Tag Archive for: personal Development

Op-ed: The Shepherd Leader

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Liora Haymann I am at lunch with work-friends; the conversation idles to what we enjoy about our work and how we describe what we do. As Managing Director at OBMI, I do everything, everyday: I listen, write, sketch, calculate, interview, discuss, argue, analyze, resolve, decide, direct… I am aware of every project we are designing. I love the diversity, the complexity, and the strategy. But the image in my mind that describes what I do is this: I am a Shepherd; I am moving a herd organically forward towards our goal. Some in the herd are big, some small, some arrow-fast, some slow and determined, some head straight to the front, some stay in the pack, and some veer off to explore.

The path is rugged; there are steep slopes, fences to open, streams to cross, dry patches, predators, and enticing pastures farther away. I have a clear direction in my mind. I am looking simultaneously at the pack and at the road ahead. I attend to both, what is now, and what may come. I am in the front to decide a direction at a fork, or to examine a narrow path. I am in the heart of the pack if someone is stuck, to remove the blockage, to keep us moving on. I keep an eye on those veering off, as they may be onto something of value; if they veer too far, the task is to bring them back. I am totally hands-on.

I am not a Visionaire or a Storyteller, but as Shepherd Leader, I have vision: of the goal, of the road ahead, of key actions necessary to get us where we want to go. I believe that Full Leadership has Side and Underside. Yin and Yang. The Visionaire inspires the team with a High Vision, the why and a shared desire for the goal. But alone, the Visionaire cannot get us there. The Shepherd inspires later -as we traverse the challenges of the path- with her actions, her values, and her unflagging commitment to move us through. The vision keeps us high above; the reality of the path forces us to ground. We need both, Visionaire and Shepherd to take us through.

As Simon Sinek stated: “Genius is in the idea. Impact, however, comes from action.”

This Shepherd Leader image is supported by Linda Hill’s article “Leading from Behind” in Harvard Business Review, in which she argues for “harnessing the collective genius”- encouraging members to contribute their skills for collaborative problem solving and innovation. She compares this to the work of a shepherd who leads from the rear, allowing the more able to run ahead for others to follow. “It is about empowering others to lead in addition to yourself. It’s about being in front when there is danger, but allowing others to join with independent thought, creativity, and exchange of ideas.”

Curious about shepherding, I read Ken Downer’s article “9 Secrets of Leading Sheep” and Robert Moor’s shepherding story, part of his book On Trails. As they both explain, collective thinking looks down on sheep as passive, blind followers – but, in fact, they are absolutely not. Downer and Moor describe that sheep can be head-strong, energetic, or languid; that they are ungovernable when hungry; that they have strong spatial memory, but without the shepherd, they will wander around; and that they build strong trust in their good shepherd. Among sheep there are Leaders who seek the front, Middlers who prefer the center, and Tailers who stay in the back. There can be multiple leaders, emerging in different situations.

Thus, a shepherd does not passively lead “from behind.” Leading the herd takes effort, planning, experience, and requires vigilance and example. In shepherding there is Intended Direction and there is Intentional Action. The shepherd will take the front when needed, when there is danger, when decisions are to be made. All leadership incarnations are active.

In telling his experience in the British Army in WWII, my father writes: “In moments of calm, the Commander can enjoy some treats, but in times of combat or action, it is the commander who steps in first, leads by example, and attends to everyone, playing the role of leader, father, and server, all at the same time.” As expressed by Simon Sinek: “Leadership is not a rank to be attained. Leadership is a service to be given.”

The Shepherd Leader:

Purposeful. A Shepherd exercises influence purposefully; a goal, a direction is established, and the Shepherd ensures everyone gets there. There are dangers and opportunities along the way.

Hands-on. The Shepherd is hands-on, committed to move the herd, whatever it takes. The Shepherd is constantly scanning for danger, food, shelter, and direction forward. When action is required, the Shepherd will step in.

Strategic. The Shepherd applies foresight. The Shepherd must view the moves ahead of the flock to plan the route: Where is there water?  Good pasture?  When/where can we rest if the heat is too much?

Creates Culture. The first steps tend to dictate the next. A wise Shepherd will establish pace and patterns from the start and will adjust to what the flock brings, too.

Allows Exploration.  A member may wander off; the Shepherd will observe, as the explorer member may lead to a good pasture that otherwise might be missed.

Aligns. The Shepherd works the flanks of the herd to keep everyone aligned; Laggards are brought in.

Mentors.  Shepherds train their leader members to help move the flock at the right pace and in the right direction. A Shepherd exercises influence through and with others.

What is your leadership style?

By: Liora Haymann, Managing Director, OBMI International 

(Guest Contribution: The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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Mikaylee O’Connor: Principal, Senior Defined Contribution Strategist, PGIM DC Solutions

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Mikaylee O'Connor “One thing that’s at the core of how I operate is a focus on internal versus external gratification. I tend to go above and beyond for my own satisfaction because I have very high standards for myself,” says Mikaylee O’Connor. “Everyone’s way towards internal gratification is different, but I feel that when you do things for yourself, you exude different energy and attract more of what you want.”

Moving From Her Comfort Zone

Growing up in a small Oregon town, O’Connor was put on the Montessori track with an emphasis on independent thinking and hands-on learning. She then skipped middle school, while being home-schooled and spending her time in the stables, riding horses. She graduated high school at 17 and was off to Portland State University.

As a finance graduate, O’Connor joined a local investment consulting firm, RVK, as an investment analyst. She stayed for almost 13 years, working her way up while advising clients on pensions, 401k plans, and endowment foundations, to eventually becoming Head of Defined Contributions (DC). In 2020, she craved a new challenge.

“When you feel like you’re in your comfort zone, it’s the right time to maybe see about getting outside of that comfort zone. I wanted to do more strategic thinking, be a little more creative and be part of a movement to help the DC industry forward and find better solutions for everyday people,” she says.

In the start of 2021, she joined PGIM as a senior DC strategist and, this past February, she became a principal. O’Connor enjoys the ‘think tank’ atmosphere of her team: “We’re always asking, ‘What is the problem out in the market and how can PGIM and Prudential as a company come together to solve these problems and deliver solutions?’”

Embracing the New Challenge

“In my experience, the consulting world is very much for people who like to be constantly challenged,” she notes. “Every client project provides something new – new content, new research, new ways of presenting materials, or simply, adjusting to different personalities.”

O’Connor finds that everything depends upon how you approach those challenges: getting frustrated or seeing each as an invitation to grow. Receiving the support of mentors and advocates has been critical to rolling with new challenges. As she’s become senior, providing that same support to junior associates has been essential and rewarding.

She’s also learned to stay open to what she doesn’t yet know: “If you’re constantly trying to learn new things, you have to be humble to the fact that you don’t know everything,” she advises. “It’s important to surround yourself with different voices and perspectives so that when you’re trying to solve problems or provide solutions, you have that 360-degree view instead of looking only right in front of you.”

Opening to More Possibilities

O’Connor is known to give an unfiltered view of what she is thinking and play her own part in widening the conversation in any meeting.

“I push us to think differently or to have a different view on what we’re trying to solve. I often bring the end-user to the table,” she reflects. “Let’s put ourselves in the position of the person that’s going to be using this product or solution. How would they go about doing this or that?”

Despite being in a predominantly white male industry, O’Connor had the opportunity to work under a female CEO at RVK and with many female shareholders throughout her career. But when becoming involved in industry organizations, the gender skew became salient. Her approach to being underestimated by male peers was simple: “I would feel compassion for them because, at the end of the day, that’s their own challenge, not mine.”

But mostly, she has leveraged being a unique voice in the room to help her challenge the status quo.

“I’ve always been one to point out that just because we’ve done it this way in the past doesn’t mean we need to do it this way going forward. What are we missing? What should we be thinking about differently?” she says. “Having both that fresh perspective and high conviction about thinking about problems and solutions differently doesn’t always make people feel good. But I like a good debate and being uncomfortable talking about things, because we are only going to grow more through it.”

Adapting For Your Audience and Your Team Members

“Whether it’s your boss, client or a prospect, reading the room and adjusting how you approach the situation and your communication style matters to being effective,” says O’Connor.

Being able to adapt to and apply different ways of learning and communicating has been a powerful component in her ability to meet people where they are and create the momentum that drives results. Equally, sitting on the extrovert-introvert cusp, O’Connor highly values adapting her approach to hearing all voices in the room, including considering the different ways they may need to be heard.

“You have extroverts and introverts. You have people who need more time to think and you have people who can come up with ideas right on the spot in the meeting,” she says. “In order to capture all of the different great ideas, concerns and considerations, you have to consider how to make sure that you’re getting what you need from each of them, and that you make them all feel included.”

Reframing for Confidence

Shifting her mindset to increase her confidence has helped O’Connor to take on bigger roles.

“In the past, despite being overly prepared for a client meeting or discussion, I would still feel nervous,” she recalls. “But one mentor in particular assured me, again and again, that I knew more about the topic than anyone in that room. Over time, it shifted my perspective from being the ‘victim of scary stares and expectations’ to a ‘person with important information to share.’ I shifted to see that I’m going in there as a teacher.”

Now she loves to speak in front of an audience and does so often. Another learning curve has been around the challenge of leadership.

“I can be a perfectionist and always want to do things correctly, but when you’re in charge of people and emotions, that’s a different skillset and a different realm of understanding how to deal with things,” she says. “It takes a lot of listening and stepping back to ask how you can best support each of these individuals. Ultimately, their success is also my success.”

She’s also learned to always ask for feedback and to create an environment where people feel comfortable giving it.

Meanwhile, O’Connor has recently been unlearning multi-tasking as a leader: “I’ve been working on mindfulness and there’s a huge benefit to focusing your attention on one thing at a time. I’m much more active and creative when I get rid of distractions.”

Focusing on Internal Gratification

“By focusing on internal gratification, I’ve naturally been given more opportunities without necessarily focusing on what I have to do to get to the next step or to get promoted, because those are external focuses,” she notes. “By doing what I want to do – to grow and to learn and to do it for myself – I’ve just had those opportunities come to me.”

For years, O’Connor has been doing a self-review after meetings to consider whether she could have done anything better or differently. While it can be exhausting, it helps her grow and creates internal gratification.

“I would encourage women to focus internally and not worry so much about external steps and getting to the next one,” she says, “because then you’re doing the work for someone else instead of yourself.”

Being Human, First

O’Connor appreciates how PGIM Quantitative Solutions CEO Linda Gibson shows strength in her role and humanness in her communications.

“Linda has brought a sense of ‘we’re all just people.’ We’re all trying to do the same thing and nobody needs to be on a pedestal,” she says. “She can talk to you in the office just like anybody. It’s refreshing.”

O’Connor observes that since the pandemic and remote offices, more people are breaking down barriers and hierarchy, while seeing everyone as individuals and not just as employees.

“If we want to bring out the best in ourselves, we also have to show that we’re all humans and we all have things going on,” she says. “We can normalize that. But also, how do we take that change and use it to create a more cohesive and better company? Our relationships can be stronger because I can relate to you on something I didn’t know before.”

Speaking of which, O’Connor finds travel to be good for the soul, and enjoys seeking out AirBnBs and boutique stays with her husband while getting out of their comfort zones and taking in the cultures wherever they are exploring, most recently the Swedish Lapland in the forests of the Arctic circle, with saunas and cold plunges. Iceland is another favorite. Closer to home, she likes scouting out new atmospheric spots for a great meal in New York.

By Aimee Hansen

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Different Methods of Personal Development in the Workplace

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personal developmentIn the ever-changing world of work, it’s essential to continually develop your skills in order to stay ahead of the competition and further your career. This is particularly relevant following the recent evolution of remote working, as new skills are required to operate efficiently. However, the reality is that up to 35% of workers have never sought out training on their own.

Fortunately, there are many ways to begin your personal development journey and stay ahead of the trends. In this article, we cover several different methods of personal development to help you find the best fit.

Undertake training courses

Although personal development isn’t exclusive to training courses, they remain an effective way to pick up new skills. You can find all kinds of courses for almost any area of development, ranging from job-specific to more general soft skills such as communication.

To know which type of training would be most beneficial to you specifically, look at your performance review feedback and your personal goals to see which areas you need to buff up. Especially if you work in a competitive industry, it’s well worth doing your research and staying up to date with emerging trends and technologies that you could learn to help keep you at the front of the pack. If you’re not sure, then make sure to follow some industry leaders on social media, and see what skills they’re displaying that you’re not.

Finding and embarking on a training course is easier than ever in the modern age of remote learning. There’s no longer a need to travel in order to upskill yourself, making it more accessible and convenient. Completing the course remotely also tends to make it a lot cheaper, owing to the typical venue overhead costs being eliminated.

Set achievable goals

Setting goals provides a sense of direction and purpose, motivating workers to focus on their priorities. When setting goals, it’s important to ensure that they’re achievable amongst other things. Using the SMART method can help with this, standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Ask yourself what it is that you want to achieve in order to further your personal development. Once you’ve decided on your target areas of improvement, use that to formulate goals following the SMART method. This can really help to break down a seemingly big task into smaller, more manageable steps.

Use an executive coach

An executive coach is a specialist dedicated to your own personal development. Their industry experience means they’re able to provide clients with detailed advice specific to their own situation. This kind of customized plan is invaluable when it comes to self-improvement, as your coach will be able to help you quickly identify areas of improvement and provide you with tips on how to tackle them.

Be sure to also ask your employer about mentorship opportunities, as they may be able to assign you to someone within the company to help your progress and expand your professional skills. Perhaps you’re interested in learning more about a different department, or leadership skills to help you climb the ladder of success. Being active and seeking new learning opportunities is a great way to show your employer you take your professional progression seriously.

(If you would like to be coached by the founder of theglasshammer, please email nicki@theglasshammer.com or book an exploratory session.)

Learn something new every day

Keeping your brain active can be done in many different ways, and you shouldn’t only focus on work-based learning. Reading regularly, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, exercises your brain and makes you better able to absorb knowledge, improves cognitive function, enhances memory and enriches your vocabulary. These skills are beneficial not just for personal evolution but will also go a long way to furthering your professional pursuits.

From listening to podcasts to learning a new hobby, cooking, or just socializing with new people, there are plenty of ways to enrich your brain and learn new skills to help your professional development.

Work on your existing skills

No matter your industry, there is always room for improvement within your existing skill set. You might think you’re an expert on your current tools, but quite often there are ways to further optimize your work.

Think about what your typical day consists of and do some research on the tools you use the most often. Sometimes something as simple as watching a quick video online can provide you with new shortcuts or ideas, but if you’re looking for more in-depth knowledge, consider reaching out to a coworker or friend that’s familiar with the tool.

You might find that you can both learn things from each other that can help to make you more productive. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, so make sure you’re taking the time to invest in yourself.

By: Kathleen White, who works as an independent business analyst for several small businesses. She completed her degree in Business and Management. She enjoys writing in her spare time to share what she has learned, in hopes of benefiting other businesses.

(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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OP-ed: Menopause at Work – A Call To Action

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A senior HR official at a Fortune 500 company recently told me that women at her company routinely refuse to accept recognition awards for their years of service. Why? Because they don’t want people to know their age. Had that ever happened with a man, I asked? Never, she replied.

menopause at workOur society does not value age and aging, particularly in women. For women in the workplace and in other leadership positions, this double whammy of sexism and ageism is pernicious. As a result, many of us take steps to avoid drawing attention to our age. So when it comes to menopause, a unique marker of aging for women, it’s complicated. Even my most confident and successful friends and contemporaries become uncomfortable when talking about menopause. The stigma is real. We endure the stereotypes of angry women fanning themselves through hot flashes, while the silver fox goes happily about his business.

I am passionate about menopause because I believe that we are doing women and the people important to them a disservice by not talking more openly about the effects that menopause can have on some women, particularly at work. Many of us are in our prime professionally during these years, with senior positions of responsibility and management. It goes without saying (or it should) that having more women in C-suite positions is a good thing. Among other things, companies with greater C-suite diversity are shown to be more profitable, and more socially responsible.

The status quo of ignoring menopause is not ok. Menopause has a real effect on many women at work, as shown in this recent study, from Standard Chartered Bank and the Financial Services Skills commission in the UK. It delves into the effect that menopause is having on the financial services sector. A key finding centers around loss of talent due to menopausal symptoms – the study found that a quarter of employees experiencing menopausal symptoms said that they were more likely to leave the workforce early because of their experience. And the very real stigma around menopause means that only 22% are comfortable talking about it.

So what is menopause? The average age for menopause in the US is 51, and experienced by every cisgender woman (and some non-binary and transgender people.) Menopause marks the day when you have not had a period for 12 months. The time leading up to menopause is perimenopause, which generally begins in the mid 40s and lasts on average seven years. Perimenopause is caused by fluctuations in hormones, and this is when menopausal symptoms may start. During this time, periods may be uneven, heavier than normal, or irregular. You may have hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, heightened anxiety, reduced libido, weight gain (especially around the waist), heart palpitations, vaginal dryness, sleeping issues, or stiff and aching joints. In fact, there are 34 widely reported symptoms of menopause. 80% of women experience the most common symptoms, hot flashes and night sweats. For 15% of women, they are severe. For women who enter menopause surgically, perhaps due to a hysterectomy or cancer treatment, symptoms are often worse. The symptom that women find the most bothersome? Difficulty sleeping. Not surprising, as lack of sleep affects all other aspects of life. These menopausal symptoms don’t stop when your periods end; they often last for several years after you are officially in menopause, though they typically taper off. Once you have hit one year with no periods –a moment that can only be marked retroactively– you are post-menopausal. You will remain in this state the rest of your life.

Many women are familiar with the more common perimenopausal symptoms, but most don’t realize that their heightened anxiety, heart palpitations, sudden waking up in the middle of the night, lack of confidence, or difficulty remembering words might all be related to the fluctuating hormones of menopause. We tend to think of menopause as a gynecological issue, but it is so much more than that. It affects every organ in our body, and none more so than the brain. In fact, anti-depressants are often misprescribed during perimenopause: one study suggests that more than 60% of women have been inappropriately given antidepressants for low mood associated with menopause (and they won’t work if the cause is fluctuating hormones). It’s also important to note that menopause comes with many positives: no more periods! No more worrying about getting accidentally pregnant!

So what can we do to destigmatize menopause? Here are a few suggestions for actions to take, both personally and in your workplace.

  • Get Educated. Understanding what happens during the (potentially very long!) perimenopausal period can shed some light on what can feel like uncontrollable, out-of-nowhere struggles, like those sudden middle of the night wakings or lack of confidence. It’s often difficult to untangle perimenopausal symptoms from the normal stresses of life (particularly these days). But understanding what happens during menopause, knowing that it is transitory and that you have agency, is important. A good, fact based, very readable book on the subject is Dr. Jen Gunter’s ‘The Menopause Manifesto’. A new non-profit, letstalkmenopause.org, has some great resources, and balance-menopause.com, developed by the UK’s leading menopause physician, has a lot of fact based information (and a great app, too).
  • If you are suffering, seek help. Menopause is a natural transition, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to suffer. You have options for treatment. Your OB-GYN should be your first call, but don’t be discouraged if they aren’t as helpful as you hoped: there is, sadly, a huge gap in care for menopausal women. Shockingly, just 20% of OB-GYN residency programs provide any kind of menopause training. The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) has a list of certified menopause practioners. There are also new services specifically focused on menopausal women; Gennev, Elektra Health and Alloy, for example.
  • Talk to your HR department. The more that this issue is raised, the better. Ask what benefits your company has for menopausal women. Have your women’s group do an information session. Give a training on menopause for managers. Asking for information and resources will bring the issue to the fore. The more menopause is raised, the more your company will start to recognize it as a life event that should be supported just as fertility and pregnancy are, and treated with as much sensitivity as mental health.
  • Talk to your colleagues, friends and family. Be part of breaking the stigma. While you may be uncomfortable talking about menopause at work, sharing your experience with trusted colleagues educates, empowers, and normalizes. And if you aren’t comfortable talking about it at work, talk to your friends! It’s helpful to understand what other women are going through, and to share your experiences. Don’t forgot your partners and family too: it’s important they understand what you are going through. There are also some great online communities: the apps Peanut and Perry have good menopause support groups.

Menopause is a natural, essential stage of life. It can also add to what’s already a stressful time – kids, parents, work, COVID. But by empowering ourselves and our communities with knowledge, support, and the right medical help, we can march into the next half of life with joy, strength and power.

About the writer:

Kate Brashares (she/her) is the co-Founder and CEO of a new startup, Hello Maisy, focused on developing clinically proven, effective products and services that are being designed to support women through all life stages, with an initial focus on perimenopause, menopause and healthy aging. She is passionate about building and growing organizations that drive societal change and improve health outcomes. Previously Kate was the Executive Director of Edible Schoolyard NYC, and has also worked in brand marketing and finance. Kate has a B.A from Cambridge University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

Help us find out more! We are conducting a survey to find out more about women’s experience with menopause. Please fill in the anonymous survey here.

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Interdependent Leadership: We Need More than Independent Leaders

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Interdependence“Human life is interdependent!” says Dr. Stephen Covey. “Interdependent people combine their own efforts with the efforts of others to achieve their greatest success.”

As citizens of the Western patriarchal world that idealizes individualism, we are conditioned to strive for independence as the bastion of strength.

But as Covey touched on in the Maturity Continuum back in the classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, independence is not the ultimate arrival point.

Evolving from independence to interdependence is a pre-requisite of stepping into being a true leader and creating human fulfillment in all of our relationships.

Personal Development Journey to Interdependence

First of all, interdependence is neither dependence nor codependence. Only independent people can evolve to be and choose to be interdependent.

Our culture idealizes independence as the ultimate success, when it’s not. Consider the self-made man or do-it-yourself or the exalted lone hero’s journey.    

      Dependence (You)

When we become caught at the dependence state of maturation, we rely on others or the situation to meet our needs for safety and pleasure, to take care of us, and to take charge or create changes we want.

We abdicate responsibility for our lives to others to develop a victim mentality. It can be insidious, too.

As Dr. Michele Brennan writes, “Evidence of this is seen in individuals who cannot make decisions for themselves, they are afraid to speak their minds, or to advocate for themselves because they need someone to lead them.”

      Independence (I)

When we individuate towards independence, we take responsibility for the thoughts and actions required to meet our needs and wants as we’ve identified them. We are self-sufficient and self-reliant.

While we must arrive here to break our dependence, remaining as an island in an interconnected world is not the highest expression of success, consciousness or fulfillment.

Independence focuses only on your needs and desires, can quickly fall into scarcity mindset, and does not place supporting others and being supported as core.

At the independence mindset, we’re also prepared for others to lose so we can win. We’re more likely to feel others are in competition or detractive to our goals.

A recent meme emphasis has been “Ultra-independence is a trauma response”—and that could be seen as an individual, national and cultural wound.

      Interdependence (We)

Interdependence “comes with the self actualization that we are strong to stand on our own but we are wise enough to understand there is even greater strength in developing a community,” writes Brennan.

At the level of interdependence, we realize that our personal growth and fulfillment is not distinct from, or at odds with, lifting others up, but rather in accord with it.

As Michael Timms writes, “Interdependence is the understanding that your welfare and ultimate success is inextricably connected to the welfare and success of those around you.”

Beyond accountability for yourself, you take accountability for our inherent interdependence and your personal impact on the greater whole.

This is the “we” phase – as written in PM Today – “where the independent adult chooses to increase their circle of concern beyond themselves, to include ever widening groups of people.”

Individuals and organizations that come from this place view themselves as one part of a system of many interconnected parts, all impacting on each other.

How We See Ourselves and the World

Research shows that people with a self-construal as an independent entity will view internal attributes as core to who they are—their “traits, abilities, values and attitudes.”

Whereas people with an interdependent self-construal will view “close relationships, social roles and group members“ as central to their sense of self—personal meaning is contingent upon belonging to the interrelated whole.

Independence mindsets are overall associated with Western European and North American cultures and interdependence mindsets with East Asian and Latin American cultures.

When it comes to perceptual tendencies, people with independent mindsets pay more attention to the focal element of a scene (a bridge in a forest). People with interdependent mindsets pay attention to the context of the whole scene (forest with bridge).

In research, this means that a Westerner will notice small changes to the focal element (bridge) faster. Those from East Asian cultures will notice changes to the context faster (forest). The changes we don’t notice are called our change blindness.

Breaking from strict cultural divides, researchers found that it’s possible to nudge our perception to view the world more interdependently. Even by attuning to the interdependent pronouns “we” and “our” and “us” rather than “you” or “I” or “me” in articles, Westerners became more sensitive to detect the changes in the bigger picture.

The frames through which we think and think of ourselves impact how we perceive the world. The more we focus on our interconnection, the more attention we pay to context and the bigger picture.

Leading From Interdependence

Independent level leadership may refuse to take responsibility for problems or try to shoulder it all alone, may focus on being the solo hero, may raise executive salaries to exorbitant levels, may focus on the organizational win without considering the true ripple effect of the means.

“At best, independent people who choose not to progress to the next level of maturity will be valuable individual contributors,” according to The Ghannad Group, “and at worst, they will contribute to the counterproductive creation and maintenance of silos that prevent effective collaboration.”

“The moment you step from independence into interdependence in any capacity, you step into a leadership role,” wrote Covey.

Ghannad Group writes that “achieving interdependence requires intentionality and insight, courage and humility”—and embodying an interdependent, transformative leader mindset requires “abundance mentality”, “empathy and understanding”, and a “servant’s heart.”

At the interdependent leader level, you grow to adopt some of Covey’s approaches: Your philosophy of human interaction is win/win, seeing life as “cooperative not competitive”— seeking solutions and agreements that offer mutual benefit for all stakeholders concerned, because it’s always the most effective approach.

You seek to understand a situation before seeking to be understood and demonstrate real emotional intelligence. You foster synergistic group collaboration, which allows the collective whole to be greater than the sum of the independent parts and gives birth to new creativity and paradigms.

You seek solution-space for problems which are not your direct responsibility such as crisis, because they are impacting upon the whole.

Interdependent leaders come from a place of acceptance, curiosity and abundance mindset rather than judgement, fear and scarcity thinking.

You have confidence in “being enough” so that you can humbly call on the unique gifts and talents from everyone without judgment, raising everyone up as you rise in your leadership acumen to create the most synergistic, creative and expansive solutions.

You’re dependable, but it’s not about you. Being interdependent as a leader means the strength of knowing your own talents and embracing the vulnerability that nobody can be or do it all themselves.

We need each other and embracing the accountability of that interdependence is the most effective, fulfilling and mature path for humanity—and leadership.

By Aimee Hansen

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Emily O’Daniel, CFA; Vice President, Intermediary and Retail Specialist; PineBridge Investments

Emily O'DanielWhen you start from the bottom and move up, it can be hard to figure out how to make your way, says Emily O’Daniel.

The best strategy is to always be willing to take on responsibilities and be vocal about what you want. “People can’t read your mind, so ask for opportunities and get more comfortable saying no to requests that no longer fit in your job description if you are spread too thin..” 

And she adds, it’s hard to know what roles are out there and “what you want to be when you grow up” so you always have to ask questions, attend conferences and do your research to  find out what other jobs are like in order to determine what suits you best. 

A Growing Company, A Rising Career

That can-do spirit has served her well.

Spending her whole career with one employer has been fulfilling for O’Daniel, if a bit unusual in her generation, she points out. However, it’s given her the chance to wear many hats and take on diverse roles, all at one firm. While she had been offered a position at PwC following an internship in forensic accounting, she liked the possibilities she was offered at PineBridge as she believed working at a smaller firm would be more fruitful and lead to more opportunities faster. 

Her first position was as the only analyst covering the Americas institutional sales team.  After gaining some experience supporting the larger team as the sole analyst, she asked take on a specialized role within the intermediary & retail team  —an area she deliberately chose since it was a channel she knew the least about so the learning curve was steep.  That channel has grown since then, as has the company, with four analysts now on the sales team.  

Eventually O’Daniel was promoted into her own sales role and for two years has been an independent sales woman focusing on identifying new business.  In addition, she supports the firm’s sub advisory business, which she says is much like being a teacher. “You’re working with clients and helping them understand the investment strategy we’ve developed. Often it can be easy to get stuck in your day-to-day job and not see the end result so it’s rewarding to have insight direct impact as you watch people save for retirement and know you’re helping them.” 

However, in terms of the professional achievement she is most proud of so far, it doesn’t even have to do with that rapid ascension, but rather in earning her CFA designation, given the challenge inherent in the three-level test, where each level only has about a 30% pass rate. She was able to juggle that massive responsibility with working full time, but she believes that accomplishing that has made a big difference in her career. 

Strong Mentors Support and Teach

When O’Daniel began her career, she had expected that the corporate world would be far more competitive in terms of interpersonal relationships, which would make it hard to be yourself, especially as a novice. She has been pleasantly surprised to find that while there are all kinds of people, , by and large people have been friendly and helpful. “Even when I am in meetings with competitors, you get the sense that people want to collaborate and be friendly.”

She has been fortunate along the way to have had several role models—starting with her father, who was in sales and reminded her to always find the fun in what you’re doing. “If you like what you’re doing, you’ll be better at it,” she says, adding that he also taught her that cutting corners is never the way to succeed.

In addition, she was inspired by a women with whom she interned, who ran a successful business while maintaining a caring and kind demeanor. And she’s learned from many other colleagues, both male and female, informally and formally, through the robust mentor program PineBridge offers where you are matched annually with someone new. She says her PineBridge mentors have not only given her great advice, but advocated for her. “It’s been a great way to gain exposure to people outside of my group,” she says. 

O’Daniel is also active in a recently developed PineBridge Women’s Network, which is an internal resource group to network and talk about challenges in professional and personal development. And, she’s a member of an external group, the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), that is currently focusing on diversity and inclusion.

Since her role is largely numbers driven, outside of work O’Daniel enjoys exercising her creative side, from knitting to painting, making jewelry and handling any number of DIY projects. In addition she enjoys spending time with her family, frequently traveling to visit them in the Washington D.C. area.

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The Power of Reflection (On Peak Work Experiences)

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By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

Have you ever thought about your peak experience at work? A time, team or task where you literally had a good time and felt great about the project? Maybe it was the achievements, or accolades, or the people involved or the fact that you just liked the task in hand? You see, the point is that everyone is different and what we need to feel  good at work is in part, a lot to do with our personality. shutterstock_129586559

When coaching, I often run an assessment called the Hogan on my clients as it can help identify what is important to you, and only you. So, for some people, it is the power and recognition that feels good, while others like the rewards that can be banked or even the feeling of putting out an aesthetically perfect project. Others are people or relationship focused and want to have fun at work or feel highly affiliated with the team or the firm or the values attached to the work.

Either way, stopping to think about when you were happiest and looking deeper at those elements that created that good feeling is a very good exercise to do once a year or so. Equally looking at projects or tasks that brought you down is worth examination also.

Culture at work ( or how we do things around here) is very much made up of behaviors from you and the other people in the company. You have a personality, and that is fairly intrinsic but what does change is the environment that you work in and that effects how you act and react.

A fun but thought provoking book to read on personalities is called ‘”The Chameleon- Life Changing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has a Personality or Knows Someone who Does” as it will help you understand yourself and others around you. If you want an academic read, i would recommend Dr. Robert Hogan’s “Personality and the Fate of Organizations.

Also, knowing that you have “go to” behaviors is something that is invaluable in certain situations because as soon as learn what types of situations and people stress you out, then you can see your reaction in your mind’s eye and you get to choose how that plays out. Caveat, you can get stuck in roles and yes people see you for your social identities way more than they should ( such as gender and their notions of “how women should be” etc) but you get to truly choose your behavior if you start to do this work to know yourself better.

If you are interested in hiring an executive coach to help you navigate your career then please email nicki@theglasshammer.com for more information

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4 Tips to Calm Yourself and Your Stressed Team

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women stressedFemale professionals in the financial services industry are no strangers to stress. Whether the pressure stems from a full plate of distractions, such as those introduced by an unsteady economy, or from a steady flow of work-oriented communications, there is a constant balancing act to find a suitable strategy for getting the job done. How can you stay focused? How can you help your team successfully accomplish a challenging objective without becoming overwhelmed?

Tip 1: Stop Multitasking

Women in financial services are resolute multi-taskers with a high probability for getting stressed out to the max. A Stanford study revealed the cognitive dangers to media multitasking. Scientists have theorized that humans simply cannot adequately process a conglomeration of various free flowing information at one time. However, that fact has not stopped female professionals from trying. Without a doubt, individuals who have mastered multi-tasking positions have acquired an invaluable skill. This, however, is a double-edged sword. Their perceived gift is stress-inducing, which means it comes with a high price. Multiple tests showed that heavy multitaskers not only consistently underperformed light multitaskers, but the flood of tasks was actually detrimental to their cognitive control. On the other hand, workers who prioritize and give individual projects full attention are actually more productive.

Tip 2: Understand the macro-environment

Financial services is a particularly stressful industry because of widespread restructuring, increased competition, and globalization. Immense changes in the economy have had a significant impact on professionals in the industry. The stress resulting from work-related irascibilities in the financial industry should not be ignored or minimized. Massive acquisitions and mergers have made headlines for years.

Women in financial services are resolute multi-taskers with a high probability for getting stressed out to the max.

New developments in technology require finance professionals to acquire and utilize more technical expertise, and to perform increasingly difficult tasks with a broader skill set. Additionally, domestic and international competition has raised the bar as to what is expected of financial services. Toss in a lack of meaningful communication and a loss of teamfocus, and you have the recipe for exacerbated tension and frustration in the workplace.

What starts out as irritation from miscommunication or fatigue from a heavy workload, often leads to more serious difficulties such as burn out, anger eruptions, physical illness, loss of self-confidence, workplace violence, and insufficient staffing. Understand the reason is sometimes bigger than you and that there are certain factors in the macro-environment that cannot be overlooked.

Tip 3: Identify the source of the stress

It is unreasonable to think that one can revolutionize the entire financial services industry and make the workplace stress free. However, with expert advice, you can change the environment of your own workplace in order to reduce your stress level and the stress level of your teammates. How do you bring about a more positive atmosphere? It’s crucial to first identify the source of the stress. Is a particular project weighing everyone down? Has there been a lot of overtime? Is new technology causing stress in the office? Once you identify the stress, then you can begin the process of alleviating it.

Leaders don’t wait for staff to come up with something to make the workplace healthier. Take the initiative by providing team support and by giving each worker clear training and goals. Instead of having the type of staff meeting that allows for endless rambling, set a clear agenda that conveys a constructive tone, one that prevents individuals from monopolizing valuable time. Meetings that are productive and focused create a true haven for support rather than add to the team’s boatload of stress.

Tip 4: Think ahead

A proactive leader thinks ahead. Don’t wait until everyone is at the breaking point before you decide to act. When your team is assigned a project, use insight to determine what the team needs to deal with the challenges associated with the project. If certain tasks, changes, or clients are likely to impose extra stress on your team, then have a clear stress management plan ready. Keep the lines of communication open, and encourage feedback and team engagement. Obviously, you are not going to eliminate or even reduce to an innocuous level every source of stress in the financial services industry. However, it is both insightful and pragmatic to take advantage of every available resource and opportunity to minimize personal stress and the stress of your team. To start with there are always some simple, practical, common-sense things a good leader can do to stay on top of or avert a potential problem: When conflicts arise, settle them quickly; give the needed attention to individuals on your team; listen actively to them when they make suggestions or face difficulties; institute a strategy that will make it easy for them to transition from one project to the next; give them constant feedback and make them feel respected and valued.

Even though female professionals face highly stressful circumstances in the financial services industry, they can manage pressure by keeping the workplace positive. Multi-tasking and aimless staff meetings are not the solution, but part of the problem. Workers need to know that they are valued as team players, and they need to have clear goals on which to focus, and toward which to work. By honing their exceptional communication skills, women leaders avail themselves of yet another useful skill in managing stress.

By Kathleen Delaney

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Develop Yourself

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People around a laptopIf you wait for your employer, you might be waiting a long time.

Recently, over glasses of wine, it came up that many of my friends felt like they weren’t being developed by their companies.

“They think we don’t care about career development because they think we don’t care about our careers because we’re millennials. Millennials…such an HR term,” complained one of my friends, who is a consultant.

“At least if they decided to develop you, you’d be getting applicable skills,” said another friend, who leads corporate training programs and is questioning her career. “I want to change my career and I’m not sure how.”

“The only kind of development we get is access to a series of boring webinars that we have to watch in the HR conference room,” said another friend in a tech company. “I fell asleep during the last one.”

Why are companies not developing their employees?
  • Maybe they think you don’t care.
  • Maybe they don’t care.
  • Maybe they think they are developing you, but don’t know how.
  • Maybe they’re too busy.
  • Maybe they’re only focused on developing their favorite star employees, and don’t have time for everyone else.
  • Maybe someone in the HR department or in management doesn’t like you.
  • Maybe they only develop men, and not women (in which case, you might have a lawsuit on your hands, or need to look for a new job).

It sucks to stay at a job and not be developed. If you are at a job for a number of years, you should need to update resume every six months with new skills, projects, tasks, and reports. If you don’t find yourself doing that, well, you have an issue. I find myself regularly logging into LinkedIn to post my latest presentations, updated skills, and reports.

So you’re not being developed. Or maybe you want a new career, and don’t want to bother focusing on being developed in your current organization/role. Here are some tips on how you can develop yourself. Ultimately, you’re the one who cares most about your career, so you should be the one taking charge of it.

  1. Look at your career in the long term. Where can you go? Where do you want to go? Where could you possibly go? If you really need help, contact a career counselor. Your alumni or career services office of your former university might be able to assist you with resume revision, career counseling, and networking opportunities.
  2. Do you want to/Are you willing to live someplace else? This might open up or limit your options, depending. If you need to or want to move, voice this to your organization to see how this may change your career. Affiliate yourself with local professional organizations (even if it’s just online) to connect and network.
  3. Don’t get bogged down by negativity. Yes, maybe you hate your job, or your career, or your boss, or your HR department. But stop complaining about them and wishing they would all just quit or go away won’t help you. Accept that things are the way they are. Try to change them – by looking for a new job, and until that happens, focus on developing yourself.
  4. Are there any industry/professional associations you could be affiliated with? Join them. Even if opportunities are lacking in your organization, externally you could find mentors, training programs, networking opportunities, conferences, grants, and workshops crucial to developing your skills and career. See how you could be involved – volunteer for events, offer to give presentations, see how you can contribute and be a part of growing your skills and your career.
  5. How can you further your education? Whether it’s getting a master’s degree, enrolling in a certificate program, or taking a weekend course that could develop your skills and career further, never stop learning. Check in with your HR department for reimbursement policies and any class recommendations they have.
  6. Ask for more at work –from new people. Maybe you’re limited in how you can develop in your department. Talk to your colleagues from other departments, and see if you can help them with any projects, and develop new skills. Maybe HR has some ideas about how you can assist with staffing gaps. Offer to do presentations – public speaking skills are very important (even if you hate it!).
  7. Improve your people management skills. Schedule one-on-ones with direct reports to check in and see how you can help them more. Ask if there are ways you can improve and help them. If you don’t have anyone to manage, ask if you can. If there are no opportunities, create an internship program to give you much-needed people management skills. When working across teams and when managing projects, show off your skills and leadership talent.
  8. Work on general development skills. Maybe you’re a solo librarian at a large law firm, and they’re not interested in funding classes for you on improving search strategy or copyright updates. See if they will stand behind you as you take classes on managing staff, time management, productivity, budgeting, and career management. It’s always a good idea to have a few ideas of your own picked out, but check in to see if your managers and/or HR department have any ideas of your own.
  9. Are there language skills you can develop?Learning a new language is always a great thing to do – it challenges your mind, it’s fun, it’s a great connect with people, it helps when you travel, and it’s a great thing to add to your resume. Check out if your job will pay for it, and/or if they will let you take classes on company time. I initially began studying Spanish because of my own personal interests, and have since read reports/articles in Spanish for work, answered information requests in Spanish, and fact-checked a report in Spanish. Check out reviews of local language schools, or your local colleges, and join Meetup groups as a way to practice further.
  10. Start an Internship/Volunteer. If you really want a new career, don’t jump ship before experiencing it for yourself. I will never thank my mother enough for forcing me to be a candystriper when I was in high school after I said I wanted to be a physical therapist. Working at a hospital quickly made me realize that while I loved helping people, I didn’t want a career in the medical field. I volunteered another six years, and loved it, but knew it wasn’t a lifelong career for me. Bonus for internships: you might make some great connections for a future career.
  11. Find mentors, inside and out. The most unlikely person in your organization can turn out to be a great mentor, and maybe even ultimately, a sponsor to help advance your career internally. Mentors can give you great advice on how to take your career going forward, which new skills to focus on, how to build new skills, organizations to join, opportunities to pursue, how to navigate career politics, and just serve as a sounding board. Can’t find a mentor? Be your own!
  12. Don’t just find a mentor – be a mentor. Mentor someone just starting out their career, or even a student in the field. Former mentees of mine still email me for advice, years later. It makes me feel good that I’ve made a difference in their careers.
  13. Update your resume and LinkedIn page all the time. Even if you’re not looking for a job, you should be always be regularly updating. A friend who unexpectedly lost her job when her company shut down their North American headquarters office told me, “The worst thing is that now I’m trying to remember everything I did for the last six years.” Also, should you suddenly decide to update everything on your LinkedIn profile at once, this could be a bit suspicious to your coworkers/managers. I use LinkedIn as a place to find and promote my speaking engagements and articles, so I constantly update my profile.
  14. Actually use LinkedIn. A biologist friend recently confided in me, “I don’t really see the purpose of LinkedIn.” Use it to see if any of your friends have connections at your dream companies; use it to stay connected to former classmates and those in your field. Join relevant groups; they’re great for asking questions and getting a fresh outsider response.
  15. Connect with recruiters. If you’re looking for work, connect with a recruiter. Make sure they know exactly what you are looking for so they can make the most of their time and your time. They should also be aware of your latest skills.
  16. Even if you don’t want to leave, check out other jobs in your field. What are the required skills and experience? What can you work on? What should you focus on developing? Where are your gaps? During a check-in with your manager, ask to fill in some of those gaps.
  17. Network with a purpose. Most of us find networking awkward – standing there, clumsily unsure of how to start conversations. Ahead of time, create goals: think about what you want to accomplish at a networking event. Create an elevator pitch. I like to go into networking events with some questions. “What’s new in your office?” “How do you handle stress with your job?” “What’s your favorite thing about your job?” You can talk about what you do, and mention what kind of opportunities you are seeking. I was offered a speaking engagement after updating an acquaintance about the speaking I had been doing.

Really, when it comes down to it, developing your career is your responsibility. It would be great if your employer would help you, and really, any good employer will, but if it’s not happening, you need to make it happen. Develop yourself: it’s the best thing you can do for your career.

Writers bio:
Cheryl Yanek is a writer currently traveling around India, where she is also studying yoga. She regularly writes on career issues, ultrarunning, feminism, pregnancy, yoga, food, and wine. She has been published in many places including Skirt Collective, Trail Runner, The Huffington Post,  Ultrarunning, Manifest-Station, Thought Catalog, and New York Wine Events. She is also the Race Director of the Burning Man Ultramarathon.

 

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Secret Career Weapon: Admitting Your Mistakes Then Learning From Them

Nervous Business WomanWhy is there an expectation in our society that the higher you are within the business hierarchy, the less likely you are to make mistakes?

Whether you are an entry-­‐level analyst or a top-­‐ranking CEO, the potential to make mistakes is equal. What we do after we make them is what distinguishes the leaders from the followers.

And yet, as a society we look so harshly upon failures and mistakes and are conditioned to judge women who make mistakes more harshly than men, especially if they occupy traditional male roles. The study “People in jobs traditionally held by the other sex are judged more harshly for mistakes,” from the Association for Psychological Science calls this dynamic a “glass cliff.”

Read more

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