Can it still be news that each of us must firmly place ourselves in the driver’s seat of our careers? I ask because very few people seem to actually put themselves in that seat! Intellectually, most people recognize the concept that your boss or your organization will want you … until the day they don’t. But when it comes to taking proactive steps that truly reflect that concept, frankly, most of us are asleep at the wheel.
What does it mean to be in the driver’s seat? What does it look like to be in constant action managing our careers? And if you are a leader, once you have nailed this concept for yourself, how are you clearing the way for others to better navigate their careers?
As any good flight attendant would tell you: strap on your oxygen mask first, then help those around you with theirs. So here are my top tips for getting yourself in the driver’s seat of your own career, and how attending Leadercast in your community or Leadercast live in Atlanta fits into the roadmap:
For You:
• Invest your time, energy and resources in reading books, listening to podcasts, and attending quality conferences, events and workshops. Yep, even if you have to pay for them yourself. That is why it is called investing in you.
• At live events, you have the opportunity to learn from thought leaders who address key topics and what’s trending right now – keeping you aware of where the opportunities are for personal and professional growth. You also get a chance to network with like-minded people whom you don’t know, and, if you bring them along, spend time with your leaderships team and/or your clients. All-day events are a unique opportunity to continue building relationships.
• Make it an ongoing priority to connect with people in your network whom you respect. Commit to a coffee or lunch once a month with someone with whom you want to continue to build a relationship. Once a quarter, reach out to someone new that you’d love to have in your network.
For Your Team:
• Off-site events give people permission to breathe and the space to focus on themselves. Is everything at work such an emergency that 125 percent of everyone’s time and energy must always be fully engaged and moving at 80 mph? I doubt it. That’s a sure way to lose your best people.
• When you attend an event, it’s about being present in the moment. Your team members have time to take in new ideas and connect with others. For events such as Leadercast, team members can continue to focus on their personal development by subscribing to the online platform which offers the live event speakers’ presentations – along with hundreds of other speakers—sharing their true stories and insights on leadership.
• Encourage your team to find events and workshops that interest and inspire them, including broad topics such as innovation, leadership, team building—instead of solely attending training that covers specific skills-building.
• Find opportunities to learn together. It can be so powerful to have your whole team hear the same messages simultaneously, as this creates the opportunity to gain momentum when you return to the office refreshed and aligned.
By attending Leadercast, you can check off all of the above advantages in one day! Talk about being wildly productive! Global thought leaders, inspirational and cutting-edge messages, and an opportunity to breathe the same air as thousands of like-minded professionals. Point the GPS of your career bus toward a Leadercast event near you. You can’t help but elevate your career game.
