Breaking Ladders

Are you overwhelmed by email? Did you know there are billions of emails sent each year without any signs of slowing down? If you are a leader, email can quickly bury you so here are some strategies, ideas and questions to ask to help you better manager your inbox.

What questions should you ask yourself if you are thinking about becoming a leader at your company? What does that mean to your home life and personal life? What things could sway you one way or the other and what should you be on the lookout for?

New managers drive results, maintain and develop talent and yet 70% of them don't want to have hard conversations and 80% have no training. Would you do that with any other function in the company? No way! This episode talks about the surprises of new managers, what often happens and thoughts of how to prepare if it's a step you want to take.

Most people want a win-win in a conflicting situation, but many don't know how to do that effectively and end up quitting or leaving a department. Managers aren't trained to deal with conflict either and the situation continues to compound. On this episode, I share some of my conflict stories, how I managed through it and the process I use to deal with conflict.

Remote work became very popular for office employees in 2020 and many are still 100% remote or a hybrid worker. Executives are beginning to require employees to come into the office for more time each week. Let's talk about the pros and cons of each, what executives are talking about and the challenges that each option presents.

Do you struggle to ask for help as a leader? Leaders are supposed to know everything, have all the answers, never be vulnerable, right? Asking for help and recognizing your team is a great way to build trust and engagement.

Do you know the difference between a mentor and a sponsor? Companies and leaders talk a lot about mentors, but sponsors are a secret that many don't discover until it happens to them. Check out this episode to learn the difference and how to go about finding someone to sponsor you in your career.

Are you hurting yourself by not thinking about risk differently? Are you measuring your performance as higher than your potential - the leaders in your company may not be. How can you think differently to make sure you are not sabotaging yourself from the potential opportunities.

If everyone suffers from it, then no one does. Our brains are set up to identify the negatives, but when you step into a leadership role or something you've never done before the idea of being an imposter can get overwhelming. It's not real and you don't have to believe it is. Learn about new ways to think about leading and learning and removing imposter syndrome from your vocabulary.

Saying yes feels good, but being able to say no is required for every senior leader. Being able to prioritize initiatives for you and your team is critical to manage stress and your wellbeing. Learn why people struggle to say no and what you can do to get more comfortable prioritizing what's important.

Curiosity is a key component of leadership - especially if you plan to step into a role you've never done before. Not being afraid to ask questions and learn from people around you will be key to leading your team

Do you want to know a secret to thinking differently about your career? Breaking ladders is about changing the way you think about your career. It's about leaving behind the hierarchy and steps to move up and think about collecting experiences that give you opportunities. This first episode talks about how I changed my thinking that lead to the concept of breaking ladders to get ahead.