PSA: Don’t let your job title define you.
You can be a CEO and an unethical, diminishing leader. Or, a CEO who inspires change and empowers their team to achieve more.
You can be an Executive Assistant who is content with the status quo. Or, an Executive Assistant who is a thought partner to the leadership team.
You can be a VP and a micromanager. Or, a VP who mentors their team and encourages them to creatively solve problems.
You can be an Operations Manager who puts process over people. Or, an Operations Manager who effectively collaborates and implements thoughtful systems.
You can be an Administrative Assistant and a roadblock to growth. Or, an Administrative Assistant who champions the culture and facilitates change.
Your title may be assigned to you and part of a complex organizational structure that you feel like you have no control over. And, that may be true!
But you get to choose how you show up.
Your title does not dictate your level of leadership, integrity, professionalism, thinking, collaboration, strategy, communication, decision-making, work ethic, or creativity.
What’s your job title? Do you care? And, how much does it matter? Hit reply and let me know!
– Hallie
On the Blog
Leaders, Let Go So You Can Actually Lead
If you’re in a leadership position, then chances are you want (or are being called upon) to lead. When you micromanage, withhold information, and generally control everything – whether intentional or not – you are limiting your ability to actually do your job as a leader. If you are in the weeds, paying attention to minutiae, and working on projects and tasks that your employee was hired to do, and can actually do better than you, then you are not holding up your end of the bargain of your leadership position. So, what’s a leader to do?
Weekly Top 5
- I love Sara Blakely. A true powerhouse business woman and entrepreneurship inspiration. This week she launched her new product – Sneex. I do not understand these shoes. I’m of the same opinion as this Vogue writer, “… if Sara Blakely does manage to invent a comfortable heel that looks like a heel, I’d certainly be willing to give it a try.” What do you think of the heels?
- There’s all sorts of buzz in the business world about a 4 day workweek – the preference of workers and employees. And yet 9% (a small amount, but still!) of business leaders plan to implement a 6 day workweek in 2025. Perhaps we split the difference and have a 5 day workweek? Wait… hasn’t that been done before? What’s your vote?
- Christina Galbato, Founder of CreateHerEmpire, shared her “unpopular” opinion about work-life balance recently. And I couldn’t agree more. Our fave public figures and leaders tell us to embrace balance and disparage hustle culture, when that’s exactly what they did to get where they are today. This applies to employees too. Sometimes sacrifices must be made. You just have to decide if it’s worth it or not for you.
- Project management isn’t only about the project – it’s also about the people. The MOCHA method helps teams understand and define the different people involved in a given project – manager, owner, consultant, helper, and approver. Check out this blog post from Monday.com for more on how and why to use MOCHA.
- Got 16 minutes? Then take a listen to this Tedx Talk with author and educator Alex Budak, “You don’t have to be a CEO to be a leader.” Alex is right! Leadership has nothing to do with a title or formal role of authority. We can all practice acts of leadership. Or, what Alex calls microleadership – leadership moments. What an empowering concept! Go forth and lead!
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