Career lessons learned: It’s not always “what” you do, but “how” you do it
As a first generation college graduate, I am very proud of my professional accomplishments and the education that has made it possible. I have made a career out of synthesizing complex information, conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis, drawing conclusions and disseminating the findings. These skills that I have mastered have enabled a successful career that has allowed me to quickly scale the corporate ladder. Thankfully, I genuinely enjoy what I do. However, in my more recent positions that have included leadership responsibilities, it has become clear to me that it’s becoming less about “what” I do, but “how” I do it. This was at first a very unsettling realization because I spent so much time and effort mastering those skills- and I incurred a lot of student loan debt in the process! However, the reality was that my formal education is what got me the jobs, but it wasn’t enough for me to excel in my career.
About three years ago I was drafting my development plan and I referenced job descriptions for roles I aspired to have in the future. I was quickly noticing that leadership skills were at the top of the list for core competencies and my current skills were NOT at the top of the list. At a certain point I would need my current skills and future skills to converge- but I wasn’t sure when or how that would happen. In search of how I could ensure I was on the “right” path for where I wanted to go, I turned to Google and stumbled upon the world of “executive education”. As I read description after description of available leadership courses, it was almost like they read my development plan verbatim and knew exactly what I needed to do to advance my career.
When I discussed this “aha” moment with my manager, he not only supported me taking a course but also allowed me to expense it and take time off to attend it without using any of my personal vacation days. As someone that always loved school, it all sounded like a dream come true and I couldn’t register quick enough!
I have now attended leadership courses at The Wharton School, Ross School of Business and today I started a course at Kellogg School of Management. I’ve also found my community and support network by participating in the Global Leadership Accelerator organized by Women of Color in Pharma. While the learnings along my leadership journey are countless, the most important lessons have been how to lead without authority, how to engage key stakeholders and the importance of being intentional in my career.
In order to lead without formal authority, you must first realize the importance of “influencing”. This can be done relatively easily by simply promoting discussion about the problem you are trying to solve and asking for others’ opinions. Once you’ve understood the problem from multiple perspectives, you can lay out the options and consequences of each decision. When you have reached a decision about how to move forward, you must ensure people believe in your decision and know why it is the right decision.
Regarding stakeholders, it’s essential to know how and when to engage them. Who can make the project succeed? Who can kill the project? Who can provide or limit access to resources for the project? There are different engagement strategies for different types of stakeholders within this matrix of stakeholders. Some stakeholders should be involved throughout the process and others can be consulted or informed at key decision points. Also, when engaging with different stakeholders it’s important to understand how your individual leadership style may complement or differ the leadership style of key stakeholders. Some leaders appreciate directness and ability to get to the point quickly while others are focused on accuracy and are trying to uncover any mistakes or oversights.
Lastly, and most importantly in my opinion, is ensuring you stay true to your passion and be intentional in your career path. We all have a reason why we have pursued the career path we have chosen. However, the reality is that we are unlikely to do the same job for our entire careers. I have found it useful to think about new opportunities in terms of what I want my legacy to be and how I want to be perceived today and in the future.
To be completely clear, none of these courses or lessons will immediately result in a promotion, but that shouldn’t be the measure of success. The reality is that career journeys are not always a straight path and different skill sets will most likely be required for your next role. What got you your current role probably won’t be sufficient for your next role.
I’m beyond thankful for my academic accomplishments but my experience has been that I can’t simply rely on those accomplishments to get where I want to go in my career. Executive education and leadership courses have provided me with fundamental leadership skills for my professional AND personal life that have made me a better person as a whole. I encourage everyone to do the hard work and think about what they want their legacy to be and develop a plan for HOW you are going to make it a reality-your future self will thank you!
