confident step forward. Understanding where you are and where you've come from is key to knowing where you're trying to go next. In today's world, it can seem like we all need to know our next move at a moment's notice. But in order to do that, you have to spend time reflecting on what makes you happy, energized, and motivated to be your best self in the workplace. I truly believe that most professionals can find a job. Now they may not like that job, but there is a job to be found if times got tough. However, finding a career takes a deeper level of reflection.
While you're reading this book, take a moment to ask yourself questions that will help hone in on what you're looking for. I'll offer lots of suggestions in the Your Next Move sections, but don't hesitate to incorporate a few of your own, such as:
When you think about your entire career, what are you most proud of?
What are the commonalities about the jobs you really enjoyed?
What are the commonalities about the jobs you didn't like?
What type of support do you need from your manager and peers?
What are the top three adjectives you use to describe your ideal workplace and company?
All of these questions will help you get one step closer to figuring out your next move. Some answers will stay the same, and many will change over time. This book is here for you to revisit as you continue to make transitions throughout your career because what you need right now will most likely not be what you need two to three years from now. In the same way there are metaphors about making friends for a particular season of your life, your career works the same way. You may stumble upon a company that was perfect for you as you learned how to become a great manager through leading project based assignments, but once you've learned all that you needed to learn, that season will come to an end. In order to continue to grow and evolve, your next season needs to include a company that will allow you to manage a team directly. The original company may have that opportunity for you, or you may need to change departments or move to a new opportunity outside of the company.
There is no right or wrong next move as long as you're strategic and intentional about what you need in your next season. In many of the later chapters, I also start to talk about incorporating feedback. Many of us may incorporate feedback when making big life decisions from our friends, family, and mentors, so why should our career be any different? I'll be with you on every page of this book, but if you're not a coaching client of mine, there are going to be professionals whom it would be helpful for you to call when you have a great interview and want to strategize on next steps. They're also going to be people you call when you don't get the job and need a boost of encouragement or help staying focused on your goal.
The reality is that you may not get every job you apply to. In this book, I even share one of the most painful job searches I've ever experienced. Just because I'm a “career and leadership” expert doesn't mean I've landed every job that I've applied for. Years ago, there weren't as many resources, career coaches, experts, or even just information floating around on the Internet to help you – but luckily, things have dramatically changed. I'm very proud to add this book that you're holding to that library of resources available to help you take your career to the next level.
We're almost to Chapter 1, but allow me to share this last piece of information with you first: In the beginning of my career, I never caught onto the subtle hints about career tactics that I overheard in conversations or read in biographies from leaders I respected. I felt inspired by their words, yet I remained unclear about what to do next. Well, I don't want you just to be inspired and motivated after reading this book. I want you to spring into action to change the trajectory of your career.
The time is now!
Part One
You must get clear on where you are coming from before you decide where you are going.
Chapter 1 Serving as a People Leader Is a Privilege, Not a Rite of Passage
Career Affirmation: I will lead my team in the way I would like to be led.
When I started writing this book, I envisioned writing my next book solely about managing people. However, it is especially important to include information in this book about becoming a people leader or currently serving as a people leader because your management experience can be an overlay to your entire career. Sadly, in most professionals' careers, management opportunities have become a rite of passage instead of an intentional move. When you do great work, you get more responsibilities. To manage more responsibilities, frequently you must manage people to get all the work done. In many organizations, upward mobility may be dependent upon managing people, but one of the biggest pieces of feedback I hear from clients seeking more senior‐level roles that involve managing people is that they do not have management experience. It's a vicious catch‐22. The only thing that makes this worse is that managers who have never had a great manager model positive behavior can become terrible managers.
Throughout my career, I've taken the most pride in being a people leader. No matter the individual tasks I have been charged with, executing them with precision has never been a concern for me. Despite managing priorities, tight deadlines, and sometimes conflicting information, I know that I can deliver impactful work. However, nothing has given me more joy than developing talent.
Doing your job is what you have been hired to do; leading people is a form of art in the workplace. As a manager, it is my duty to ensure that the professionals who report to me execute their assignments at a high level and that I prepare them for their next role inside or outside the company. It is mismanagement to ignore that there is a next step for everyone on your team after their current role. Whether that person desires to be in their manager's role or another role at the company, it's important to prioritize his or her development and the day‐to‐day assignments he or she must complete.
When I spoke with my husband about adding this content to the book, he asked me if I have ever had a great manager. If I am brutally honest, the answer would be that I have only had one. I have had several bad managers, one or two good managers, but only one I would consider great. At that time, great meant that I felt protected in the workplace. The whole notion of needing protection in the workplace is an indication of a toxic work environment, but at the time, this particular manager advocated for fair practices for our team, stood up to senior leadership that constantly devalued the work of employees, brainstormed solutions to complex problems, and fostered an environment in which the team would be able to disagree openly but respecting other team members during tough conversations was always top of mind. My ideas of what a great manager is have continuously evolved since that role early in my career, but I define a great manager by the following behaviors:
Creating dedicated time on a weekly or biweekly basis to discuss my work, receive feedback, and remove roadblocks preventing me from executing at the highest level.
Advocating for me and my work when I am not in the room.
Regularly engaging in career development conversations (outside of weekly/biweekly check‐ins).
Providing consistent feedback on my work performance with specific examples to highlight where better decisions or a higher quality of work could have been produced.
Providing detailed, written feedback in mid‐year and end‐of‐year performance reviews.
Creating an environment that fosters collaboration
