"What's your angle?"

It’s a great, if pointed, question…one that cover all manner of topics.

 

More specifically, this question came from a colleague with whom I was sharing some plans to expand my writing beyond this monthly newsletter.

 

I love to write, and honestly, when I sit down to write my newsletters, it starts with a question:

 

What’s top of mind for me right now?

 

Well, what’s top of mind for me right now is…declaring my ‘angle.'

 

When I started my monthly newsletter a few years ago, I didn’t really have a plan, but the structure has been consistent:

1. Tell a story (usually a personal one),
2. Connect it in some way to leadership, then
3. Offer three (3) related tips to help you, the reader, be a better leader. 

But as I consider the ‘angle’ question, I’m thinking bigger. 

 

As a Leadership Coach (and as a human, for that matter), what’s my position? In what ways do I take a stand?

 

It’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole of perspectives I can have on many subjects, so I’ll focus on one:

 

In what ways can we each show up as the best leaders we can be?

 

No one goes into a leadership role with the intention of being a lousy leader. That doesn’t prevent it from happening.

 

For many years, I believed that if I worked really hard, I would be successful. As an individual contributor, it worked…for a time.

 

As a leader, not so much. My team didn’t need me to ‘do’ more…they needed me to BE their leader.

 

Many of us adopt a leadership style that is rooted in what we believe about ourselves and others. AND…we believe we’re right. 

• If I believe others can’t be trusted, I’ll lead that way.
• If I believe I’m the one with all the answers, I’ll lead that way.
• If I believe success requires working ‘hard’ to be successful, I’ll lead that way.

Here’s what I believe: Leadership is an inside job. To be a great leader, you must first lead YOURSELF.

 

The term ‘self-leadership’ has been coined in a few different contexts…and of course, I need to add my own ‘angle.’

 

From my perspective, Self-Leadership is about creating a strong sense of WHO WE ARE so we can have the CLARITY and CONFIDENCE to go after what we want. It assumes that when we know, accept and care for ourselves, we can more easily extend the same to others…how we show up as leaders.

 

Of course, I had to create a model…

 

 

My experience has taught me that the better I got to know myself…my values, my strengths, my priorities, my beliefs…the more clarity and confidence I had to show up as a good leader, in ALL areas of my life.

 

How I show up in my relationships has changed. How I show up as a parent has changed. And most importantly…

 

How I show up for MYSELF has changed.

 

At this point, I usually ask the question: What does this have to do with leadership?

 

I’m going to use this space to break down the Self-Leadership model…AND share the value of building your Self-Leadership to who you are as a leader.

 

EXPLORE it. We start by getting to know ourselves through Self-Awareness and Self-Knowledge. This requires a willingness to see what we may not have seen about ourselves before.

 

Self-Awareness is foundational; it is a skill that attunes us to our emotions and feelings, revealing our emotional triggers (internal) and how we react or respond to the world around us (external). Regular 'check-ins' provide an opportunity to recalibrate through self-reflection.

 

Self-Knowledge is LEARNING from our self-awareness. It's our insight into who we are; our values, strengths and weaknesses, talents and gifts, and our 'superpowers.' We all have blind spots that prevent us from seeing how we impact others. Asking others to tell us how our choices and behaviors impact them provides us with additional information.

 

EMBODY it. As we start to pay attention to our responses and learn more about who we are, we’re asked to accept everything, positive and otherwise, about ourselves. We also can start to acknowledge our contributions in all areas of our lives.

 

Self-Acceptance sets the stage for making desired change through acknowledgment and accountability. Forgiving ourselves for our mistakes or things we may not be aware of (blind spots) helps us to release any related shame or disappointment. It includes empathy for our experience, forgiveness for our missteps and ongoing compassion for our human-ness.

 

Self-Regard (or self-love) is the fuel that drives our willingness to achieve our goals. Our self-doubt diminishes as we trust ourselves; we listen to our own 'inner guidance system,' and we rely LESS on the arbitrary opinions of others.

 

EXPRESS it. This is where the rubber meets the road…it’s the embodiment of Self-Leadership in action.

 

Self-Care empowers us to take a stand for US. When we prioritize our self-care, we speak our truth with the intention of being heard, expressing our feelings, needs and requests in a calm, clear way. We advocate for ourselves and others...

 

Being Self-Less engages our willingness to share what we've experienced and learned and modeling our new authentic way of being for others. We become more curious about others and what’s important to them.

 

Why is this important to your leadership?

 

Here’s what I know for sure: When we change the way we see ourselves, we see others differently as well. We are more honest, open and willing to lead intentionally from our unique authenticity.

 

When I change, others around me change. For example, when I set boundaries to honor my priorities, others will be forced to either accept those boundaries or not. It doesn’t change the boundary, only their response to it.

 

 

As part of your membership, click here and select the 'Book A Call' button for a complimentary session with one or more of our coaches. You can meet each of our coaches to determine the best fit for you!

• At Work: Taking on more and more even when my schedule is full, driven by the need to prove my worth.
• At Home: Constantly organizing or cleaning when I am craving downtime, unable to relax thinking about unfinished tasks.
• In Relationships: Overcommitting to help friends and family, worrying that that saying no might disappoint them.

Not everything has to be a milestone.

Not every moment has to be optimized.

As part of your membership, click here and select the 'Book A Call' button for a complimentary session with one or more of our coaches. You can meet each of our coaches to determine the best fit for you!

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

1. Recognize the relationship between actions and titles. Consider the connection between actions and titles. Titles alone do not define leadership. It is the actions taken that lead to being recognized as a leader and eventually gaining a position of influence.
2. Understand your role and purpose. As your career progresses, it is important to know how your contributions impact the organization and its mission. This may involve driving revenue, improving culture, bringing products to market or communicating strategy.
3. Conduct yourself with confidence. Maintain authenticity. Recognize your worth. Anticipate your presence. Avoid apologizing or being timid. "Embrace your unique competitive advantage."
4. Make your voice heard. Participate with a relevant comment or question. Be prepared, anticipate discussions and know the agenda in advance. Research the topics, develop your point of view and write down some key points. Arrive ready to be an engaged and well-prepared participant.
5. Add value. Provide meaningful input. Empty comments that lack substance are unproductive. Substantive, value-added comments that create action and outcomes will enhance your reputation as a respected contributor and authority.
6. Provide solutions to problems, not problems without solutions. This encourages addressing challenges with a focus on finding solutions rather than just highlighting issues. Instead of pointing out what’s wrong, contribute ideas or steps for improvement. This approach fosters positivity and forward-thinking in problem-solving.

• The Expert Brand: Known for deep expertise in a specific area.
• The Inspirational Brand: Motivates and inspires others with a visionary leadership style.
• The Connector Brand: Known for building relationships and networks across the organization or industry.
• The Innovator Brand: Known for disruptive thinking and creativity that moves the business forward.

“Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.”

1. Self-Reflection: To identify your brand, begin by considering your strengths, values, and interests. What are your areas of expertise? What tasks and projects do you find most engaging? What feedback have you received from colleagues and supervisors over time?
2. Seeking Feedback: A coach can assist in gathering input from colleagues, clients and supervisors to compare your self-perception with how others view you. This feedback will provide useful insights into your strengths and areas for improvement.
3. Clarifying Your Purpose: Defining your "why" is important. A coach can guide you in crafting your personal mission statement making sure that your brand aligns with your long-term goals.

1. Leverage Your Network: As a professional in payments, networking is crucial. A coach can guide you to key industry events, conferences and opportunities to showcase your expertise and how to expand your influence.
2. Elevate Your Online Presence: Amplify your personal brand by optimizing your LinkedIn profile, contributing to pertinent industry blogs or presenting at webinars. A coach can assist you in developing content that demonstrates your thought leadership while remaining true to your style and values.
3. Seek Strategic Opportunities: Position yourself for promotions, projects or leadership opportunities that align with your brand. A coach can help you identify these opportunities and strategize how to position yourself effectively.

“Happy birthday to me!”

1. Advocate for DEI Programs. Women leaders and their teams should continue to promote initiatives within their organizations, showcasing their value in creating an inclusive and high-performing culture and providing success examples.
2. Focus on Leadership Development. Include DEI principles in leadership and professional development programs that align with the organization’s culture and mission to maintain a reliable environment and retain a diverse workforce.  
3. Build Strategic Alliances. Partner with other leaders, industry groups such as PayTech Women, or organizations advocating for DEI to maintain a collaborative approach to influence action.
4. Lead by Example: Don’t shy away from taking proactive steps to lead initiatives within teams, even if larger organizational efforts face challenges. 
5. Adapt to Change. Stay adaptable, emphasize merit-based advancement and advocate for equitable opportunities to ensure fairness for all employees.
6. Invest in Yourself. Even if your company reduces, reshapes or ends DEI programs, continue investing in personal and professional development. Focus on education, self-awareness of biases, leadership training and find a mentor, coach or sponsor for career guidance.

1. HAVE FOCUS: Instead of casting a wide net, focus on tailoring your resume to highlight your expertise for the roles you’re truly qualified for. It may sound simple, but few take this approach. Why? Fear. We worry that if we don’t list every detail, we’ll be overlooked. But cramming everything onto your resume often leaves hiring managers unsure of your core strengths or how you can contribute. When one moves into unity thinking and problem solving, suddenly the whole job search is a vastly different experience. Instead of a frustrating, irritating, confusing and scary time, the job search can become the opening for transformation and the full experience of what is. What is happening is just that - how we interface with what transpired is completely up to us.
2. DON'T QUIT: From a practical perspective, no one should give up a job search, especially in fourth quarter and I’ll you why. Because that’s what everyone does! You’ll be in the applicant pool when dozens of others tabled their search until the New Year. Furthermore, the last three years, I have personally extended offers the week of Thanksgiving and the week of Christmas. Many offers in fact, went to people that applied in October or November who stayed the course and ended up with a start date in December or January.
3. NETWORK: For the past nine months, the clients I have worked with had the shortest time-to-hire when they networked. They didn’t apply to more jobs. They picked up the phone and leveraged their network for advice or getting their resume out of the ATS and into the hands of a hiring manager. These were high skilled, highly compensated clients who were only successful when they started a full blown networking campaign.

2024 has been a rough year with reports of low unemployment and a white collar recession that no one reported. Employees went back into the office three days a week. Layoffs were prevalent in high tech, and many skilled workers found themselves in a search for months. Clearly the data of how great the economy was didn’t match many people’s experiences.

It takes grit to start a job search if you are employed and the house is on fire or if you are unemployed and have to get an income quickly.

Never quit. Refocus. Get a plan. Stop reacting. Call a coach. Do whatever you need to do but keep going. 

- Elizabeth Lions is one of the many PayTech Career Coaches that you can reach out to for support. Elizabeth’s expertise is in helping people find jobs that pay well and give them satisfaction. 

“Making a decision is the first step toward change.”

• Know your LEADERSHIP strengths. I emphasize ‘leadership’ here because as leaders, we need to reimagine how we use our strengths in a way that supports our team. It’s all about CONTEXT.
  
  Some of my strengths include Action, Organizer, Persistence and Mission. As a leader, I can leverage these strengths to encourage my team to stay on task and keep us all pointed toward a common vision.
  
  Without leadership context, use of these strengths can look very different. When I act too quickly because I believe I know the right course to take, I can leave others in the dust. Not the makings for great teamwork or collaboration.
  
  
• Know your TEAM’S strengths. Where do your team members shine? What do they each do well and find energizing? There’s gold in those nuggets!
  
  These are rich, empowering conversations to have with your team members. Imagine:
  • Hearing about ways they already use their strengths every day.
  • Finding opportunities to tap into under-used strengths that might create more engagement.
  • Uncovering hidden leadership potential.

  
  What a difference a conversation can make!
  
  

• Identify the gaps. When everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are identified and how those strengths contribute to the success of the team, what’s missing?
  
  How can team members leverage their strengths to overcome team weaknesses? Do we all need to agree that ‘good enough’ is good enough?
  
  AND…when the opportunity arises, HIRE for those missing strengths! We want team members that COMPLIMENT our existing strengths.

Bottom line: We can’t do anything important alone. Each of us has our expertise, our gifts, our superpowers…and ‘doing it alone’ is a lonely place.

So, make a decision…

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

– African Proverb 

“I want to make a difference … Doing something that makes a difference … At a time that makes a difference … With people that make a difference.”

So, when you step into Summit today, choose to be deliberate, intentional and conscientious with the time you are committing to. Write down one or two actionable takeaways from each activity you engage in that will make a difference in your objectives and goals for your future. Choose a conference partner or colleague to share your ideas and ask them to hold you accountable.

The journey towards being a difference maker is about embracing the courage and authenticity to transform your thoughts, ideas and strengths into action. Think about being a stronger, better leader, colleague or partner than you were previously. The choice to be a difference maker requires taking full responsibility for your actions and realizing the choice for change and transformation begins within each of us. Each actionable step you take – whether it be investing in your career through coaching, mentorship or other leadership development activities – will improve and transform your own life as well as make a difference in others’ lives. This is the ultimate ripple effect of being a ‘difference maker’ and paying it forward. 

The Value of Focus in Gaining the Right Attention

1. Prepare Before You Go.
   This sounds obvious, but it is more than just setting your out-of-office message with the dates you will be away. You will want to bring your colleagues up to speed with anything critical that you are working on and help them with planning how to prioritize requests that may come at them while you are gone. Help them understand the priorities for addressing requests in your absence and consider training them (or leaving detailed instructions) on processes that you regularly do that someone might need to pick up in your absence.
   Pro Tip: I recently saw one person add to her signature line a notice of upcoming vacation with the dates she would be gone. I love this because it helped people understand that she would be out of the office soon and implied if they had something urgent, they better get it to her soon, or it would have to wait.
2. Set Expectations.
   Like in the above Pro Tip, clear expectations go a long way to avoiding misunderstandings, disappointment and potential emergencies. Make sure you speak to the colleagues you plan to include as your contacts in your out-of-office message and that they are prepared to handle the load. In addition, your message itself can set expectations. Tell people that you will be without access to messages, who to contact in your absence, when to expect a response and who to contact for emergencies. (NOTE: YOU shouldn’t be the emergency contact – YOU are on VACATION.)
   Pro Tip: I saw a leader in her out-of-office message tell people that upon her return, she was deleting all unread messages from her trip and if your request was important to please send it again on her return date. She found that very few things didn’t get handled while she was gone and this saved her having to spend a day reviewing old messages. If you aren’t sure you can be that bold, you can still ask to forward high-priority requests on your return date as you’ll review your inbox from the most recent messages.
3. Model Behavior.
   Modelling behavior means not checking messages when you are away. In order to get the benefits of vacation, you actually have to take VACATION. This means – not working. If you tell your employees you value them and respect their time off, but you constantly stress over replying to messages every day and are on the chat for work, you are modeling that you expect the same from them. You are also modeling that you don’t think that the team can function without your constant involvement. In addition, those on vacation with you don’t feel your complete presence. You won’t get the restorative benefits of vacation if you are actually still working.
4. Replace the Checking Email/Text Habit.
   I can hear people now saying, “but it just takes 5 minutes for me to check and it’s easier to stay connected than face the avalanche when I get back.” I get it. But now you aren’t really on vacation and you are feeding your habit of staying connected to work. That’s understandable. During a regular workday, you check messages often, now you have to stop “cold turkey” for vacation. Find something to replace that habit. When you find yourself wondering about work or wanting to check messages, maybe do a breathing exercise and focus on your breath. You could also run through a list of things you are grateful for. Maybe you use that as a moment to capture a photo of what you are doing right then – so you can look back at all the amazing things you did instead of checking email.
   Pro Tip: You could replace that anxiety of needing to check in at work with some physical exercise. This both gives you a way to dispel that feeling and has some other health benefits. You could even make it a challenge – every time you want to check email, do 10 sit-ups instead. I know for me – I’d stop wanting to check messages after a couple of rounds of sit-ups.
5. Think About Your Career Growth.
   I’m sure that some of you have read the above and said, well, those are nice ideas BUT… (fill in the blank with all the exceptions that pertain to you and your situation). You are right. I don’t know your particulars. Here’s something to think about though. If you are so critical that you can’t go on a vacation and completely disconnect from work, how will you ever be able to be promoted? You have potentially set up a situation where you are so critical to your role that you can’t even imagine being gone for a vacation, let alone the disaster that might occur if you were to never do that work. If you can’t imagine it, your team and leaders can’t either and you may have worked yourself into a position where you are stuck. As you move up ranks in the organization, your role becomes more about leading and inspiring people than physically doing the tasks. Think about empowering people around you to step up and learn about the work you do. How are you building a pipeline of potential successors for your role? How are they learning to do your work? A vacation is a great trial period for people to step up and take on additional responsibilities, temporarily.

If you are so critical that you can’t go on a vacation and completely disconnect from work, how will you ever be able to be promoted?

As part of your membership, click here and select the 'Book A Call' button for a complimentary session with one or more of our coaches. You can meet each of our coaches to determine the best fit for you!

My emotional response is about ME...I am 100% responsible for my response.

I’ve described it like this: As the words leave your mouth and before they reach my ears, they travel through the mud and sludge that represent MY life experience. This includes my beliefs, my stories, my fears…

My amygdala…the emotional center of my brain…is on FIRE. In a nano-second, the perfectly filed memory of that decades-old experience is suddenly front and center. And the story that I tell myself about that experience is running on a loop.

Of course, I don’t know this in the moment. All I’m feeling is physical response to what my brain tells me is a threat. To what? Still TBD.

So why pause? To give the experience time to travel to my frontal lobe…the RATIONAL center of my brain. It’s how we apply logic by giving ourselves time to manage our emotions and right-size the experience.

Then, we can…

Clarify. I’m all about giving others the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes we’re conveying a message and we’re just not skilled communicating it in the moment.

So, get curious. If something feels off (see Pause above), dig deeper.

For example: “I just read your email, and I’m not sure I’m clear on your point. Please tell me more about…”

Our relationships, both personally and professionally, are too important to allow misinterpretations or misunderstandings to erode them.

As leaders, it’s our responsibility to MODEL effective communication, and the vulnerability that comes with the clean-up when it goes wrong.

If you’re looking to uplevel your communication skills, consider working with a PayTech Women Career Coach. A coach can help you assess the effectiveness of your current communication style and where there might be opportunities to grow and develop.

As part of your membership, click here and select the 'Book A Call' button for a complimentary session with one or more of our coaches. You can meet each of our coaches to determine the best fit for you!

1. What was the goal of the project or initiative? (Basic understanding)
2. Why was it important? (Deeper understanding)
3. Who is the goal important to? (Impact to multiple business lines/leaders)
4. What impact was created and aligned with top priorities of the organization? (Strategic alignment)
5. What business outcomes were achieved? (quantifiable revenue generation, cost reduction, operational efficiency)

• "I led a project that transformed Y, driving us closer to our strategic goal of Z."
• "Leading a project that enhanced our data accuracy to improve operations also positioned the company to capitalize on new market opportunities."

 

Honing Your Strategic Voice

Every interaction is a chance to highlight your strategic value. In daily conversations, team meetings, or formal presentations, share how your work contributes to the broader strategic objectives, positioning yourself as a forward-thinking leader.

 

Routine interactions are a perfect opportunity for you to develop your communication and express your excitement about the outcomes and insights that come from your work.

 

Example:

• "I feel good about the project I led that refined our operational efficiency and aligned our processes with the company's long-term growth objectives, contributing to a 20% increase in productivity."
• “I’m excited. I just pitched a game-changing product idea to senior leaders that will generate $500,000 in revenue over the next 12 months. They loved it.”

One of my favorite thought leaders is Carla Harris. I’ve learned that how you talk about yourself and your work shapes how others think and speak of you when you’re not in the room.

 

Your Strategic Leadership Journey

We have explored how to recognize, convey, and embrace the strategic value of your contributions. As you reflect on your career, consider the strategic value you bring to your organization.

 

Are you ready to elevate your career by showcasing this value?

 

Elevate Your Strategic Leadership Potential

It’s clear that making your strategic contributions known is pivotal for career advancement. Armed with these insights and steps, consider expert support from a PTW Coach to accelerate your time to greater visibility and influential strategic leadership. Start with a complimentary discovery session. Click here.

 

Rooting for you,

Valissa

Fast forward to 2023, our career coaching group committed to a whirlwind of activity and impact. We are proud that we delivered eight speaking engagements, contributed to five newsletter issues, donated four coaching packages to the Silent Auction at our 2023 Leadership Summit and connected with 21 members benefiting from coaching discovery sessions with us. We even celebrated members’ birthdays with the unique gift of a complimentary coaching session! 

“With coaching, I learned how to talk about myself and my contributions. I realized it wasn’t bragging, it was branding. Through coaching, I found my voice and understood my impact which gave me the power to advocate for myself. I’m loving my new role.”

2024: The Year of Breakout Success
Looking ahead, 2024 promises to be a breakout year for PayTech Women members.  

"Before you can become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."

"You are the CEO of your career."

• How have your ideas and leadership influenced productivity for the team and organization?
• What activities have you, your team and/or colleagues performed that generated, retained, or recaptured revenue for the organization?
• What activities have you, your team and/or colleagues performed that reduced costs for the organization?

• What new skills are you developing?
• What have you learned about yourself recently?

• What challenges or opportunities do you anticipate for the organization?
• How will you make an impact with the new skills and knowledge about yourself?
• What are your career aspirations within the organization?
• What are personal aspirations that will make you a better person and leader?

You may be tempted to put off your self-evaluation until the last minute or not do one at all. Even if your organization doesn’t encourage one through a formal performance management process, self-evaluation is a powerful tool for you. If you’re serious about positioning yourself for promotion this year or next, don’t put it off.

• You will be prepared to have proactive and reactive career conversations with your manager, supporters, influencers and decision-makers that speak to your impact and aspirations.
• Your self-evaluation will help your manager, supporters and influencers present a strong case for promotional opportunities on your behalf since you can’t be in the room presenting it yourself.

This is the season when decision-makers and influencers put names forth for opportunities.

Grab a pen, paper and calendar. Now, make some commitments to yourself. You're worth it.

• What date will you set for yourself to complete your self-evaluation?
• Who will you schedule career conversations with and when?
• What advice or support do you need?

This may feel overwhelming to think through at first. It will be worth it so you’re not looking back with regret next year. Additionally, consider gaining input from others who support you and see you in action. Ask for specific examples where they observed your impact, growth, or influence.

"Leaders that work with coaches are often promoted,
secure raises or find new opportunities that both
challenge and reward them."

I worked with a leader who was feeling stuck and we identified what she really wanted, what that would mean in her current environment and what challenges she faced. She was able to negotiate a new role in a different department that was a better fit to her skills, improved her work/life balance, sparked her interest and enthusiasm and came with a raise. As a coach, I didn’t create the new opportunity, but I did help my client get clarity around her wants, see something that she hadn’t seen before, build confidence to ask for something new and get started off on the right foot with the new team. 

If you are feeling stuck, frustrated, or dissatisfied with your current career, talking with a coach may help you the way it has helped our clients. Each of the PayTech Women approved coaches have stories like this one and we are all excited to help you get the results you desire.

Are you ready to take action toward getting unstuck and ending the year with more confidence, clarity and strategy for your career? Great news! PayTech Women wants that for you as well. They have recruited a bench of professional coaches who are ready to help you achieve your goals.

Get a free consultation with any of us here, and move forward, with confidence, on your career journey.