Mar 29, 2012 in Blog by Sarah Hathorn |
Today I am honored to have my colleague Darcy Eikenberg as a guest blogger. Enjoy the article and then check out her new book, “Bring Your Superpowers to Work: Your Guide to Clarity, Confidence & Control”
(available on Amazon.com)
Have you ever wished for more confidence? If so, you’re not alone. We’re drawn to it in others, aspire to it for ourselves, but more often than not, never have enough of it. But in a fast-changing workplace, we need confidence now more than ever.
So how do you create confidence for yourself at work? The secret starts with. . . well, faking it.
Faking it? Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all about bringing your real, true, authentic self to work each and every day. I believe each one of us has unique and amazing superpowers that the world is waiting for. And--in a strange twist of behavioral science, waiting until you feel confident to act confident just keeps you waiting. . . and waiting. . .and waiting. Not good.
When you put the right tools and habits in place to create a sense of confidence, a real state of confidence will follow. So if you’d like to appear (and eventually be) more confident, try these three secrets.
1. Put the right words in your mouth
Mom was right that practice makes perfect. But how many of us actually practice saying words that show off our accomplishments in the best light?
Try putting the right words in your mouth by saying, “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together” or “It was great to lead my business in delivering our million-dollar results last year.” There are many ways to talk about your abilities and achievements that feel confident and authentic to you—it just takes practice.
2. Know you don’t have to know it all
A huge barrier to confidence is thinking that we must know all the answers, all the time, to be confident about ourselves and our work. But that’s not true. In fact, you can draw confidence from knowing you know you don’t know.
If a plain old “I don’t know” makes you uncomfortable, try something like, “What a good question! I don’t have an equally good answer. What do you think?” Many aspiring leaders limit their own possibilities by not getting involved in issues or decisions until they feel they’ve gained enough knowledge—and that gap can leave them behind.
3. Expect mistakes
Being confident means knowing you’ll mess up at some point. (Yes, even you. You’re human—it will happen.) The worst part of any mistake is the surprise of it, so when you expect in advance to make mistakes, you’ve eliminated the surprise.
When mistakes show up, just acknowledge them (“ah, there you are—I’ve been expecting you!”), thank it for its lessons, and move on. This approach can work in organizations, too. Making sure your teams know that you expect a reasonable amount of human error--and that you’re confident you’ll overcome it—can save a world of panic and accusation when mistakes happen.
Which of these secrets will you try first to create more of your own confidence? No matter what you try first, just don’t wait—the world is ready for you to shine.
Darcy Eikenberg, ACC, is the author of Bring Your Superpowers to Work: Your Guide to More Clarity, Confidence & Control, and a popular leadership and workplace coach and speaker. Download a free chapter of the book, get her twice-monthly Community News, and get more free tips and tools on career and success site
RedCapeRevolution.com
www.Facebook.com/RedCapeRevolution
Twitter: @RedCapeRev
http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/DarcyEikenberg
Tagged Business, career, career success, confidence, darcy eikenberg
Mar 27, 2012 in Blog, Body Language, Career, Corporate Culture by Sarah Hathorn |
This week I enjoyed my media interview with Jenna Goudreau, an editor at Forbes about the types of body language mistakes professionals make that could be costing them a promotion. I along with a few other communication and management experts agreed that the silent signals you are sending could be self-sabotaging your ability to move upward.
Here's a few great tips to remember:
- Non-verbal Communication is Stronger than Verbal Communication:
"Communication, including body language, becomes significantly more important when considering who's promotion material. As soon as you step into a supervisor role, it all comes down to communication skills." Todd Dewett
- Poor posture can be detrimental:
"When you slouch you do not have a dynamic presence. In the business world it sends a strong signal that you lack confidence and have poor self-esteem, which can undermined your actual abilities." Sarah Hathorn
If you would like to read more of this article,
Will Your Body Language Mistakes Cost You a Promotion? on Forbes.com
Click here
Have you seen any of your co-workers making these mistakes? I'd love to hear your comments.
Tagged body language, business communication, career, career advancement, career success, executive presence, professional presence, promotion, sarah hathorn, success
Mar 22, 2012 in Blog, Career, Leadership, Networking by Sarah Hathorn |
Last week I attended my first Atlanta SHRM Conference. As I sat throughout all of the Business Acumen Sessions, I noticed four common themes from the industry's HR guru's.
Although these sessions were designed for Human Resource executives, I think every leader can learn from the content I shared on the Atlanta SHRM website as a guest blogger.
To learn more about how to have more confidence, leadership, influence and implementation in any leadership role,
click here to read my blog post on the SHRM Atlanta website
Tagged career success, confidence, leaders, leadership, leadership presence, networking, professional presence, sarah hathorn, SHRM, SHRM Atlanta, success, women leaders
Mar 21, 2012 in Blog, Networking by Sarah Hathorn |
I just attended the fantastic Atlanta SHRM conference and came away from the event realizing that HR executives are the new game-changers of the business world. They’re providing visionary strategic leadership for companies both large and small, and value they bring to the table permeates the entire organization.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Attract, Connect, Engage and Retain,” and these topics were woven into the entire experience. Here’s a review of my two spectacular days – as seen through my “perpetual learner” lens.
A Rockin’ Keynote
Mark Toth (from Manpower) kicked things off with his keynote, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Employment Law (But Didn’t want to Pay a Lawyer to Ask).” This first session was absolutely terrific, and is still generating lots of buzz.
He managed to transform what could have been a plain vanilla presentation into a surprisingly energetic and interactive Q&A. Toward the end he even broke into a highly entertaining singer-songwriter routine, playing guitar as we all sang along.
I suspect that Mr. Toth secretly wishes he could take a sabbatical from his law practice and fulfill a latent desire to compete on American Idol. With his talent and great stage presence he’d win my vote, for sure – as long as he promises to return and present at next year’s SHRM conference!
Networking & Fun
The networking was dynamic, too, and I was able to catch up with lots of former colleagues and clients while meeting many new and interesting people. Everyone was just percolating with information to share, so we were all immersed in high-value content. The exhibit hall was also electrified by top notch products and vendors and the brilliant application of new technologies. You know how at every great party the guests all wind up hanging out in the kitchen? The exhibit hall quickly became that kind of gathering spot for everyone to eat, chat, and just have an exciting, fun-filled time.
The Wave of Technology & Social Media
I found it enlightening and enlivening to see so many HR professionals utilizing social media in really creative ways. As soon as a great quote was offered by a presenter, for example, it went out to thousands of other people around the world via Twitter. Meanwhile lots of experts explained innovative ways to use new tech and social networking to find top talent. They also described the pros and cons, practical implications, and legal ramifications of social media for today’s business leaders.
8 Great Quotes
While there are 100s of golden nuggets I could share from Atlanta SHRM, I selected eight choice ones to inspire you:
- “A leader without vision is like a piano player with no piano.” (Jonathon Bowman)
- “Employees are motivated in three ways: Hearts, Minds and Pocketbooks.” (Doug Layman)
- “For HR leaders to be invited to have a seat at the table they must align their people strategies with business strategies.” (Doug Layman)
- “In companies with a strong culture of health, we see higher satisfaction and better job performance.” (Doug Layman)
- “Select the right high potentials and drive the culture around the succession plan and future of the organization.” (Ron Strieker)
- “Employee engagement is the power under the hood – the human RPM.” (Greg Smith)
- “Have a separate performance plan for top performers. They are motivated by different things.” (Greg Smith)
- “Be courageous about yourself. Look in the mirror and rate yourself. Determine what competencies you need to improve upon, and focus on those.” (Nancy Vepraskas)
A Conference You Don’t Want to Miss!
After this experience I bumped the annual Atlanta SHRM conference to the top of my list, and recommend it to everyone. It’s a hard act to follow. But I’m not about to miss out on whatever they’ll have in store for next time! Congratulations and big thanks to all the organizers and participants!
Tell me what you think! Please post your valued and valuable comments below.
Do you want to use this blog article?
You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn is a leadership development mentor, executive presence coach, image and branding consultant, public speaker & author. She is the founding CEO of her own successful company, Illustra Consulting, and the creator of the proprietary Predictable Promotion System™.
Blog, Ezine & Website:
www.illustraconsulting.com
Copyright © 2012, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
Tagged leaders, networking, sarah hathorn, SHRM, SHRM Atlanta, SHRM Atlanta 2012 Conference
Mar 20, 2012 in Blog, Business, Business Success, Career, Leadership by Sarah Hathorn |
One of the most critical times in your professional career is right after a big setback. That’s because how you respond in the wake of whatever disappointment or missed opportunity you experienced can set the tone and trajectory for the rest of your career.
- Transform adversity into advantage. As I tell my clients, “Failures and reversals are just dress rehearsals for future success.”
- Get some perspective. Find a way to step away. Make a list of things for which you are grateful and thankful. Renew a neglected friendship or spend some extra quality time with your kids. Do something distracting that you enjoy.
- Reach out and accept support. Ask for help and solicit positive support from people in whom you can confide with trust. Take time to grieve the loss a setback represents.
- Acknowledge mistakes. With fresh perspective and feedback from others, evaluate what happened. If errors in judgment were made – or if you had false expectations – accept that so you can move forward in a healthy way and not relive that history.
- Weave it into the narrative of your brand. Everyone identifies with challenges and adversity. But those who keep going become role models, heroes, and inspirations. Reframe your experience as a positive attribute and let it contribute to your leadership development.
Actor Denzel Washington had setbacks early in his career but he said, “I decided that if I’m going to fail, I will fail forward, not backward.” Uncommon strength and wisdom is born from difficult experience, so value the lessons learned from failure and they will serve you well for the rest of your life.
Exercise:
Make a list of iconic people you admire, respect, and take inspiration from in your professional life. For me, people such as Oprah, Princess Di, and Steve Jobs come to mind. After writing down 5 or 6 names, do some research and try to find out if there were any major setbacks in their own lives. Ella Fitzgerald was a homeless teen orphan. Steve Jobs got fired from his own company. I even heard that one of the guys who invented YouTube got dumped by his girlfriend right before YouTube launched, because he didn’t have a “real job.” You may be surprised and astonished by how big a role adversity played in propelling your favorite icons and role models toward grand success.
Tell me what you think! Please post your valued and valuable comments below.
Do you want to use this blog article?
You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn is a leadership development mentor, executive presence coach, image and branding consultant, public speaker & author. She is the founding CEO of her own successful company, Illustra Consulting, and the creator of the proprietary Predictable Promotion System™.
Blog, Ezine & Website:
www.illustraconsulting.com
Copyright © 2012, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
Tagged business communication, career, career advancement, career success, communication skills, confidence, executive presence, leaders, leadership, leadership presence, sarah hathorn, success, women leaders
Mar 13, 2012 in Blog by Sarah Hathorn |
Last week I had the honor of being interviewed by Monique Neeley for her "What's Your Social Style Series."
Monique Neeley is a Virginia-based Digital Strategist and Curator, and has been on the Internet since the late 90′s. At the present time Monique works as a Featured Contributor with
30SecondMom and is also the News and Insights Editor for the 2011 Stevie Award for
Women in Business in the category of Best Blog.
She asked me some very intriguing questions about how I post in my authentic style. In this interview I reveal how I like to communicate through my personal brand to provide high quality content for people, a few of my favorite blogs, my favorite social media tools and more.
I hope that you will click below to read my interview. If you are inspired I hope you will "like" it, share it on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook and even share a comment.
Read Monique's interview with Sarah
Tagged facebook, linkedin, sarah hathorn, social media, twitter, women leaders
Mar 6, 2012 in Blog, Career, Communication Skills, Leadership, Networking, Presentation Skills by Sarah Hathorn |
Networking is vital in today’s business world, but some of us (myself included, believe it or not!) are introverts at heart and working the room or stepping to the podium is just contrary to our nature. But despite the fact that I was born shy, I now spend a great deal of my time mingling at conferences, standing in the media spotlight, delivering keynote addresses, and coaching high-powered executives on how to network with bold, fearless confidence.
Here are some helpful tips for those who are “networking challenged.”
- Own your introversion. Worrying about your shyness only magnifies it and makes you more uncomfortable. But introversion just means you know how to reflect deeply, analyze situations from the inside-out, and derive strength and energy from inside yourself. Many extroverts wish they had that ability, so reframe your identity as a unique value-adding trait.
- Deconstruct discomfort. Anyone will feel a bit tense if they walk into a room full of strangers. In fact many famous actors and celebrities admit that they have stage fright that they have somehow learned to manage. The way to do it is to realize that when you are just talking to one or two people it is no big deal. So when you are networking, forget the big picture. Focus on one person and one conversation at a time. Then move to another one-on-one interaction. Soon you’ll be networking like a pro, without feeling the jitters of big crowd claustrophobia.
- Get comfortable outside your familiar zone. To do this it is critical that you practice, practice, practice. That will transform discomfort into confident strength that comes naturally. As the ancient Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero said “You need to acquire the qualities you don’t have but make it seem as if you were born with them.” Over time you will start to feel completely at home, even in the midst of crowds, because you will develop a mastery of networking done on your own terms.
Be sure to also take advantage of social media to help reach out and connect without the stress. You can get to know people ahead of time, for example, so that when you do meet them in a networking situation you will already feel acquainted. That makes it fun and easy to chat, share, and make highly valuable professional and career contacts.
Your Predictable Promotion Assignment:
People love to talk about themselves, and it is easier to ask questions than it is to answer them. So write down a list of 5-6 interesting questions that you’d like to ask someone when you’re introduced and want to do some networking. Having some scripted questions in mind will take the pressure off of you to perform and will make the person you’re meeting feel flattered that you are interested in getting to know them.
Tell me what you think! Please post your valued and valuable comments below.
Do you want to use this blog article?
You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn is a leadership development mentor, executive presence coach, image and branding consultant, public speaker & author. She is the founding CEO of her own successful company, Illustra Consulting, and the creator of the proprietary Predictable Promotion System™.
Blog, Ezine & Website:
www.illustraconsulting.com
Copyright © 2012, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
Tagged business communication, career, career advancement, career success, communication skills, confidence, leadership, mindset, networking, sarah hathorn, success
Feb 23, 2012 in Blog, Business, Business Success, Career, Leadership by Sarah Hathorn |
When you meet with a boss to solicit performance feedback, always inquire how you can help them achieve their own goals. This is essentially the same strategy that HR experts recommend when doing a job interview – not focusing on yourself but keeping the conversation about the needs of the person you hope will hire you.
To do this well, you have to be an expert listener. You may hear emotions, for instance, like fear, insecurity, or frustration. Maybe your boss is afraid of missing a deadline or promotion or is insecure about the organizational structure after a merger. She may be frustrated by her inability to lead your team, or by her own lack of executive presence. Figure out ways to help her get stronger in those areas. Perhaps you can compensate for her lack of skills because you have those skills to share, or you can recommend an executive coach to mentor her to the next level. Oftentimes you can volunteer to shoulder greater responsibility in order to free-up an overworked boss, which enables them to be more productive and ensures that that as they rise up the ladder so will you.
Try to psych-out the reasons why that difficult boss, for example, behaves the way he does. What problem is he hoping to avoid by being a control freak, or what inadequacy makes him so ill-equipped to clearly communicate to the team he attempts to lead? Learning to read between the lines – and to interpret non-verbal signals and body talk – is the key to mastering this valuable career acceleration skill. Once you sort out the hidden triggers behind that difficult boss you can begin to focus on his unspoken need for help.
As the old-school sales trainer Zig Ziglar used to say as one of his trademark slogans, “You can have everything you want if you help enough people get what they want.”
Tell me what you think! Please post your valued and valuable comments below.
Do you want to use this blog article?
You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn is a leadership development mentor, executive presence coach, image and branding consultant, public speaker & author. She is the founding CEO of her own successful company, Illustra Consulting, and the creator of the proprietary Predictable Promotion System™.
Blog, Ezine & Website:
www.illustraconsulting.com
Copyright © 2012, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
Tagged career, career acceleration, career advancement, career success, hr, leaders, leadership, leadership presence, mentor, promotion, sarah hathorn, success
Press Releases
