“Ask Katrina” Vlog

Leadership strategies for high-achieving, high-performing leaders!

Hey everyone, welcome to another Ask Katrina. Today the question is "Katrina, why am I sucking so bad in this new leadership role?" That's probably not the nicest way to say it but that's an honest way of saying it. Unfortunately, I think we've all been there. Whether it was at work, in a relationship, being a parent, or being a coach on a kid's team, we felt pretty good about ourselves and how we were showing up. Then, we step into something new and we're like, "What have I done? Why have I done this to myself? How do I get out of this? How do I fix it as quickly as possible?" Anytime you're moving into a new leadership role, there's going to be change. There are two steps in your career that have the largest growth. 1. Going from a doer to a leader of doers (front lines to manager) and then 2. from a problem solver to a strategic thinker (senior leader to exec). The first jump, from a frontline executor to a manager was our first big shift in our careers but that jump happened quite some time ago. Remember that it takes women 10 years on average to reach the executive ranks. So let's think through this timeline of growth. The first one to two years we were working for the organization, or the first one or two years that we were in our professional careers was about 8 years ago. So it's been about 8 years since we experienced a major shift. After 10 years, we hit another major growth point by moving into the executive ranks. As a new exec, you have gone from being involved in those decision-making conversations and creating the process of execution, etc. to now being influential and strategic. You must drive change solely through having discussions and trusting that your direct reports are now the ones creating the processes and the methods. That's a significant shift for us. We must stop talking about how to fix a process and we must start asking questions like, "Is this the right process? Is this the right business we need to be in? Where are we going 5-10 years from now?" In other words, what made me successful throughout my entire career is not going to make me successful as an executive. I can't keep building on the skills that got me into the executive ranks. That's where people fail. They think that what worked before and got them to this place in their careers is going to help them succeed in their new role. Let me be clear, that will not happen. It may help you in some conversations with your direct reports. It's not going to help you in the meetings that you have to have as part of the board with your peers, driving strategy influencing other people, and changing the face of the business. You must stop doing the actions that no longer serve you and you must learn how to lead at the executive level. You are unlearning and learning at the same time. That's why you feel like you are doing a horrible job right now; because you haven't created the strength in that leadership muscle. You've got to get it in the leadership gym, build the muscle, and learn how to lead as an executive. And let's be clear, you're not going to be great at it the first time, or the second time, or maybe even the third time as you build your new leadership muscle. But the more you do it, the better you will be until you become great. The keys are: awareness, commitment to change, and consistent execution until you have mastered what I call "execing correctly." And you have to be okay with feeling like you suck at it until you master it. It's a little bit of a test of your character, but you can do it. If you would like for me to come and share this insight with your team, do some team training, or speak at an event, please send me an email (info@legendleaders.com).
Why Do I Su*k at This New Role?
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC5ERkUyQTM0MzEwQjZCMTY5
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. The question today is: Katrina, I hear you talking about The 1 Rule. What is The 1 Rule and how do I apply it? The 1 Rule is a concept I created here at Legend Leaders because as high-achieving, high-performing leaders, we tend to create all of these excess constraints, regulations, and rules when it comes to career success. The reality is that there is really only 1 thing we need to do on a consistent basis to be successful. You see, we think that if we do all of these actions in a certain order or in a certain way, that is what's going to make us successful. This mindset comes from the notion that these actions worked for us in the past, or "I saw someone else doing it," or quite frankly, because you don't know, but you're hoping if you put all these things in here, sort of like making up your own recipe for a cake, that maybe you'll land on this perfect mix of "flavors," and it will give you what you want. The reality is that we put so many rules, constraints, and expectations on ourselves, that we do things that don't contribute to success and as a result, we don't live our lives. We become so busy being successful and trying to figure it out that we have nothing else. I believe that we're all here for more than just showing up and being successful at work. This is where The 1 Rule comes in. Through my own career, my own trial and errors, and suffering and struggling, I identified and validated The 1 Rule. The 1 Rule of professional success is simple, it's "add value." Add value. That's it. The reason why it's so simple, is because it's true, right? So then why are so many people not successful? Because they're so busy trying to create success that adding value isn't part of their process. They have left out the key ingredient. There are a lot of things we can do to be busy, but not a lot of things we can do to add value and create valuable results. That's what the company is asking us to do. That's why they hired us. Results. Who defines what value or results are? The customer. The customer defines value. Not you. So I may feel really valuable because I'm doing all of these actions that I think are making me successful. I'm keeping myself really really busy. But if my actions don't generate value based on how the company has defined value for me, then I am not following The 1 Rule of professional success. Therefore my days are numbered. That may sound harsh, it may sound cruel, but I am here to tell you the truth. Who defines value? The company. Not me, not you, the organization does. You can decide if you want that customer or not, i.e., you can decide if you want to work for that organization or not. That's your call. And maybe you don't want to add value in the way in which they're asking you to add value. But then the answer is to go find another customer or company, the answer is not to try to change how the organization defines value. You can't. When you understand how the organization defines value, and you fulfill and meet that need in a way that only you can, using your gifts and talents, then you have delivered on The 1 Rule. That is exactly where you want to be in your career. You are adding value in a way that only you can, you are able to be your authentic self and show up and be fully you, and you are being rewarded and recognized for it. If you would like to learn more, let me know. I am in the process of writing the book The 1 Rule. I have a private group that is joining me on the journey (https://www.facebook.com/groups/the1rule). I also speak about The 1 Rule in speaking engagements and do training events for teams. If you'd like for me to come and speak to you and your team or your organization about The 1 Rule, please send me an email (info@legendleaders.com), and let's chat!
The 1 Rule
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC5CNTcxMDQ0NThBNzMxODYz
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. Today the question is, “Hey, Katrina, I hear you talk about becoming an irreplaceable asset in the business. Why do I want to become an irreplaceable asset?” Before we answer why, let's define what an "irreplaceable asset" is and how you become one. In order to align yourself with the definition, don't think about it through your professional lens for a second. What I want you to do is think about it on a personal level, what does the term irreplaceable asset mean to you? To me, being an irreplaceable asset means a couple things. First, "asset" means valuable. If it's an asset then it is valuable to me and therefore something that I really don’t want to lose. So as an asset in in the organization, they see you as valuable and they don't want to lose you. Typically this occurs because you are adding value to the organization. In other words, you are adding value, which means the organization values you and sees you as an asset. They want to keep you within the organization because you're adding value and this value-add is of benefit to them. Now, "keeping" and "controlling" are not the same thing. They don’t want to control, they simply want to keep you within the organization because they want to continue to benefit from the value you provide. So being an asset to an organization is a very good thing! As you know, "irreplaceable" means you cannot be replaced. So collectively, being an irreplaceable asset is a very good thing for you, the company, and your career. It's a win-win situation. Now let' see clear, being an irreplaceable asset at work doesn’t mean that you hoard all of this information, that only you know all the answers, that you’re not a collaborative leader, and that you hang on tightly to things because you want control. No, that’s not what makes an irreplaceable asset an irreplaceable asset. Because if you’re hoarding information and not sharing it inherently, you’re not an asset, you’re not valuable to the organization. You’re actually harming the organization in that instance. Being an irreplaceable asset simply means that you are adding high level of value to the to the company in a way that only you can. As a result, the company values your contributions so much they don’t want to lose you. While that sounds reasonable and logical, it doesn't readily explain why we want to be an irreplaceable asset. Let's walk through it. What do we typically want from our organization? We want to feel valued, because when we feel valued, we feel secure in our position. We also want to be acknowledged and appreciated through both words and actions (awards, performance reviews, pay raises, bonuses, etc.). Every person wants to know that they’re doing a good job, that they’re adding value, that they are valuable, that they’re secure in their role, that they’re doing all the right things. Wen we become an irreplaceable asset, it’s a win-win situation as we already said. The company wins because you’re adding so much value in a way that only you can and your actions help move the organization forward. As a result of them winning, you win because you get compensated, you get job security, you get to have the impact, and drive change in the organization in the way that you want to do and have that impact and drive that change. That is why you want to become an irreplaceable asset. It is the perfect situation for you to create for yourself. Because when you’re an irreplaceable asset in the eyes of the organization, you get to do something really amazing in your personal life. When you are contributing in a way that only you can and you are being recognized for that contribution, you feel confident in your performance at work. When you’re feeling good and you’re feeling secure, you do something amazing for yourself. You give yourself permission to actually breathe and live your life. You’re doing so well professionally, that that translates and carries over into your personal life. Professional success translates into you giving yourself personal permission to live life on your terms. If you’re ready to become an irreplaceable asset, then you’ve got to master The 1 Rule. If you’d love to learn more about The 1 Rule, send me an email (info@legendleaders.com) and I will share the details with you. Join the journey! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/the1rule)
Becoming an Irreplaceable Asset
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC5CNTZFOTNGQzZEODg1RUQx
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. The question today is: “Katrina, I do not feel like I am growing through this promotion gracefully at all. This is painful. How do I know that I’m actually growing? Show me how I’m navigating through this successfully.” The answer is not a long one. The answer is actually an action. I can tell you that you are growing and that you’re doing great, but that’s not what you want, is it? So let me teach you what works in this situation so you can know for yourself how you’re doing. The action you must take is planning, execution, review, and celebration. Every single week, you sit down and you plan out your week, right? You create your calendar, you map out your weekly schedule, and you put together the things that you need to be doing for that week to move yourself and the business forward. Then you execute. (Right now execution at the executive level looks a little bit different than the mid-level leader level so you may think you’re not executing but realize your attendance and participation in meetings is execution.) Take a look at your calendar, look at the things that you’ve got to get done this week, and then add those functions (meetings, conversations, strategic time, etc.) to your calendar. Make sure that you’re using your calendar effectively to schedule your time and do the things that you must do in order to succeed. Add one 30-minute event on Friday afternoon called: "Weekly Review" or "Self-Refection." You’re going to do a couple of things in that self-reflection time. The first thing that you’re going to do is you’re going to look at your week and you’re going to ask how you did. Whatever the answer is, we’re not going to beat ourselves up. You’re going to review the calendar and you’re going to ask yourself for each day: How did I do? How did I control the things I could control? Because fires, emergencies, and different things being added to your calendar, aren’t always in your control. So based on what you could control, how did it go that day? The second action is to make a list of the things that you learned that week. We always learn something. For this item, create a Google Doc or a running Word document, where you can journal. Use this to document to compile what you learned that week and every week for the next 6-12 months. Then either 6 months or a year from now (add this to the calendar now), pull out this document and review it. Look at the things that you’ve learned. This is going to be a win on multiple fronts. Realize that as soon as you write down what you have learned this week, you're going to go, "Oh, I did learn that." Immediately that lesson goes from subconscious to conscious. This means you have the conscious awareness to apply that lesson moving forward. It's going to be an active lesson that you can continue to apply in your career. The second thing that’s going to happen is you’re going to have a running document of how you’ve learned to navigate being an executive so that you can look back on it a year from now, as I mentioned, and go look at the tremendous growth you experienced and accomplished. Now some of this is going to be internal growth; how you've personally grown your personal leadership. Some of it’s going to be how you created business leadership and you’ve grown the business. The key thing here is the ways in which you've grown the business are critical because those are lessons you can now use to mentor and teach others. Now you can replicate your results by teaching your strategies. It is so powerful. So I promise you that you are growing as you navigate your new executive role. You simply don’t have a process to see it clearly. You aren’t actively taking the subconscious learning and making it conscious and you don’t yet have a routine around acknowledging that growth. So put those two components into place by creating your Friday self-reflection routine into place and I promise you, you will quickly see it! ********* Like what you learned? If you would like to schedule a speaking event or training event for your team or organization, please send an email to info@legendleaders.com and we will connect with you.
How Do I See My Own Growth?
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC4wMTYxQzVBRDI1NEVDQUZE
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. The question today is: "Katrina, how do I influence others as an executive when I don't want people to know everything about me?" This question could originate from, "I have a case of impostor syndrome and I don't want people to find out something about me." But it could also come from the place of simply wanting to keep portions of yourself and your life private and separate from work. Whether it's imposter syndrome or privacy, both are 100% normal. Let's start by understanding where these emotions come from. We all inherently have pieces within us that we believe aren't great, we believe aren't the best, we look at ourselves in the mirror, and we find the flaws. If you're a high-achieving, high-performing female leader, you look for falsity and problems over the positive. Not because you are a negative person, but because this view has helped you become successful. You became an executive because you can quickly identify the gaps, the problems, and the issues within the business space. So naturally, we're going to look at ourselves, and we're gonna think, "Oh, I can always be better." "I can always do this more." So the imposter syndrome will come from this mindset. The other promotions that we've had as we've been climbing the ladder involved personal and professional growth but that growth was manageable. As a new exec, the growth demands are significantly larger. Combine these demands with "I can always be better" and this is how the imposter syndrome comes into play. But what if your concern isn't imposter syndrome? What if you simply want to keep pieces of yourself private or separate from work? Now, there are a lot of reasons for wanting this space or separation. While we technically bring our whole selves to work, we can intentionally decide what we share and what we don't. We've all seen leaders, and we've worked with individuals who have shared way too much. They've become friends with everybody, they share everything about their personal lives, and it makes it very, very difficult to have a level of respect and even a level of trust in their judgment. We definitely don't want to be those individuals. So recognize that we already have a line between personal and professional. And we each get to decide not only where that line is, but we can move that line whenever we choose. Now, let's be clear, whether I have impostor syndrome or don't want to bring all of my personal self to work, either way, I still have to perform as an executive. This means I must have the ability to influence others. Execs get things done through influence. If I’m going to show up and effectively influence and communicate, I have to build rapport. I also have to build trust. The way in which those things are built is through connection. It's the "You're like me, I'm like you so therefore I like you and trust you" concept that drives rapport and therefore trust and both of those give you the ability to influence others. But when we don’t want to bring all of ourselves to work, we tend to close ourselves off and prevent a connection. Now let's be clear. You are not obligated to share 100% of yourself. No one should have full access to your life unless you actively choose to allow that to happen. From illness to divorce, to intimate relationships, to family history, you decide what you share and don’t share about yourself. Once you make the decision on what to share and not to share, then you must make another decision. You must decide that even though you know you’re reserving parts of yourself for “outside of work only” relationships, you cannot allow this knowledge to distance you from the individuals at work. What I want you to understand is that no one knows that there's something personal that you don't want to share except you. Number two, decide what you’re comfortable sharing, decide what you’re willing to share, and go share it. Talk about things that you feel safe talking about. The topics that are off limits, they’re off limits, and you just simply divert the conversation if it comes up. The point and what I see happening is we think everyone else can see our fear or they know we are keeping something private. This simply isn't true. Then we become so focused on people finding out what we don’t want them to find out, we shut down and we don’t build rapport. We can’t avoid conversations. We must find a middle ground and have pre-determined personal topics we will freely discuss. Find the balance. That’s the answer. If you want to chat through it, please send me an email (info@legend leaders.com) and I will send you my calendar link.
How Do I Influence When I Don't Want to Share All of Myself?
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC4wNEU1MTI4NkZEMzVBN0JF
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. Today’s question is: “Katrina. I’m a new exec and I want to show up and exec correctly. What are the components of executive presence, and how do I apply each one of them for success?” We all want to be successful in our careers. Here at Legend Leaders, that’s what we teach you to do, right? We help you achieve the professional success that you desire so that you can have the personal freedom that you deserve. We know we want to achieve professional success, but how do we get there? As a new executive, it makes logical sense that we want to show up and display that executive presence. That’s part of that learning curve that we talk about all the time; as a first-year executive, we’re surprised that it takes 12 months for the typical first-year executive to generate consistent results. Part of that growth comes from figuring out how to show up and display executive presence. Let’s define what that looks like so you know how to deliver executive presence. There are three critical components. You’ve probably heard them, but let’s talk through them together. The first is communication. How are we communicating? Am I showing up and communicating confidently? It’s not arrogance. There’s some humility, there is what I call humble confidence. We say to ourselves, “I’m going to show up, I’m going to share what I’m here to share, I’m not going to overstep, I’m not going to talk about areas of the business or ideas that aren’t mine to share, but I’m going to confidently communicate what I know, I’m going to know how and when to communicate it. And I’m going to show up and serve through my communication.” Now, there are other components of communication that go in with that not only the tone, not only the pace, the words that we use, right, there’s typically a rule, written or unwritten, in the corporate space that talks about the fact that these are the words you can use these words you can’t use. Communication is critical, not only in how we show up and do it but also in the words that we use in the way in which we show respect. Remember, as an executive, the key method that for getting things done is communication and we influence. If we’re going to show up and be the executive that we’re meant to be, we have to effectively communicate. The second component that comes into executive presence is the way that we dress. You’ll notice that the majority of the time when I make videos for you, I’m dressed at least reasonably professionally. That has been ingrained in me throughout my career. We all have different definitions of professional dress . As we continue to change as a country and a culture, the definition of professional dress has tended to change. The key is that you’ve got to understand how your organization and, equally as important, your industry defines professional dress. So get a copy of your company dress code and familiarize yourself with it. I know large organizations have dress codes based on position and now that you’re an exec, you need to know what that looks like for you. The third piece of executive presence is what they call gravitas. It’s essentially your personality an how you personally show up. How you use your gifts and your talents that are uniquely you to fill the role. Now, this is probably one of the hardest things for us to talk about, am I right? We can clearly learn the rules around communication and professional dress, but this . . . it’s a little gray. It can be tough to discern at times. I hear the question a lot, “How do I show up as me and what’s safe to show up as me why what can I share?” We bring our whole selves to work every day. For some people, that’s a great thing for some people, that’s probably a risky thing. But nevertheless, it’s how you show up. It’s your personality brought to life into the role. It’s why, as an executive, you can look at other people and identify behaviors and personality traits that could be risky for that person in a leadership role. When we’re showing up and our personalities put us at risk, that can be a problem. So how do you know how to show up and be this person that is appropriate in the space? What I would tell you is to look at the core values of the company. What are they asking you to do? How are they saying you should show up on a daily basis? What I would say is if those core values align with your personal internal core values, you usually are not going to have a problem. If your values don’t align, that’s where it could be risky. If you are in doubt, get a mentor and talk through this with them to clearly define how you can bring your whole self to work and not put your career at risk. If you want to connect with someone outside of your organization, please schedule a call with us, and let’s talk through it together. (https://bit.ly/legendleadersexecutive)
How Do I Display Executive Presence?
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC5CQkEwRDA0MDkwNUM2MDY1
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. This is the final, third video answering the question, “Hey, Katrina, what actions do I need to take upon becoming a new exec?” If you listened to the first video, we talked about mindset. (If you haven’t, go check that out.) The second video last week, was all about finding a mentor; having someone guide us down this pathway. Today’s vlog is all about action. The question fundamentally is, what do I need to do? So the third step is actually to start "doing." If you find someone who can teach you the strategies and skills, i.e., your mentor, then step number 3 is to go execute what they are teaching you. You need to actually get to work, take action, and move forward. I see so many women who are paralyzed by the question, "Which path do I take?" Or, “What do I need to do?” You have the mindset, you have a mentor, now take action. Great, let's go! But then the next question arises. When? “When do I need to apply the strategy? Should I wait? Or should I pull the trigger?” The answer is, go do it. Now, I know that sounds crazy. But sometimes you simply need someone to give you permission to take action. So here it is. I’m giving you permission to not get it right immediately out of the gate. I'm giving you permission to show up and not be fully put together but with the knowledge that you are putting it all together as you move forward. I’m giving you permission to show up at that executive meeting, raise your hand, and add some value. And maybe it might not be perfect, but it’s better than sitting there and not doing anything at all. The only way that we figure certain things out is by doing it. We’ve got to show up and get things done. Now, let me be really clear. I’m not talking about showing up and just throwing random things at the wall and seeing what sticks. That’s why you’ve got a mentor. That’s why you have a guide that will tell you, “Hey, do this action first.” I’m not talking about guesswork. I’m not talking about trial and error. We eliminated that last week. What I’m talking about is once you meet with your mentor or your guide, and they tell you, here’s where we want you to start, here’s where you need to go, go do that. Go show up. Give yourself permission to show up and go take action and get it done. The worst thing you can do is be confident and ready to go and have the strategies at your fingertips, but not implement them. That’s pointless. Go have an impact. Take action. If you want help. Let me know. We’re here to help serve you always. (https://bit.ly/legendleadersexecutive)
As a New Exec: What Do I Do Third?
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC5GNjAwN0Y0QTFGOTVDMEMy
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. This is episode two in this little mini-series that we’re doing, providing the second answer to the question: “Hey, Katrina, what are the first actions I need to take in order to add value?” What are the first things I need to do as a first-year female executive? In the last episode, we talked about mindset. (Go check it out if you haven’t seen it.) Today's episode is all about the action you should take next, or second. The answer is find a mentor. Maybe that’s not what you thought I was going to say. But action number two, once you’re mentally ready to take in the knowledge, once you’re ready to step into who you’re meant to be as an executive, is you’ve got to find someone who’s going to help you get there. You are the hero in your own story, there is no one here to save you, you don’t need saving, you’ve never needed saving. This is not about saving you, you can save yourself. What you need is a guide to help you get where you want to be. With the knowledge your mentor has, because they’ve successfully navigated this path before, they’re going to be the guide to help you get where you want to be. Having a guide is the fastest way to accomplish anything. If you think about any other part of your life, you’re always following a guide. A guide could be a recipe in the kitchen. A guide could be a trainer in the gym. A guide could be someone who is teaching you how to decorate your home. We have guides everywhere, right? We don’t consider Pinterest or YouTube a guide, but even Pinterest is a resource that we go to to learn how to decorate and do fun things and cook great recipes, right? Your career is no different. No doubt you have had mentors throughout your career to help you get where you are today. But suddenly, when we get into the executive ranks, we start to feel a need to prove ourselves. We typically look around us, we see everyone else doing just fine, and we think to ourselves, “Well, if everything is okay, and everyone else is okay, I must be the problem. So let me solve this as quickly as possible.” Because we don’t want the embarrassment that comes with not knowing or with feeling like we are raising our hands and asking the question that we feel like everyone else already has the answer to. So again, step number two is once our minds are right, and we’re back to being the confident person we’ve always been, we have to have a person to teach us the skillsets. We must have a person to close the gap on the 20% of career success. (Remember, last week we said that 80% of success is our psychology.) We also must be willing to raise our hand and say, “I don’t know how to do this. And I’m okay with not knowing. I’m not okay with it taking 12 months to learn it. So I’m getting a mentor to speed up my timeline.” Step 2: find a mentor. Now, how do you find a mentor? There are a couple of ways to do that. Number one is in the place where you work. There's someone who has been successful, there's someone that you trust. Go ask them to mentor you. The other thing that you can do, if you don’t want to ask someone at work, is to find someone external from your organization to mentor you, or guide you. Now, that could be a mentor like me or someone in Legend Leaders. We come alongside you, we take you through a program, and we help you get the results you want with speed. The bottom line is to find a mentor. Don’t try to navigate your executive career on your own. Execute with speed. Don’t guess. That’s what you’ve got to do. So if you want me and the Legend Leaders team to come alongside you, I would be beyond happy to do that. Click the link here to schedule a call (https://bit.ly/legendleadersexecutive) or go ahead and join the next cohort of the program (https://legendleaders.com/cc). The bottom line is step 2: get a mentor. Join me next week for the third and final fast action item to complete upon becoming an executive leader.
As a New Exec: What Do I Do Second?
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC43NERCMDIzQzFBMERCMEE3
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. The question is: “Katrina, what are the most valuable things that I can do as a first-year executive, to really propel myself and my career forward?” That is a fundamental question. What can I do? What are the key things that I must do? So I will give you three action items in the next 3 weeks to execute. 80% of our success is psychological. If you think about any athlete at the top of their game, if you talk to anyone at the top of their industry or an organization, they only got to the top because of this: they learned how to control and master their mind. They learned how to control and master their mind. If you talk with an athlete, for example, if you talk with a basketball player, what do they do? They talk about absolutely seeing themselves shooting the shot and they see the ball going into the hoop. They visualize shooting the ball at various places on the floor, from a layup to a three-pointer to a foul shot. They control their minds and they see success. Our brains don’t know what’s reality, and what’s not. That’s why we can live in fear. Because the brain doesn’t know what is real and what isn’t. So if it’s so easy for us to tell ourselves that we should doubt and we should stay in this place of fear, it should be just as easy to tell our brains how successful we are. It is just as easy to tell ourselves how great we are at communicating, how amazing we are at being this executive leader, and how we're deserving of the success that we've been generating. It all starts with our brains. Don’t forget it. Again, 80% of success is psychological. It is the mindset that we walk into the situation with that matters. It’s only 20% mechanics. So any leader, any coach, any strategist that stands in front of you, and says, "Well, I will just teach you a lot of strategies," let me tell you, I will absolutely teach you strategies, but I teach you a lot about how to control your mind. Because when you believe you can, when you step into the space of confidence, and you know that you’re going to deliver at the executive level, you will deliver at the executive level. When you say that you must do it, then what you start doing is you start looking for solutions, you start opening yourself up for the strategies to come in, and for you to start applying them. It takes the average first-year executive 12 months to generate performance results in that new role. Why does it take so long? I talk about it all the time. You’re learning and then you’re applying and then you’re learning and then you’re applying. What are you learning? Most people who watch my videos assume that we’re learning how to apply strategies, and yes, you are learning to apply strategies. But what you’re doing is you’re also learning to believe in yourself. You’re learning how to have that executive mindset. You’re learning how to show up and carry yourself as an executive. That starts in your mind. You’re learning as much about how to be an executive psychologically, as you are strategically and from a skillset perspective. The answer to “What are the things that I need to do to be a successful executive?” The first step is to have the psychology to tell yourself, you’re going to be successful. If we get our minds right, if we believe in ourselves, we know that we can go from “Maybe I should do this” or “Maybe I can do this” to “I must do this.” If we step into that power and make it a must, and we psychologically tell ourselves that we must be successful, we must figure it out, we must be confident then we prepare ourselves to learn. Without the mind being right, we’re never going to get there. The majority of what holds these new executives back is the mindset. Step #1: Is your mind right? Are you committed to being the executive that you’re meant to be? Do you believe that you can be that person? Do you believe that you’re meant to be that person? If you cannot confidently sit there and say yes then the first step is closing that gap. If you like support and working through that, please, by all means, reach out to us. (https://bit.ly/legendleadersexecutive) Check out the vlog next week for step 2 of this 3-series Ask Katrina.
As a New Exec: What Do I Do First?
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC4zMEQ1MEIyRTFGNzhDQzFB
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. The question today is: “Katrina, how do I redefine success as a new exec?” The primary reason that we ask ourselves this question is that for the prior 10 years of our career, we focus on getting to one place, the executive seat. Our success had been defined by climbing the ladder to get to that exec role. Now that you have arrived, what’s next? You need a new definition of success. What does success look like in the executive ranks? Now, I said that the primary reason driving you to ask this question is because your target has always been to get where you now are. But there are actually two forces at play here. Number one, we’ve reached our endpoint. We became the executives we have been striving to be. Now we’ve got to have a new target. Number two, the way in which we performed in prior roles to generate results is different than how we will generate results as an executive; therefore, we need to clarify what success looks like in that regard as well. It’s a brand new professional world for us. Now that you understand the driving forces let's talk about how to actually "redefine success." Number one, you’ve got to set a new target. Yes, you’re in the executive ranks, but what’s next for you? What is your next career goal? Is it another promotion? Is that the level of impact you’re going to have in this role? What are you going to achieve and do professionally? Number two, you have to embrace the fact that prior to the executive role, your focus and your success were measured by doing, i.e., you’re getting functions and tasks done. Today, you’re leading through people you’re influencing, you’re being strategic, and you’re sharing ideas. Your work is more theoretical and less tangible. We’ve got to get comfortable with that. We must define success, not by tasks and checking boxes, but by the level of impact that we have, through dialogue, influence, negotiations, strategic improvements, and creating strategies. Now, I’m going to throw out a bonus number three, if we’re talking solely about our careers, those are the two things that you’ve got to do what I just mentioned. But bonus number three is the simple fact that many times we define success based on the outside world’s perception of what success should look like. It could be monetary, “I drive this car, I live in this neighborhood, I go on these vacations.” If that’s how you define success, that's perfectly fine. If it's not, that's perfectly fine as well. Now that you are in this role, you can define success truly on your own terms. What does success look like to you? You can expand that definition. It can mean volunteering or donating your time or more money. It could be serving in other countries. There are so many things that you can do to define success at the executive level because you have more ability to freely define that now. Don’t miss that opportunity. If you want to learn a little bit more about how to redefine success at the executive level, on your terms, I have a free audiobook that you can access in the Legend Life app (wherever you download apps). The app is free so download it from the app store and select “Redefine Success” as your program and you will get access to that audiobook for free as well. Or you can access it from your computer here: https://mylegendlife.com Check it out. You deserve to be able to define success on your terms and live life on your terms. And there are three key components to that. So go get the audiobook and let me know how else I can support you (info@legendleaders.com)
Redefine Success as a New Exec
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Welcome to another Ask Katrina. The question today is: “Katrina, what if I miss the need to change my leadership?” When we step into the executive seat for the first time, we have missed in a lot of ways, the reality that there's a growth curve in order for us to be successful. Because we missed this cue, that event creates two cause-and-effect relationships. The first is the awareness of growth in order to succeed. Once we realize we need to grow then we start doing the work to grow into our new roles. Right, wrong, or indifferent, we feel the need to rectify the miss. We missed the cue so we need to fix it. This is typically resolved by this "heroic" decision to "earn" the knowledge because we equate "earning" knowledge with earning the right to be in the role. (Listen to last week's vlog to learn more about this.) The second awareness point is regarding the changes around us. Ultimately we start to question our ability to pick up on the cues such that we start to question if we will see the need to grow/shift/change in the future. "What if changes happen around me? And because I missed the huge growth and learning curve when I stepped into this role, what if I miss the need to grow and change again?" What if I miss the next signal to grow into the next phase? Ready for the answer? You’re not going to miss it. I promise. You’re not going to miss the need to grow, change, pivot, shift, and adjust as an executive. I want you to think about two things. Number one, in all of your other roles, was there not some sort of signal, a discussion, or a period of collaboration and alignment that occurred within the organization prior to changes being made? The answer is yes. I know this because this is how it works in larger organizations. Any significant change will require a discussion, collaboration, and a re-alignment of the organization before the trigger is pulled, and changes have to be made. It's not going to be an overnight change that you are going to miss. We stress over this possibility not just because we weren’t fully prepared to exec on day 1 of our new executive promotion. But there is a second reason for this as well. The COVID hangover and the impact that COVID had on businesses and the industry and the economy. We felt like there were these immediate, sudden, changes where everything had to shift. We found ourselves asking, “How do I navigate it?” We must understand that COVID was in and of itself, its own unique situation. We know that COVID was the anomaly, not the norm. And yet even COVID decisions and reactions didn’t happen overnight. We were adjusting and pivoting and moving no doubt. There were a lot of decisions that were made and discussions that were had to drive those pivots and adjustments. While it may have felt like everything happened at once, if you step back and don't look at the high-level view, you come down to the macro level, you'll remember that there was a lot of conversation. Now the difference is that you were probably a director or mid-level leader during COVID, versus where you sit now as an executive. That means that information was coming down to you vs. you creating the decisions and messaging as you do now. So while it may have felt like all of a sudden your work world changed a little bit, know that the executives were having conversations regularly. Those conversations didn’t happen once for five minutes, they happened constantly and continuously. You're now part of that conversation team. You're going to have active dialogue, active communication, and active decision-making discussions, that are going to happen more than once to drive changes in your organization. As the industry changes, as the economy changes, etc., you're going to have enough awareness, discussion, and dialogue such that you're naturally going to move and pivot yourself into those areas of need. You’re going to continue to keep yourself in a place where you can add value, and it’s going to be so natural to you that it’s not going to be a surprise. See the difference? Eliminate the doubt and know that you're going to pivot as necessary because your role inherently prepares you for it. There's going to be ample time and ample discussions to support you. If you have questions or just simply want to talk through this with someone, send us an email at info@legendleaders.com and we will schedule a call together. If you want to create a personalized plan to keep your eye on company, industry, and economic changes, learn about our 60-day program. (https://careerconfidence.life)
What if I Miss the Need to Change My Leadership?
YouTube Video UExIOTZocElVWVhXQ3djaWlNUGNqV3YwVzBQbXBqOG1JTC44QzVGQUU2QjE2NDgxM0M4
Welcome to another Ask Katrina. The question today is: “Katrina, Is earning it really necessary?” Where does the concept of “earning it” come from? Number one, from the very beginning, we’ve always earned the right to be somewhere. Grade school taught us that we had to get good grades because good grades got us into the advanced classes in high school. Earning the right to be in those classes earned us the ability to go to the college we wanted to go to, and then earning the right to go to that college we wanted, helped us get the degree we wanted. Then once we earned that degree, we had to earn the position to start our careers. And so we’ve always had this “earning it” mindset because that’s what we have had to do the majority of our lives. Now, I will also tell you that not only does it start in school from everything that I’ve observed, but it also comes from the family we were raised in. if you grew up in a middle-class family, you also realize that the majority of the middle class “earn it” on a daily basis. They go to work every single day to earn a paycheck. That hard work earned the home they’re living in, the car they drive, etc. They have earned every aspect of their lives. So if you grew up in the middle class, you watched your parents earn it, and they taught you to earn it. And that worked when you were a mid-level leader. But now you’re an executive. Being an executive is not a middle-class role. When you step into the executive ranks, you're not middle class anymore, you're typically in the top 1% of earners. What does that top percent do? Do they earn it? Or, do they have a team of individuals around them that help accomplish and achieve results? What I want you to realize is that the world you have lived in for the majority of your life has shifted; therefore, your thought process must shift too. I want you to look at every individual you admire that is super successful and I want you to realize that maybe they started off by earning it. Most people do. But when they reached a certain tier, no longer did they have to earn something, what they had to do was figure out how to get the right people around them in order to get the work done. Getting the right people on their teams allows them to do what only they can do. At this phase in your career, this is where the mindset shift has to occur. Yes, you earned the right to be in the executive seat you worked, you pushed, you executed, and you did all the things. Now you've got to put a group of individuals around you to get the work done. So that together, you are a team. You are at the helm of the ship, so to speak, and you're giving guidance and direction on where to go and how to get everything done. But you're not the doer, you're the decision-maker. You don’t have to earn the right to be in the executive seat. You already have. The third and final reason we feel the need to "earn it," is we think that because we're not prepared to be a high-performing executive we have got to earn the knowledge to therefore "earn" the results. Does “earning” the knowledge make you a better leader? Does “earning” the knowledge get you better results? No. Earning it simply delays the results you need to get and it delays the support your team needs from you. Yes, you've got to learn, yes, you've got to figure out how to perform at the executive level defined by your job description and the role in the company, yes, you've got to perform. Performance is a must. Learning is a must. But earning it and doing it on your own, aren’t musts. Stop thinking about earning it and focus more on building your team, leading through individuals, and learning very, very, very quickly. Earning it takes time, and that’s one resource you don’t want to waste. The “earning it” mindset is one of the reasons it takes an average of 12 months to generate consistent performance results as a first-year executive. We can’t take 12 months, especially when it doesn’t have to take that long. If you’re ready to go ahead and eliminate that mindset, build your team, build your high-performance brand, and get results quickly, don’t delay, take action now! We are here to support you. Schedule a call to learn more. (https://bit.ly/3QajdxI)
As a New Exec, Earning It Isn't Necessary
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