Tips for Leadership and Career Growth

Careers don’t grow from titles. They grow from touchpoints. And kindness is the currency. Most career advice says: – Build authority – Get the title – Command the room – Prove your worth – Be visible Sure, titles open doors and look great on the org chart. But it’s how you made people feel that keeps your name in the room after you’ve left it. I’ve coached hundreds of senior leaders. And here’s the truth: 50% chase influence through authority. The ones who actually transform careers (including their own) lead with kindness. Not the fluffy kind. The kind that lasts long after you’ve gone: ↳ Remembers your kid plays soccer ↳ Follows up on your parents’ surgery ↳ Turns meetings into moments that matter I still remember the leader who checked on me weeks after I lost someone, long after everyone else had moved on. That stayed with me more than any title ever could. That’s what people remember years later. Want to lead in a way that scales careers and culture? Start with these 5 career-changing kindness habits: 1/ Listen without fixing → “Do you want advice, or someone to just listen?” → People don’t need fixing. They need to feel heard. 2/ Own your mistakes → “Here’s a time I completely messed up.” → Vulnerability builds trust. Fast. 3/ Start with a ‘Win Round’ → “What’s one small win today?” → Recognition resets energy. 4/ Lead with self-kindness → Take a break. Set boundaries. Say no. → When you model it, others follow. 5/ Host a ‘No-Agenda’ Check-In → 10 minutes. No work talk. → Ask: “How are you, really?” This is the kind of leadership that opens doors, shifts cultures, and builds careers that actually feel good to be in. Let that be your legacy. Kindness isn’t soft. It’s your secret weapon. So ask yourself: Who still feels seen because of the way you showed up? And maybe more importantly: Whose name are you choosing to remember when no one else does? Impact isn’t in your title. It’s in your touch. ♻️ Repost to help others lead differently. 🔖 Tag a leader whose kindness changed your career. ➕ Follow Loren Rosario-Maldonado, PCC, for human-centered leadership without the fluff. #Leadership #Kindness #Careers #HumanFirst #ExecutiveCoaching

6 Pieces of Career Advice I Wish I Ignored (And what I learned instead) To learn these, It took me 10 years of: - Pivoting 9 times - Getting fired twice - Landing dream jobs & 5X my salary __ 1/ Stay loyal to one company and climb the ladder ↳ Loyalty to a company won’t guarantee loyalty back to you. ↳ Career growth often happens when you move across, not just up. ↳ Staying too long can stall your learning, network, and earning potential. 2/ Wait your turn for promotions and raises ↳ Hard work alone doesn’t guarantee recognition. ↳ If you don’t advocate for yourself, you’ll get overlooked. ↳ Opportunities go to those who ask for it, not those who wait. 3/ Good work will speak for itself ↳ Good work alone doesn’t protect you or build your brand. ↳ Speaking up (respectfully) can open doors, influence change, and build trust. ↳ Leaders aren’t made by staying invisible. 4/ Focus only on technical skills, not soft skills ↳ Technical skills can get you the job — but emotional intelligence helps you keep it and grow. ↳ Relationship-building, communication, and empathy are career multipliers. ↳ People remember how you made them feel, not just what you delivered. 5/ Find a stable, "safe" job and stay there ↳ There is no such thing as a stable job ↳ Even the "safest" jobs can vanish overnight (layoffs, reorgs, leadership changes). ↳ Instead bet on YOURSELF, not on any 1 company. 6/ Success = job titles and salary ↳ Titles and money are superficial wins; they won’t fulfill you long-term. ↳ True success is doing work that aligns with your values, lifestyle, and goals. When you focus on purpose, the money and fulfillment follow Which piece of advice do you wish you ignored sooner? 👇🏼

Throughout my career placing professionals across organizational levels, I've observed a counterintuitive pattern: the most productive employees often experience slower advancement than their more strategically visible counterparts.   This disconnect occurs because organizations promote based on perceived value rather than task completion volume.   The Visibility Gap: Most daily work remains invisible to decision-makers who determine advancement opportunities. Being exceptionally busy often signals poor prioritization rather than exceptional value.   Strategic Positioning Over Task Execution: Advancement requires demonstrating impact on organizational priorities rather than individual productivity metrics.   Cross-Functional Relationship Building: Promotion decisions often involve input from multiple stakeholders beyond immediate supervisors, making broader organizational visibility crucial.   Solution-Oriented Communication: Contributing meaningfully to strategic discussions and problem-solving initiatives creates more advancement opportunities than silent execution of assigned tasks.   The professionals who advance most rapidly understand that career growth requires intentional visibility management alongside excellent performance.   This doesn't diminish the importance of quality work, but recognizes that career advancement operates on different metrics than productivity optimization.   For those feeling stuck despite strong performance, the solution often lies in shifting focus from task completion to strategic contribution and ensuring that value creation is visible to advancement decision-makers.   What strategies have you found most effective for translating excellent work into career advancement opportunities?   Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju   #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #promotion #promotions #careeradvancement #careerstrategist

It's easy freak out about the job market right now. But, there is a silver lining in all of this uncertainty. The smart move? Use this time to invest in yourself. I learned this the hard way, wasting too much time trying to make a move during the Great Recession and getting no results. At first, I panicked. Then I realized the job market was completely out of my control and decided to focus on something that wasn't: Expanding my skillset and getting a new certification. ⭐Within 10 months, I was promoted from recruiting to leading PR and external affairs. ⭐Within 4 years, I was recruited to a dream job Bottom line: This isn't the time to just sit back and relax. And panicking won't help. When the job market turns (and it will!) you want to be ready to go. Here's what to do now to set yourself up for success: 1️⃣ Create Your Own Opportunities ↳ Volunteer for high-visibility projects ↳ Solve problems nobody owns yet ↳ Document your wins meticulously 2️⃣ Build Strategic Relationships ↳ Network across departments and externally ↳ Find mentors who challenge your thinking ↳ Be the go-to person others count on for something specific 3️⃣ Learn In-Demand Skills ↳ Master data analysis and visualization ↳ Build AI savvy and experience ↳ Pick up tools to manage complex projects 4️⃣ Develop As A Thought Leader ↳ Share insights from your daily work ↳ Write internal newsletters or reports ↳ Present at team meetings consistently 5️⃣ Volunteer in Your Community ↳ Search for organizations aligned with your values ↳ Find out what help they need most ↳ Take on a leadership role to make connections or build skills 6️⃣ Teach Others ↳ Choose something you genuinely enjoy ↳ Take a deep dive into it so you can teach it to others ↳ Check out community centers, and local colleges for adjunct roles 7️⃣ Start a Side Gig ↳ What can you do that others can't or won't? ↳ Let friends, family and neighbors know what you're doing ↳ Ask people to refer you and share testimonials on social media 💡Career growth isn't just about changing jobs. It's about owning your own professional development. ♻️ Share to help others grow professionally. 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career insights. 📌 Need help with your growth strategy? DM me to chat.

Are You Stalling Your Own Career Growth? You’re ready for the next big step—whether it’s a promotion or a new opportunity elsewhere—but something is holding you back. It’s not a lack of ambition, qualifications, or capability. It’s the concern that there’s no one to backfill your role. This is especially challenging if you want to move up within the same company. You’ve become indispensable, and that can feel more like an obstacle than an advantage. Leadership sees your value right where you are. If you’re feeling stuck because your current role depends too much on you, consider these three strategies: 1. Develop Your Successor Now Proactively mentor and upskill a team member who could take on key aspects of your role. This not only helps you, but it also demonstrates strategic foresight and leadership—qualities that make you an even stronger candidate for advancement. 2. Redefine ‘Value’ in Your Organization Being indispensable in your current position can limit mobility. Shift the perception of your value from doing the work to elevating the organization. Communicate how you can drive impact at a higher level and how a well-planned transition benefits the company long-term. 3. Make the Case for a Structured Transition Rather than waiting for leadership to solve the backfill issue, present a clear transition plan. Show how your move can be managed effectively—whether through interim solutions, process documentation, or a phased transition. Executives want solutions, not roadblocks. One of my clients expressed wanting to stay at her current organization, but she felt trapped—she was ready for the next level, but leadership hesitated to move her because there was no clear successor. We worked together to identify a high-potential team member she could mentor while documenting key processes to ensure a smooth transition. Concurrently we worked on a way she could pitch herself into a newly created role around her skillset that would serve a need for the organization. (In my Career Velocity program we call that "Write & Pitch Your Job Description." It worked!) By proactively presenting a succession plan, she shifted leadership’s perception of her from indispensable in her role to indispensable to the company’s future. Within months, she secured the promotion, confident her team was set up for success. Staying stuck isn’t an option for high performers. The best leaders don’t just fill roles—they build pathways for future success. If you want to move up, start paving the way today. #CareerVelocity #QualifiedIsntEnough #jobs

I made it to Vice President at Amazon despite doing only an average job of managing my career. It was all hard work and luck, no real plan. You can’t count on luck, but here are 7 career advancing strategies that you can count on. 1) Work on large, global teams. 2) Work with people of all types of specialties, not just those in your field. 3) Work on longer, bigger projects to master handling complexity 4) Learn intentionally about career progression - titles, performance reviews, and promotions. 5) Invest in relationships- network and manage up 6) Build social skills -practice influence, emotional intelligence, and public speaking 7) Determine what kind of culture, manager, and work lets you be your best This is the training we don’t get in school: how to succeed in a corporate job and advance our careers. At the beginning, we learn by trial and error. If we are lucky we find a peer or a manager to guide us, or we pick up a formal mentor along the way. But generally, we stumble along without a guide. This list is that guide. It contains many of the things I learned slowly over the years with plenty of missteps. I am writing it here because you can’t count on having the luck that I had. What you can do is work hard and optimize your career management. The hard work is straightforward: Put in the long hours, move around for better jobs. Career management is the complex part. Are you on top of all the things in the list above? Are you learning the advanced skills that open the door to leadership roles? The "secret" to mastering career planning is treating "career management" as equal to "hard work" when you think about how to move up. There are LOTS of hard working, talented people. If you want to stand out, you have to be smart about managing your career. If I had known this 20 years ago, I would have gone much further much faster. Don’t count on luck. I teach career management here and in the courses I have created. Follow me, take the courses, OR learn this stuff some other way. No matter how you do it, make sure you are being intentional and intelligent about advancing your career. My next live course is coming up: https://buff.ly/45x84xA Reader - please share what you have learned about career development that you wish you could tell your younger self?

Your silence is killing your career. I've watched talented people get passed over for promotions for years. The common thread? They kept their ambitions to themselves. Here's the hard truth: No one is coming to rescue your career. No one will magically discover your hidden talents. No one can support dreams they don't know exist. Here’s how to start speaking up — today: 1/ Schedule a quarterly career conversation with your manager. Don't wait for review time. Develop a career growth plan with specific asks for support, mentorship or stretch assignments. 2/ After big wins, email leadership. Share the impact you've delivered and what’s next. Show you’re thinking beyond delivery. 3/ When someone asks “How’s work?” say: “I’m working toward [goal] — what challenges are you facing?” Small talk → strategic talk. 4/ Volunteer for projects tied to where you 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to go — not just what you’re good at now. 5/ Book 15-min chats with people you admire. Ask curious questions. Listen closely. Build advocates. Your manager isn't a mind reader. Your colleagues can't recommend what they don't see. Your network can't connect you to invisible goals. The most successful people I know? They don't hope someone notices their work. They don't silently resent being overlooked. They don't expect loyalty to be rewarded automatically. They state their ambitions clearly, repeatedly, and to the right people. What career goal have you been keeping to yourself? Drop it below — you never know who’s reading. Your growth is too important to keep quiet about. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

Following up on our discussion about building skills as a student, let's talk about the #MidCareerProfessional stage – specifically for those with 3-10 years (there's no set timeframe for this) of experience. This is a crucial time, because the learning absolutely should not stop. One of my favorite Leadership Principles at #Amazon was "Learn and Be Curious." It's something I genuinely believe in, and it's been essential for my growth. While you're in your current role, there are intentional ways to keep expanding your skillset: 1) Seek Out Leaders You Admire: Identify leaders whose styles you like. Observe what skills they lean into – whether it's driving influence, mastering strategy, or stakeholder management. Don't be afraid to schedule 1:1 meetings with them and ask directly: "What are the core skills you believe are essential to grow in this role, or in your career path?" Their insights are invaluable. 2) Align Skills to Projects: Once you've identified the skills you need, proactively ask your manager if you can take on projects that will help you build those specific skills. For example, I developed an interest in product management. I completed an eight-week class at BrainStation, then went to my manager. I explained my interest and how some projects would allow me stronger engagement with Engineering, Product, and UX teams. It has been super helpful in developing a more holistic understanding and tangible skills. 3) Formal Learning & Application: Online courses, workshops, or even industry conferences can provide structured learning. Search your topics on YouTube LinkedIn Coursera Udemy This is about maximizing your current role to continuously evolve your capabilities. What's one skill you're actively working on building right now in your mid-career? #CareerGrowth #SkillDevelopment #LearnAndBeCurious #ProfessionalDevelopment #MidCareer

If you feel stuck in execution mode and want to have more influence in shaping your company's direction, read this: In leadership rooms, career growth isn’t about doing more work. It’s about doing your work differently. It’s not about being louder. Or waiting your turn. It’s about de-risking the decision for someone to bet on you. I didn’t learn this from a book or podcast. I learned it by being in the rooms where those bets were made. And here’s what became crystal clear: 🚫 Your work won’t speak for itself 🚫 Speaking up doesn’t equal influence 🚫 Performance ≠ power If you want a seat at the table, start here: ✅ Speak the real language of leadership. No, it’s not “sounding strategic.” It’s showing you understand how your company bets on growth, and where your role fits in. ✅ Follow the money. Knowing business goals isn’t enough. You need to know how money moves, and align yourself accordingly. ✅ Read the (unsaid) subtext. Town halls simplify. Decisions happen underneath. Ask sharper questions. Watch what isn’t said. ✅ Mindset is strategy (yep, you read that right). When things get political or messy, your ability to stay focused on leverage (not effort) is what separates doers from influencers. ✅ Apply advice with precision. Anyone can get advice. Few can tailor it to their org, timing, and leadership dynamics. Hard work makes you reliable. Strategic insight makes you undeniable. Choose wisely. ----- P.S. Haven't signed up for the "Get Promoted" workshop? Wait, why? DM me and I'll send you a registration link. We have women from Uber, Amazon, Airbnb, Visa + others attending. #womenleaders #womencxos #womenintech #careergrowth #leadership #promotions

I see it time and again, humble, hardworking leaders are often overlooked for the opportunities they want. They hoped their work would speak for themselves, but it didn't. It bears repeating that we have to stop waiting to be picked and advocate for our goals and desires. But your leader should "just know" right? I know it's tempting to think that other people are thinking of us and what we want, but they aren't. As it's famously said, "people are too busy worrying about themselves." Stop waiting to be picked and invest in yourself! Here are three simple ways you can take charge of your own career so you can be a key player in the talent pipeline: 1️⃣ Own your talents and experience. As a former HR leader, I can attest to the fact that men will apply to jobs that excite them (whether they were qualified or not), while women will talk themselves out of it, citing doubt, imposter feelings or “not feeling qualified yet.” ➡️ Try this: Update your resume and use this as an opportunity to own your wins. Use this evidence to give you a little confidence boost, but remember, you can apply and interview for your next-level job while also feeling doubtful. 2️⃣ Share your goals. People are horrible guessers and if they don't know what your goals are they can't help you, advocate for you or choose you. ➡️ Try this: Add a “professional goals and progress” section to your regular check in with your leader. 3️⃣ Ask for support. It used to be that the majority of coaching in the business world was for senior executives (read: male c-suite leaders). But now, as coaching and training programs have become more accessible to leaders of all levels, what are you doing to invest in and ready yourself to grow professionally? ➡️ Try this: Find a professional development program that excites you and ask your leader to cover some or all of the cost. In this ask, you can state the program goals and at least three ways the employer will benefit from your learnings and growth! Remember, at the end of the day your career is too important to leave it up others, hoping they'll notice your hard work and good intentions. Who have you shared your goals and aspirations with recently?