3 Leadership Lessons I’ve Learned From Making All The Mistakes: Lesson 1 – Complete Communication

Guest post in our leadership series. I met Paul Pickard, CTO for Korrus, a few months ago, and am so impressed by his appreciation of the human aspects of leading technical teams. Enjoy! – Kimberly

I’ve been meeting people on LunchClub for the past year or so, and it’s given me the opportunity to connect with people with diverse interests and backgrounds from different locations around the country and world.  I was recently speaking with an early career software engineer who was mulling over an opportunity to move into a position where she managed people.  She asked me for my “top of mind” things to I’ve learned about managing people in my career.  After explaining that anything I could relate would come from having made all the mistakes – some of them repeatedly – I came up with three core intentions that I’ve adopted over the years and passed them along.  I say intentions because I don’t always exhibit these behaviors, but it is certainly my aspiration to do so.  This post covers the first intention.  I’ll follow up with the other two in subsequent posts.

#1: Communicate Completely

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Shocking Ways Personal Brands Will Make You a Better Leader

Guest post in our leadership series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Shocking Ways Personal Brands Will Make You a Better Leader creates a thoughtful perspective on the future of leadership development.

After decades worth of studying leadership development and career advancement, there is a powerful truth that presents itself. Anyone in a leadership role that wants to be a better leader should understand this basic principle. Shocking ways personal brands will make you a better leader is the easiest way to command attention from a team regardless of how many people you lead.

Let’s look at leadership from two main perspectives. The first perspective is the individual perspective. This is otherwise known as a personal brand. The second perspective is the collective or team where each individual contributor adds to the greater whole. Somewhere in the middle is where it seems to go off the rails. Good leaders can get distracted when they need to keep it simple. The shocking truth is that being a better leader is easier when you focus on personal brands. Here’s how we do it!

The basic objective in leadership is to get the individual contributors to effectively and productively work toward the common goal with less effort. Turning this complicated task into a simple solution is easy. The right approach leads to simplicity. Let’s consider the shocking ways personal brands will make you a better leader by focusing on personal brands.

Shockingly Simple Ways to Use a Personal Brand to Lead

Anyone in a leadership position may already know the difficulty that comes when leading teams of individual contributors. The bigger the team, the more difficult the task. Using a simple approach repeatedly makes you a better leader.Continue reading

What Major Companies Can You Work for if You Move to Charlotte?

Guest post in our career series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

A move to Charlotte, North Carolina, can be an exciting and rewarding experience for anyone, no matter where you’re coming from.

Not only is the city of more than 850,000 a beautiful setting with pleasant weather (including mild winters!), but it’s also a booming center of commerce and jobs in the state.

Charlotte, one of the older cities in the nation due to its founding in 1768, offers newcomers and longtime residents alike plenty of opportunity for doing well for themselves. Some of the largest industries in Charlotte include manufacturing, healthcare, finance, trade, utilities, and technology. 

To give you an even better picture of what you can expect from the job market in Charlotte, we have prepared this guide to some of the largest and best employers in the city.

So, if you have indeed scooped up one of the Charlotte houses for sale recently and are wondering what some of your options are, fear not: check out this list!Continue reading

Common Roots: Shifting Context – Leadership Springs from Within

What does a rubber chicken like this one? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have to do with a book like this one?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, Kimberly Wiefling (rubber chicken lady) met Linda Alepin (now author of above book) when they started their study of generative leadership as young professionals.  

Kimberly was inspired by the principles of vision, listening, and dreaming to become widely known in the leadership arena, particularly working with innovative Japanese companies.  

Linda took the same principles into industry, academia, founding a not for profit that worked with hundreds of people around the globe and, finally, to this book.  

Join Linda as the author (and Kimberly as a participant) on Friday, February 4 from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM PST (GMT -8).  You will hear stories of people from around the world who are featured in the book. 

It’s FREE.  Register at bit.ly/shifting-context-launch.

Shifting Context:  Leadership Springs from Within is available for pre-sale at Amazon https://amzn.to/3IHdJFS.  

Here is what Rayona Sharpnack had to say about the book:

“Shifting Context: Leadership Springs from Within is an important book at an important time in history. Research consistently shows that countries who seriously invest in women’s and girls’ empowerment get a dramatic return on their investment financially, socially, and in all ways that matter for a civil society. 

The women featured in this book are exemplars of that important investment! 

The book will inspire you, move you, and remind you of the hidden power that women have to make all of our lives better. Kudos to Linda and Barbara for their essential leadership in this movement for social entrepreneurship!”

 —Rayona Sharpnack, Founder/CEO at Institute for Gender Partnership and Women’s Leadership, Inc. 

These true stories of sheroes and heroes from around the world will inspire you.  They demonstrate how leadership that springs from within brings about real social change. 

If you are a passionate leader who wants to create greater impact do not miss this book launch and be sure to read the book. 

Ideal Image Review & Testimonial: What to Expect From Procedures

Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels

Your image matters to your professional career! Check out our guest post on this topic below. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Ideal Image is the leading aesthetic procedure company in the nation. It has over 800 medical professionals in 150 locations. The procedures offered by Ideal Image include laser hair removal, Botox and fillers, body fat reduction, and skin-tightening procedures. 

The goal of the company is to allow its customers to look and feel their best. The improvement in appearance can provide a major boost to self-esteem and confidence. The procedures performed at Ideal Image are non-invasive, which means no surgery, no downtime, and no pain during the procedure. One of the most popular services at Ideal Image is laser hair removal. Here is more information about this procedure. 

What Is Laser Hair Removal Treatment?

In laser hair removal at Ideal Image, a beam of light is used to eliminate hair follicles that allow the hair to grow. As the follicles get eliminated, they are no longer able to support hair growth, and the hair will eventually fall out. The procedure can be used to get rid of hair in different areas of the body, including the legs, facial hair, eyebrows, arms, chest, bikini line, and Brazilian. The laser hair treatment is performed by highly skilled medical professionals who have completed thousands of procedures. You will have an initial consultation with an Ideal Image professional to customize the treatment plan for your needs and guide you in what to expect before, during, and after laser hair removal treatment.

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4 Things to Consider Before Going into Business With Someone You Know

Guest post in our entrepreneurial series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Business partnerships between people who already know each other can be incredibly fruitful. They involve banding together and sharing capital, expertise, and experience to create a thriving enterprise. Partnering up with a friend or family member may seem like an excellent idea. However, you need to exercise caution when going into business with someone you are close to. Business partnership and friends do not always mix, and incompatibility in business can lead to strained relationships and broken friendships. Here are a few things that you should consider before choosing a business partner.

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels

Do You Share a Similar Vision?

If you are considering starting a business, you probably already have some idea about the product or service you would like to provide, the industry you want to be in, and the type of business you want to run. When it comes down to company identity, it is essential that you both share a similar vision for your brand. In order for it to succeed, business partners need to unify to fulfill brand promises, enforce standards and live up to the company beliefs and values.

Have You Worked With Them Before?

Having a strong connection with someone in a personal way does not always mean you will work well together in business. Being comfortable with your business partner and having the ability to be honest and straight with them is important. However, possessing existing experience working with them already will help you gauge their work style and what they will be like as a partner. If you lack this experience, try working together on a smaller project to see how you work together as a team.Continue reading

Fascinating Careers to Consider

Guest post in our career series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Deciding on your career can be difficult and is absolutely a process that should not be rushed. However, the best way to help you make a choice is to choose in shorter lists and then consider your top options against one another. That way, you can avoid being overwhelmed. To that end, this article aims to highlight a handful of interesting career options for you to consider, to help you make your final choice.

Delivery Driver

An important area that is rarely discussed as a career possibility is that of a delivery driver. There are plenty of courier jobs available to anyone who knows how to look, which means you can usually find good work driving deliveries. Beyond that, delivery drivers are vital to the supply chains of almost every business, which means there will always be work to be had.

IMAGE: Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

Content Writer

The demand for content writers is as high as it has ever been, and that means that there is plenty of work to be had writing content for all sorts of companies, for any number of purposes. If you are good with words and interested in the process, then all you need to do is have a look online, and you are sure to find a plethora of content writing jobs available.Continue reading

Seven Main Ways Millennials are Changing the Definition of Leadership in 2020

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Millennials are “rebellious path-breakers” who shun everything traditional and believe in making their path. And over the years, it is the millennials have collectively transformed the way we communicate and conduct business.

This is the generation that reconciles logic and emotions. The millennials are both educated and empathic, and they want to make the world a better place. And it is this optimism that reflects the way they lead business ventures as well.

Here are seven ways in which Millennials are redefining leadership in 2020

REF: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-wearing-eyeglasses-3184405/ 

Personalised Professional Workplaces

Gone are the days when people separated their personal and professional spaces. The millennial work culture is more flexible, intuitive, and interactive. And the office spaces and workstations are an extension of this attitude.

Most of the start-ups that we see around have a very vibrant, friendly vide to it. Even big shot corporations like Google have incorporated the millennial culture. A millennial leader is not dogmatic or dominating. Instead, they focus on building a personal connection with their team.

However, that being said, millennial work culture also stresses on work-life balance. Effective time management, flexible working hours, home-based working options are more prevalent than ever.

Transformations > Transactional Leadership

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Beginning Your Job Search: Tips to Find a Job Easily

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

People who keep saying they can’t find a job, aren’t that serious about getting one. In this transient market, new positions come and go every day.

For anyone looking for a job, there are three ways to go about it. Go online, get in touch with a recruiter, or do it old style.

Online

By far, the most popular way to look for a job is to go online. There are so many options, though, so it can be a bit daunting.

There are loads of websites that introduce job seekers with companies who are looking, from sites that cover every possible industry out there, to niche markets. Here’s a great place to get started.

For professionals, you could set up a profile on a site like LinkedIn. It’s the ideal networking tool to make contacts in your industry.

Be careful not to spam companies with job applications. If they offer several positions, apply for the one you’re most suited for. Multiple attempts make you look undecided, and a little too willing to take on anything.Continue reading

5 Tips for Building the Perfect Resume

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Attracting the attention of a potential employer is something most job seekers are adamant about. The first chance you have to make a great impression on a business owner or hiring manager is with your resume. Did you realize the average job post receives nearly 250 resumes? With this many resumes, it will be difficult to get the attention you crave from a hiring manager.

The only way to gain your spot at the top of the resume pile is by optimizing this document. Using tools like ResumeBuild is a great idea. This website provides you with a host of resume templates. These templates are designed to make your resume more readable and appealing. Be sure to visit ResumeBuild to find out more about the services they provide. If you are trying to build the perfect resume, consider the helpful tips below.

Source-Pixabay

1. Focus on Quality Over Quantity

One of the main things a potential employer will notice about your resume is how it is formatted. If your resume features large blocks of text with no headers, bullet points or numbered lists, it can make this document look very unappealing. A hiring manager will only glance at a resume for a few seconds before deciding to keep reading or discard it. Rather than gumming up your resume with wordy descriptions and large blocks of text, you need to focus on quality over quantity.Continue reading