your strengths.When you leverage your strengths, you do things faster, better, and more easi ly, because youre doing them in the way that comes naturally to you.Ask yourself:What do you love to do?What do you want to do more of?What do you do so well that you do it willingly, even if no one else asks?Maybe your strengths are technical, like engineering, coding, or solving a problem, or maybe theyre conceptual, like inventing something new. It might help to ask other people what your strengths are, like your partner or your boss.Once you discover your strengths, youll be a lot happier if you do more of them in your daily life.Gallup reports that people who focus on their strengths every day are 6x as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than 3x as likely to report having an excellent quality of life.If you can train yourself to look for opportunities to capitalize on your strengths, you will be one of only 25% of people who work in their sweet spot.The third practice is to live your values.What motivates you and makes you happy? What fulfills you?Your answer is the cl ue to your values. Living your values is both productive and rewarding, because youre doing things that matter to you. When you live out of synch with your values, you experience dissonance and stress. When you live in alignment with your values you experience harmony. And peace.Do a quick scan. On balance, do you feel more stressed or more peaceful?If the answer is stressed, think about how to bring into your life more of that thing that fulfills you.If youre a person who values creativity, but youre too busy plowing through emails to be innovative, youre likely to feel boxed in. You can alleviate the stress by looking for where you can express your creativity.If youre a person who values order, youre going to be out of sorts in a time of change. You can find peace by organizing your corner of the world or just ordering your thoughts, even if the world around you keeps changing.It takes practice to identify and align yourself with your values. Remember: If youre going to be success ful, you have to lead yourself. But, in the words of Lucille Ball, Thats a helluva start.Leading yourself and aligning yourself with your values doesnt have to result in a complete career switch, or giving up your paychecktake steps in phases, whatever you envision for yourself is possible.So now you have some simple strategies for practicing Personal Leadership.I say theyre simple, but that doesnt mean theyre easy. The process requires reflection and intention, but the return on investment can be astonishing.Return to the questions above concerning finding clarity on what fulfills you, and how you can make that your mission. Remember what your life looked like? That will become your reality when you lead yourself.Your life will feel transformed:Your work life: Youll invent something new, surpass your goals, or advance into a senior level of leadership.Your personal life: Youll be less stressed, enjoy your life more, have more time for the ones you love.You can look forward to all o f that when you practice Personal Leadership.So, the next time youre thinking about your aspirations, imagine yourself as the leader. And use the practices of Personal Leadership. When you do, you will achieve what you want to achieve and lead the life you want to live.So, what do you think?What will the daydream of your success look, and feel, like? What fulfills you? What motivates you and makes you happy?Share your vision with us in the comments section below!

Five Reasons Why You Arent Getting Promoted

Five Reasons Why You Arent Getting Promoted Do you ever feel like you are not getting the recognition you deserve and the promotion you feel should be yours? Read through the reasons that you may be getting overlooked and not getting promoted. If you identify with one of them, don’t worry, you can fix it!       No one knows what you are working on Are you one of those employees that takes on a lot of tasks but doesn’t like to make a big deal about it? This is hurting you. You need to let the right people know what you are working on and the amount of tasks you are responsible for. Even if you think your boss knows, you need to make sure it’s on their radar.  And your boss isnt the only one who should know.  Unfortunately there are managers out there that don’t give team members the credit they deserve. Network with senior managers in your department and others at your company. You rely on other people to advocate for you As I mentioned in the last section, other people don’t always have your best interests at heart. You need to advocate for yourself! Did you recently work on a big project that saved the company money? Ask to present  it in the next department meeting. So many people think that if they just come in and do a great job, it will be recognized and they will get a deserved promotion. The world doesn’t work that way. Even though it may be appreciated, people at your company aren’t going to bring up promotion in most cases. You keep your career goals to yourself You know how you have those objective setting meetings with your manager at the beginning of every year? In that meeting you told your manager your goal was to get promoted this year right? Well let’s hope so! How are they to know what you want if you don’t tell them? Don’t worry, just tell them in your next one-on-one meeting. If you don’t have meetings  with your manger now, please set them up. You should have their attention for at least thirty minutes once a month. You do the bare minimum I see this so often where people think they should be promoted because they do their job well. From your employer’s perspective, you doing your job well is exactly what they hired you for. If you want to be promoted, find ways to go above and beyond your peers. Are their projects you can work on? Processes you can improve? Ask your manager how you can help them and how you can take on more responsibility. Showing that initiative and delivering will help you get the level of attention you need to make it to the next level on the career ladder. You don’t get along with people To be promoted, you need to work well with others. If you are constantly disagreeing or shooting down other people’s ideas, you probably aren’t very popular on your team. Make an effort to listen to what people are saying and offer your feedback in a professional way. Pay attention to how you deliver the message and make sure it doesn’t sound condescending. Also, make sure to give people a win from time to time. Maybe you don’t agree exactly with something they said but if it is 90% there, let it go! Getting promoted requires a plan AND action Getting promoted is what most ambitious employees want.  The way to make it happen is to have a plan that includes these steps and then put that plan into action. Main photo credit: Got Credit

Red Flags in the Interview Process

Red Flags in the Interview Process Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'ncwEzP4QRdVZ3R_VEj1ncA',sig:'ZucrUMM3NstaOE6t3PZ0g6E37IUXliC14qtxwVNSSiQ=',w:'509px',h:'339px',items:'878980342',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); I’ve written many times that interviewing is very much like dating. You go through the same phases: attraction, flirtation, getting-to-know-you meetings, and finally, a proposal and moving in together. And as in dating, the early days of the hiring process are when recruiters and applicants are on their best behavior. That’s why red flags during the recruiting process should send you running in the opposite direction. Building a connection and trust with the candidate should be a primary goal of any recruiter, so if you find communication is spotty or frustrating during the hiring process, it should give you pause. Ghosting applicants is more than rude; it’s a sign that the company views people as commodities. You should not have to wonder if you’re still in the game after you’ve met with an interviewer; you deserve to hear back from the company promptly unless they’ve given you a clear schedule of how the interviewing process will go.   Not returning your calls is a way to make sure you know who has the power in the relationship. And it’s not you. One way to judge a prospective beau is by seeing what his exes have to say about him. Glassdoor reviews can reveal problems and let you know about the how long the hiring process will take. You can also reach out through LinkedIn to former employees who might provide insight on the company culture. Asking the right questions will help people open up. What did you like most about working there? If you could go back for an attractive position, would you work there again? What advice would you give me before I accept an offer? Trust your instincts when you visit the company and meet with staff. How do the workers interact with each other? Are they smiling? Does the interviewer come out on time or make sure to send someone to apologize that they’re running late from a previous meeting? Are you greeted warmly? Does he appear prepared for the interview and genuinely interested in what you have to say? Does she answer your questions openly and in sufficient detail? If you get a bad feeling during this early phase, when the company is presumably on its best behavior, you’re probably not going to feel valued when you’re part of the workforce they take for granted. If you’re getting mixed signals about key issues like salary, start date, or job duties, it’s a clear signal that you shouldn’t give up your current position without a detailed written job offer in hand. I’ve met many candidates who thought they had accepted a great job, only to find out the interviewer had been less than honest about the realities of the position. Promised reviews for raises never materialized, job duties changed, training and support resources were not sufficient to ensure success. Workers can be stuck for months in a miserable job while they look for something else and regret leaving the job they had. Especially if you’ve been looking for a job for a while, it can be easy to talk over the tiny voice in your gut that tells you to move on. We rationalize decisions and ignore the subconscious signals that this is not the right move right now. There will always be another opportunity somewhere in a company that will treat you right. “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” ~Maya Angelou

The Anti Death by Cubicle Plan for Every Career Girl

The Anti Death by Cubicle Plan for Every Career Girl Sitting in a cubicle (or a desk, or an office) for 8 hours or more a day isn’t the greatest thing you can do for your body.   A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine found that adults who sat for more than eight hours a day had a 15% greater risk of dying within 3 years than those who sat for fewer than four hours a day.   Your posture is probably taking a toll, too: If you sit in a cubicle like me, you’re blocked off from personal contact with your other office mates.   Many find that cubicles result in slow productivity and conjure up feelings of being “trapped in a box”. I had to sit in a cubicle for about 8 hours a day for a long period of time last year, and it was absolutely horrible.   The sitting for long periods of time, the lack of personal interaction with co-workers, and the never ending drones of desktop computers and keyboard strokes.  I knew there were thousands of offices across America that were just like mine, and millions of people were going through the exact same thing…and I had to do something about it. Since your office probably won’t be giving everyone a corner office with a nice big window or host fun and stimulating breaks every 3 hours, Ms. Career Girl’s got your back!   I have created a plan for you career girls out there to keep you happier, more active, and more sane during your 8-9 hour  (or more!) work day.   Since every career girl’s work schedule differs, here is a basic plan for you to follow every dayâ€"you can modify any area to fit your day better! Pre-work ritual: Wake up and eat a healthy breakfast.   Most people don’t eat breakfast and lets be real, they arent doing themselves any favors.   You absolutely NEED to jump start your metabolism.   You will feel more energetic and happier with something in your stomach.   Make sure to eat something with plenty of protein and carbs. What I typically eat for breakfast: egg omelet mixed with veggies OR a hearty bowl of whole grain cereal with lactose-free milk (I’m lactose-intolerant.   Aim for skim milk when possible!) 8:00 AM:  Arrive at work 9:00 AM:   Alternating leg squats and stretch.   Wake up those nice gams! Take turns doing one legged-squats, 10 on each leg.   With your hands on your hips, make sure your knees don’t go past your toes, and pull your bottom down as deep as you can go.   Repeat on each leg.   Afterwards, remain standing and stretch your full body from your legs to your neck.   It doesnt have to be a full-on stretching session, like what you do after an exercise class.   Just something brief will suffice. Position #1: Right leg squat Position #2: Left leg squat. Im in a skirt and Im aware that most of you will probably be wearing either a skirt or dress pants.  Since these wont give you much range of motion, squat as deep as your clothes will permit. We dont want you to rip your pants! 10:00 AM:   Drink water/ mid-morning snack. Most people do not consume enough water throughout the day.   Now is a good time to fill up your cup and drink up!   I try to shoot for at least 4 full cups of water during each half of the work day.   This is also a good time to eat your mid-morning snack, if needed.   Good options are: any fruit, celery sticks, granola bars, carrot sticks, or a few whole grain crackers. Heres my cup I keep at my desk for water.  Im a Mavs fan.GO MAVS! 10:30 AM: Socialize with a co-worker(s).   Like I mentioned before, cubicles reduce interpersonal interactions and  are a mode of isolation.   Walk around and say hi to your fellow workers.   Joke around in the break room.   Engage in conversation to take your mind off every day work stressors.  Be sure to keep the socializing  to only a few minuteswe dont want our bosses to be angry! 11:00 AM: Desk push-ups and stretch. Your desk is a great place to do push-ups! Put your arms straight onto the edge of your desk and position your body at about a 90 degree angle.  Push your bottom down so your entire body is STRAIGHT.  Proceed to do at least 10 push-ups or as many as you can.  If you have wrist or shoulder problems, just stay in position #1 (below) and hold for 60 seconds.  This will work out your shoulders, arms, and chest. Position #1: Arms straight, body in a straight line in a 90 degree position. Position #2: Lower your body down to the desk, resulting in a push-up.  Remember to aim your chest to your hands. 12:00 PM: Lunch.   Make healthy decisions regarding lunch.   What you eat will determine how you’re going to feel the rest of the day.   Stuffing yourself with too many carbs will make you sleepy and unproductive, while not eating enough will leave you hungry before the day is over. 1:30 PM: Short walk.   If you can, go for a light, 5-10 minute walk at least 30 minutes after youve completed lunch.   Remember, this is a LIGHT walkâ€"no power-walking or running.   A Mayo Clinic study has suggested that light exercise (like walking) after any meal can lower your blood sugar and prevent your body from storing fat.   This will help reduce the exhausting 2:30 feeling. 2:30 PM: Calf raises.   Stand with your feet flat on the ground.   If you’re wearing heels, take them off.   Do 50 calf raises at your own pace. Position #1: Feet flat on the ground, facing forward. Hands on your hips. Position #2: Rise up on your tip-toes and then lower yourself. 3:30 PM:  Stretch/water/mid-afternoon snack.   Just like you did at 10AM, except you’re adding in a brief stretch too. 4:30 PM: One last social break.   We get itâ€"the last 30-60 minutes of the work day tend to drag on forever!   Perhaps there is a question that you wanted to ask your co-worker, or you wanted to compliment your cube mate on her fabulous outfit.   Whatever it is, the last 30 minutes of work will fly by. 5:00 PM: Leave work!   Congrats, youve just completed your day the MCG way! These exercises/activities arent meant to take up a lot of your time and should only take up to 5 minutes, tops.   These exercises are also meant to  be light,  NOT rigorous.

Entry Level Resume Samples - How to Use Them to Help You Write Your First Resume

Entry Level Resume Samples - How to Use Them to Help You Write Your First ResumeYou will find many entry level resume samples for you to review online. These are all well written and include information to help you prepare for your interviews. Make sure you use the information on the samples as a guide, but have no hard and fast rules about how to word your resume.You want to make sure that your entry level resume is able to grab the attention of an employer and convince them that you are right for the job. If you use the samples and leave out key information then you will be wasting your time and that of the hiring manager.Look for a quality resume. The key is to be able to impress the hiring manager so that they feel you are the right person for the job. There are lots of online resume samples that will help you.Many people think that they have to have a college degree in order to get a job as a secretary or in a small business. This is not always true. You can get hired without a degree and with the entry level resume samples you can learn how to do it too.Find the style that is right for you when you are trying to get an entry level resume. This will help you stand out from the crowd and your resume will look professional.You will also find that many of the entry level resume samples that you will find online will have sample essays. This is great because you can put the essay to use and make it fit your career goals. This is a great way to find something that works for you.When you are ready to write your entry level resume then there are some things you should do before you start. First you need to make sure that your resume is formatted properly. Also it will be a good idea to make sure that your resume is reviewed by a professional so that you can get any errors corrected before you send it out.These are some tips that you should be aware of when you are preparing for your entry level resume. Remember that the entry level resume samples will help you wi th some things, but your resume will be the first thing that an employer sees.

5 Tips for Using Your Existing Knowledge Skills a New Career - CareerAlley

5 Tips for Using Your Existing Knowledge Skills a New Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. What if you wanted to change careers after completing your studies or working for many years in your qualified industry? Its never too late. You would have developed many skills and knowledge that are transferable to other industries and positions. You can use what you already know to explore other employment opportunities. Lets have a closer look at what some of these important areas are. You really are your own roadblock. If you are thinking about a new opportunity, reach out to those in that field and obtain some feedback based on their real-life experiences. Tweet This 1. Time Management Skills There are always deadlines or time-frames in which work needs to be completed for most roles. Time management not only encompasses this but also the ability to be organized and structures. This by far one of the strongest areas you can transfer to a new job or career but putting into place the skills you know whilst learning a new position and then doing the actual job once trained up. Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay 2. Communication Skills This is another beauty. You will always need to be communicating in any role you do, whether that is with colleagues or with clients, the skill set in this area can really take you places. Being a good communicator allows you to not only get your own messages across but to also listen and learn from others. This is significantly important when taking on a new career as you are quite possibly learning a large amount within the first 2 to 3 months before putting that new knowledge into practice. How to Make Yourself Promotable: 7 skills to help you climb the career ladder Price: $9.90 Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 1, 2020 3. Training Skills Its just a fact of life; people take on new roles and leave those roles for various reasons. But again, no matter what industry or area you are working in, there will always be training. Through your own job travels, you would have been asked to teach someone new when they came on board, and assist with part of their development. By being the trainer, you come to understand what you need when being trained. This skill gives you the ability to help structure some of your own learning in the best way that suits your own learning patterns. Image by Katie White from Pixabay 4. Specialized Expertise With particular qualifications and experience, you can actually branch out into a different career path. For example, an electrical engineer can move on to be an Intellectual Property lawyer for that area. Or a site manager specializing in building and construction can become a University or TAFE lecturer. The sky really is the limit, and the only thing thats in your way is the ability to realize this. 360Training Price: Creating learning for life. The Courses You Need for the Career You Want. Courses You Need We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 5. Programs Online Resources A large number of positions require you to learn and know how to use specific programs or access online resources. This is another skill you can transfer to your new career. They may not be identical in nature or use, but you would have used a method to learn these programs and access resources to help you do your job. Coach Training Alliance Free Workshop Price: Take a minute â€" right now â€" to sign up for the next live Becoming a Certified Coach workshop with a world-class CTA Certified Coach attend coach training workshop We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Conclusion: Dont give up on following your true calling and spreading your wings to reach your maximum potential. You really are your own roadblock. If you are thinking about a new opportunity, reach out to those in that field and obtain some feedback based on their real-life experiences. Its also a good way to learn about the positives and negatives of that career (no, not everything is roses!) It can definitely help you decide whether its worth taking that leap, and finally working in the area you have always wanted to. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Are You Ready to Be an Entrepreneur - Hire Imaging

Are You Ready to Be an Entrepreneur - Hire Imaging ENTREPRENEURIAL APPRAISAL Are you thinking about going into business for yourself? Perhaps you have a great idea for a new product or service? Maybe you’re considering starting your own consulting practice? Love the idea of being self-employed? If you answered yes to any of these, you may benefit from taking this quick Entrepreneurial Appraisal. It may help you evaluate whether or not you have the “entrepreneurial spirit and drive” that will be crucial to your success. To launch a business, you need to have the necessary product, service, and/or industry experience. It is equally important that you be able to grow a company, sell your products and/or services, understand the finances, hire and train the people, make tough decisions, and solve problems. Ask yourself if you’re willing to commit to the demands of self-employment â€" demands that will impact your knowledge, time, relationships, and energy! ENTREPRENEURIAL APPRAISAL Have you clearly defined your expertise and your business concept? __Yes ___ No Do you think deep down, that your proposed business venture will be successful? ___Yes ___No Have you identified a specific market for your business products and/or services? ___Yes ___No Do you know who your competition is, what they do, and what they charge? ___Yes ___No Have you crafted a formal business plan? ___Yes ___No Have you conveyed your business concept to others to obtain their feedback? ___Yes ___No Do you have a marketing, advertising, or promotional plan in place? ___Yes ___No Do you have budget, revenue, and income or other projections in place? ___Yes ___No Have you consulted with an accountant or financial adviser? ___Yes ___No Have you sought the advice from legal counsel? ___Yes ___No Are you self-disciplined? ___Yes ___No Do you have tenacity and persistence; the ability to roll with the punches? ___Yes ___No Do you have a strong ambition that moves you to action? ___Yes ___No Do you have a positive mindset nearly all the time? ___Yes ___No Are you focused, diligent, and resolute? ___Yes ___No Are you enthusiastic, personable, and engaging? ___Yes ___No Do you have a boat-load of energy? ___Yes ___No Are you intelligent? ___Yes ___No Do you have high integrity and ethics? ___Yes ___No Are you willing to work harder than you may have in your life? ___Yes ___No Is your family supportive? ___Yes ___No Can you accept constructive criticism without being defensive? ___Yes ___No Can you think independently? ___Yes ___No Can you make decisions? ___Yes ___No Can you solve problems? ___Yes ___No Do you thrive in challenging and fast-paced settings? ___Yes ___No Can you handle the constant change and shifts that a new business requires? ___Yes ___No Can you work autonomously without supervision? ___Yes ___No Can you handle disappointment and then move forward? ___Yes ___No Do you think you can always learn from others? ___Yes ___No Are you well organized? ___Yes ___No Are your written communication skills good? ___Yes ___No Are your oral communication skills good? ___Yes ___No Are you driven to succeed â€" hungry for it? ___Yes ___No Can you charge on during difficult times? ___Yes ___No Are you comfortable speaking in public? ___Yes ___No Are you a creative, strategic, visionary, and even tactical thinker? ___Yes ___No Are you adaptable and flexible? ___Yes ___No Can you persevere through tough times? ___Yes ___No Do you have the financial resources to support yourself during the startup phase? ___Yes ___No Can you live comfortably in a high-risk employment situation? ___Yes ___No Can your mind and body handle unusual amounts of high stress? ___Yes ___No Do you understand that calculated risks can lead to fabulous opportunities? ___Yes ___No Does a great deal of your self-image and self-worth come from your work? ___Yes ___No Do you really hanker for success and self-satisfaction? ___Yes ___No Are you ready now? ___Yes ___No Although there is no one-size-fits-all, if you’ve answered “Yes” to more than 25 of these questions, you may be prime for being a successful entrepreneur. Take your time, plan well, and steadily move forward! I always love to hear from you! Please comment below.