Personal Branding - Danger, Danger - Flying Below the Radar Can Hurt You

You work hard and accomplish a lot for your organization. Everybody already knows your value to the company, right? So why aren't you getting those promotions and plum projects?

I've worked with many corporate women in the last 20 years. More often than not, their greatest stumbling block to getting rewarded and recognized has been their invisibility to decision makers. Once they started showing up on the decision maker's radar screen, these women began to make steady advances in their careers.

If you aren't on their radar screen, decision makers will look elsewhere to people they remember when considering promotions and who to assign to plum projects.

When you work hard, get results, and nobody knows about it, you're flying below the radar of the decision makers. Remember the saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease?" It's just as true for a corporate employee. When you don't "squeak," you can't be heard. Basically, you're unseen, unknown, under promoted.

There are two main reasons women resist taking action to get on the radar of decision makers. Fear of being noticed and not knowing how to show up on the right radar.

Fear of being noticed - Does being visible sound exciting or does it make you slightly nauseated?

One of my very successful friends hit the nail on the head when she told me that being visible used to scare her to death. She was afraid that if she became visible, she would be open to criticism and that can be very scary. If this is an issue for you, consider how much the rewards of being on your boss's radar outnumber the scary risks - some of which are phantoms invented by your own imagination.

Don't take criticism personally. The majority of criticism handed out in the corporate world isn't intended to crush you. It might be no more than a different point of view. Take the high road. Ask yourself if there is value in the criticism. If yes, then decide what you can learn from it. If not, release the criticism like a little annoying bug.

Don't let fear disable you. You don't have to do it alone. Enlist the help of people you trust and respect - your boss, your peers, a mentor, a professional coach.

Not knowing how to show up on the right radar-Try these three surefire steps to increase your presence on the radar of decision makers:

Identify the key decision makers inside and outside your department and learn what they value.Make sure decision makers know you exist by getting involved in initiatives they think are important.Understand how people within your company perceive you. Know who they think you are. This is your current personal brand.

Remember, if you want the rewards and recognition you deserve, your name must be the first one that pops up when a plum project begins to form or a promotion becomes available. You increase your chances of this happening when decision makers see you as a solid blip on their radar screen.

Stop languishing in obscurity. Enjoy your journey to greater career success by taking action today.

Linda Fossum coaches corporate women on how to move from being overworked and underappreciated to recognized and rewarded. Get started today. Request the free "Danger, Danger - Flying Below the Radar Can Hurt You" worksheet at http://rechargeyourcareer.com/ to learn more about these three surefire steps. Sign up for one of our free Lunch and Learn webinars at http://rechargeyourcareer.com/workshops to find out more about increasing your visibility to the right people within your organization.

Original article

Leadership Coaching: What Is Personal Leadership?

Leadership is an ideal. People need leadership. They want it and respect it. But the thing with leadership is that it is much boasted but not a lot is accomplished, just like sexual braggadocio in a boys' locker room. There are many views of leadership as posited by management theorists. For instance, there is transformational leadership wherein leaders transform organizations based on a single vision. Situational leaders, on the other hand, exert guidance and direction when the situation calls for it. There is no one best leadership for all situations, but there is the right place for the right kind of leadership.

There is one type of leadership which is crucial but often overlooked- personal leadership. Acute self-confidence fortified by understanding and conviction is the major element of personal leadership. A leader of this sort knows personal mastery. He/she knows where they stand and where they are going and are willing to make the sacrifices to get there. One's beliefs and core values are essential in leading others.

Personal Leadership Situations

Here are some examples wherein personal leadership is exerted:

A woman who's just starting on her career recognizes a problem in their team and decides to do something to correct it.A leader of one team decides to approach the leader of the counterpart team to discuss how both their teams can cooperate better.A manager takes time to get to know his/her people by holding meetings without an agenda. He/she initiates talks to obtain feedback from subordinates.A manager that endeavors to teach both old and new employees about the norms of the organization and what his/her expectations are from and for the employees.

Personal mastery is demonstrated in these situations. The person becomes a leader who does something worthy without being told. He/she has taken the time to help people do their jobs more effectively. A "man on a white horse" is not depicted in these instances, but rather leaders who are grounded with the common sense to accomplish the job.

So what makes management really effective? Is good management about administering and directing skills? Management is a science of procedures and theories, and at the same time, management is an art. A good manager is also a leader who has the personal vision to take the initiative to do. A leader knows what needs to be done and is willing to do it. Personal leadership comes from within a person. It's strength comes from self confidence, self-knowledge and core beliefs.

By the way, do you want to learn more about leadership in your company? If so, download your FREE eBook here: Guide to Elegant Courage Leadership

Jodi and Mike specialize in executive coaching with individuals and teams. http://lighthouse-leadership.com/

Original article

Leadership Coaching: The Qualities Of Personal Leadership

Personal leadership stems from personal mastery. It is when a person knows what needs to be done and takes the initiative to do it even without being told. The major element of personal leadership is self- confidence strengthened by conviction and understanding. What are the qualities of personal leadership?

Traits Of A Personal Leader

Centered. A leader needs to understand himself first before he can lead others. Know your own mind if you want to be a leader. A centered person has a sense of grounding which may come from his family, his education or spiritual beliefs.
Outward- directed. If you know yourself and are self- confident, people will feel they can trust you and easily follow. Are you secure in your beliefs? People will naturally follow a leader if they feel he is credible. The most important factor in leadership and followerships is confidence. A follower should have the confidence to follow his leader.
Conviction. A leader needs to have courage. Are you able to take a stand on uncomfortable issues? Your conviction determines the success of your goal, whether it is the completion of a project, a new marketing initiative or the development of a new application, for example. You should know how to exert your will and adhere to it, and that takes courage. Having the courage of conviction is not the same as being bull- headed. A good leader knows the difference between unreasonable stubbornness and being resolute but prudent enough to listen to others.
Liberating. This means knowing how to look outward yet being secure within yourself at the same time. You are able to free yourself from the bother of second guessing. One of the most important tasks of a leader is to delegate responsibility. Labor is divided, after which the leader stands back to let people do their job. In this case, personal leadership is liberating. It allows people and the team as a whole to fulfill their own potential.

As a leader grows and expands, so does their leadership. A leader exerts personal responsibility over themselves and others. As a result, the leader as a person, and other people become better.

Leadership then, has to be personal. It is something that comes from the core beliefs and self confidence of an individual. From himself as a solid source of strength, leadership then endeavors to make other people and the organization better and ultimately become successful. Make leadership personal.

By the way, do you want to learn more about leadership in your company? If so, download your FREE eBook here: Guide to Elegant Courage Leadership

Jodi and Mike specialize in executive coaching with individuals and teams. http://lighthouse-leadership.com/

Original article

Personal Leadership Success - The 5 Characteristics of Personal Leadership

As the business world moves faster and faster, leaders must abandon old models that hasten them to frantically keep up in favor of more powerful paradigms that more wisely leverage their talent, teams and time.

We need a better way. Leaders can improve the situation, as well as their results, by investing in their own possibilities - transforming their business by transforming themselves.

Now and in the years to come, successful leaders will be the ones who practice personal leadership.

Personal leadership is the ability to tap into your rich stores of potential in each and every leader, so that they bring their very best to the attainment of a powerful vision.

Traditionally, leadership evokes images of the visionary. Leaders have the ability to engage and empower an effective team, define and focus on priorities, tie action to a well-defined and relevant mission, and elicit results through motivation, persuasion and encouragement. In this way, they create and attain a new future for a group of people, an organization, or a business.

Yet all of these things presume a sound personal core. Leaders must also work on themselves to be convincing in all these endeavors. That's where personal leadership comes in.

In a very positive, unselfish way, personal leadership means putting yourself first. Literally speaking, personal means 'about you;' leadership means 'coming first.' It's about you coming first - but doing so in the service of the greater good as you propel yourself and others toward your vision. It's about moving forward confident in the knowledge that when you are at your best, people will follow.

Let's look at some of the defining characteristics of personal leadership.

Renewing: Unlike a take-no-prisoners approach to leadership, personal leadership offers an element of renewal - a way for leaders to slow down and move forward in a way that sustains their energy, brainpower and enthusiasm.

Rewarding: You don't have to leave your high-powered job to do volunteer work in Third World countries to find meaning and fulfillment. You can find your sense of purpose in your heart and bring it to your work, no matter what you do for a living.

Reflective: Personal leadership relies on thoughtfulness. It involves constant questioning about where you are, where you're going, what's working, what's not working, and what needs to change. In the machine-gun model of leadership, reflection is the "aim" that's gone missing. Reflection is a way of improving your marksmanship so you know you'll hit your targets every time.

Respectful: One grave issue with current models of leadership is the threat they pose to quality of life. In the name of achievement, leaders everywhere are sacrificing their health, their home life and their happiness. Personal leadership respects the needs of leaders as well as their results.

Raising the Bar: You might think that all of these attributes require a trade-off in productivity and progress. The opposite is actually true. Instead of just meeting expectations, you exceed them. Personal leadership makes it possible to do more, be more, have more, achieve more, and do it with more zeal.

Personal leadership is about leading from within. It is the foundation for all leadership, whether it's the leadership of ideas, of other people, or of organizations. It is clarity of self - of who you are, what you stand for, where you're going, and what you have to contribute. It is the management of your gifts, strengths and talents toward your purpose. It is the constant striving for improvement, a commitment to growth and a devotion to being the best you you can be. Finally, it is the expression of oneself in a way that achieves a compelling vision and a significant contribution.

Joelle K. Jay, Ph.D. is an executive coach who strategizes with business leaders to enhance performance and maximize business results. Her book, The Inner Edge: The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership ( http://joellekjay.com/the-inner-edge/ ), reveals the leadership strategies practiced in America's most successful and admired companies by their highest achieving leaders. Her free newsletter, Inner Edge Insights, offers articles, exercises, tips, quotes, and success stories from real leaders to help you excel. Subscribe now! Click here: http://joellekjay.com/the-inner-edge/the-inner-edge-quarterly/.

Original article

Personal Leadership In Action

Whats your breaking point? Here is personal leadership in action. A young stay at home mother one day asks her husband for 10 bucks. The husband asks what for? Silently Ann (The young mother) was disgusted. She promised herself before that day ended that she would never ask for money again from her hubby.

She immediately started to study opportunity. She put in the hours, she did the classes. This woman has no formal education but something changed in her when she was asked to explain herself to her husband for a measly 10 bucks. Ultimately the reason she asked that day was for her child and it was her child who became the reason why she embarked on her new journey. That was all of 20 years ago when Ann was 20 living in New York State.

Now 20 years on Ann lives in New York city and funnily enough is with the same man. There is also a lesson to learned here and the lesson is forgiveness. Ann would never be the person she is today unless her hubby reacted like that on that faithful day. Ann now is a managing director of a multi-national company based out of New York. She earns a 7 figure salary and she has kept her promise. Since that faithful day she has never had to ask her hubby for money once again. What a remarkable story. Ann now holds a business degree as well as a Masters in Business (MBA).

Here is what you can learn from Ann's story. No matter where you are in your life right now, there is always time to change. A man in his eighties told me last year that he had been very successful in business up to now but his best is yet to come. Your best is also yet to come but you must make a ruthless decision. I say ruthless because decision comes from the Latin work "to cut" or to "cut off". When you cut off something, you are without something for life. It is permanent.

It is the same with a decision. When one really makes a decision, there is no way back. Decide now, what do you want and if you know what it is, go after it with the vigor and strength you know you possess, something similar to Ann. A wise man once said "Nothing can stop a person who will stake their very existence for their purpose" which basically means I will achieve this or die.

So my question to you is "are you ready to find out who you really are? "

Jack Foley Is An Extremely Successful Online Investing Mentor In the Home Based Business Niche. Download His Free Gift Here At His Website Residual-Income-Home-Based-Business.

Original article