How to strategically network above you to get the promotion you deserve

 

 

By Lisa Lutoff-Perlo

 

Have you ever felt like you were ready for a promotion but passed over? Overly qualified for a job, but rejected? Thought you were next in line for your boss’s role, but told by another leader that you weren’t ready? If so, then you’re far from alone.

As former President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo knows all about the frustrating waiting game that many executives face when trying to take their career from one level to the next. In her latest book, “Making Waves: A Woman’s Rise to the Top Using Smarts, Heart and Courage,” she explains her 30-plus year career journey at Royal Caribbean International and how she eventually became a chief executive officer, making her the first woman to lead one of the company’s cruise line brands.

In the below excerpt, Lutoff-Perlo, who now serves as Vice Chairman of External Affairs for the Royal Caribbean Group, discusses how networking and building relationships with colleagues who were at least one to two levels above her at work led her to her dream role. — Courtney Connley

Excerpt from “Making Waves: A Woman’s Rise to the Top Using Smarts, Heart and Courage.”

One of the lessons I learned at a critical time in my career was that I hadn’t navigated my career at least two levels above and more broadly across our organization. At that time, I worked directly for two men at different brands who had vacated their presidency roles, and both believed I was the right person for their position. They even recommended me for it. But I hadn’t navigated my career above or beside them. I had only navigated my career as their direct report. This made my exposure limited and didn’t help me get either position, despite the recommendations. Continue reading

Do You Really Want To Lead? Here’s A Reality Check Before That Promotion

 

 

 

by Adam Bryant

 

You’ve been crushing it as an individual contributor, and now your bosses have come to you to talk about stepping up into a leadership position. Or maybe an opening has come up for a team-leader role, and you’re thinking it’s time for you to throw your hat in the ring and take on the challenge of your first management position.

Before you make that leap to leader, though, I urge you to hit the pause button and spend some time to hold a mirror up to yourself and examine your motivations. Because leading others is harder than it looks from a distance.

That’s not to say it won’t be incredibly fulfilling to have a broader impact, to be able to achieve through others, and to feel the rewards of coaching others to raise their game and lift the trajectory of their careers.

But managing and leading others have always been difficult, and these roles have become even more difficult in the last few years. People who take on their first management role are often surprised to find out how much of their day is consumed by people issues and putting out fires. It can be hard to get work done at work, and so the day starts earlier and ends later, and the work often bleeds into weekends.

The expectations of leaders have grown exponentially, as the lines between personal and professional lives have blurred. Employees want their managers to be authentic, compassionate, human and vulnerable, while the bosses of those same managers are also putting more pressure on them to drive performance. And all the broader societal problems and issues have bled into the workplace, requiring managers and leaders to navigate divisive issues with the skill of a politician.

In my experience, people do not spend enough time researching the day-to-day realities of the jobs they are about to take on. By contrast, when high school students are considering which college to attend, many of them go on ambitious tours with their parents to visit a number of campuses to figure out which one feels right to them.

But with management and leadership jobs, there are so many broader forces that carry people along into these roles, as if they were simply being swept along by a powerful tide. After all, management roles often bring with them a raise, more impressive title and a bigger workspace at the office (for those still working in an office). Through social media, announcements of a big promotion lead to a shower of likes. And then the surprising reality of the job settles in.

You may be thinking that I sound grim. That is not my intention. The world needs better leaders, and I have the utmost respect for anyone who appreciates the privilege and responsibility of these roles. My advice here is two-fold: Do some research by talking to people about what these roles entail, to minimize the chance that you are surprised by what you encounter when you step into them. Know what you are getting into.

Second, be clear on your “why.” If it just for more money or power, those aren’t going to sustain you long-term. Yes, the pay bump can be meaningful, but the additional money may not feel worth it, given the additional challenges you’re facing every day. And power? That’s not going to cut it, either. While there are still too many companies that tolerate bad bosses, the tolerance among employees for command-and-control managers is dwindling.

So what should be your why? Your answer will be as unique as your fingerprints, but I do believe that it should about more selfless motivations—that you want to have an impact and lift your organization and the members of your team. That will be the strongest tailwind for you when you encounter the inevitable headwinds of leadership roles.

 

Source: Forbes

This personality type can help create a healthy workplace culture..

 

 

 

 

by Jose Ucar

 

When it comes to communication, there are three effective strategies that can help you influence people and create a positive shift in their perspectives and actions:

 

1) The conveyor: this involves directing and telling people what to do, providing clear instructions and guidance to achieve desired outcomes.

2) The coach: this approach revolves around asking individuals how they would handle a situation, encouraging their input and guiding them towards their own solutions.

3) The challenger: by challenging the way people are currently approaching things and fostering healthy discussions, you can stimulate critical thinking, creativity and innovation, leading to positive changes in their behaviours and commitment levels.

Each of these strategies involves taking on a persona of some kind, in this article I will cover the conveyor strategy/persona and how this can help to create a feedback culture.

This strategy focuses on delivering information in a manner that prompts individuals to shift and act. When presenting information within this framework, frankness will be crucial, but your approach should be tailored to the individual, cultural context and situation. This is laying the groundwork for effective ongoing communication, and you may need to acquaint the person with this style if it diverges from their typical approach.

When taking on the role of the conveyor, the goal is to communicate from a point that integrates heart, mind, and body. This will enable you to feel what you want to say and to think about the person you are saying it to; to rationalize the situation to find the best way to say something so that it has the intended impact; and to present the message with congruence in your physiology and tonality. These skills represent the basis for the conveyor.

Continue reading

Three “Bad Boss” Habits to Avoid in 2024

 

 

 

 

by Graham Ward, INSEAD

 

 

 

Resist the urge to emotionally detach, control outcomes or blindly comply.

As the new year swings open its doors, promising a fresh start and a burst of motivation, it also brings the daunting prospect of having to do it all over again. Despite our best efforts to lead with empathy, authenticity and clarity, we often find ourselves slipping back into bad habits that can frustrate our teams and harm our organisations. 

The characteristics of good bosses is a subject of ongoing debate. Countless books are written on the topic each year, many of which offer inconclusive findings. However, certain fundamentals remain unquestionable: a clear vision; a well-defined and aligned strategy; an inclusive, intellectually stimulating, and creative work environment; and a commitment to developing employees to their full potential.

While this looks achievable on paper, events often derail us from our “true north”. When emotions run high, we become susceptible to falling into three mindsets that undermine our effectiveness and erode trust within our teams.

1.The self-protector

These leaders are driven by a need for self-preservation, which manifests as aloofness and a preference for intellect rather than empathy in their leadership approach. For these bosses, displaying vulnerability is considered a sign of weakness. This emotional detachment creates a sense of distance and disengagement among their followers. 

Often found in engineering and scientific fields, these leaders need to recognise that vulnerability is not a weakness but rather an appealing and humanising quality.

Pope Francis is a great example of a leader who tried to bridge the distance between himself and his followers. Unlike his predecessor, Joseph Ratzinger, he has made himself a man of the people by making bold strategic decisions that break with tradition and expressing himself with candour and authenticity. 

Continue reading

Three “Bad Boss” Habits to Avoid in 2024

 

 

 

 

by Graham Ward

 

Resist the urge to emotionally detach, control outcomes or blindly comply.

 

As the new year swings open its doors, promising a fresh start and a burst of motivation, it also brings the daunting prospect of having to do it all over again. Despite our best efforts to lead with empathy, authenticity and clarity, we often find ourselves slipping back into bad habits that can frustrate our teams and harm our organisations. 

The characteristics of good bosses is a subject of ongoing debate. Countless books are written on the topic each year, many of which offer inconclusive findings. However, certain fundamentals remain unquestionable: a clear vision; a well-defined and aligned strategy; an inclusive, intellectually stimulating, and creative work environment; and a commitment to developing employees to their full potential.

While this looks achievable on paper, events often derail us from our “true north”. When emotions run high, we become susceptible to falling into three mindsets that undermine our effectiveness and erode trust within our teams.

1.The self-protector

These leaders are driven by a need for self-preservation, which manifests as aloofness and a preference for intellect rather than empathy in their leadership approach. For these bosses, displaying vulnerability is considered a sign of weakness. This emotional detachment creates a sense of distance and disengagement among their followers. 

Continue reading