Author Archives: Larry Janis

Want to set yourself apart? Own your job.

 

 

 

by Adam Bryant

 

For the ambitious employee, a deep sense of accountability is the one thing that matters most.

 

 

“The most important thing….”

It’s hard to beat those four words for drawing people into discussions on big topics like life, career, and leadership. If somebody says she has cut through the noise to find the one thing that matters most, we can’t help but listen. But how helpful is an answer like “Follow your passion”?  A lot of people don’t know what their passion is when they are starting their career, and those who do probably don’t need to be told to follow it.

This is why I’ve generally steered clear of the “one thing” game. Simplifying complexity is an art form, but such an exercise can easily fall into the trap of oversimplification. And yet, through all my years of asking leaders about the X factors that separate employees, I have wondered what quality actually makes someone stand out and get that promotion.

Here’s my vote: an extreme sense of accountability and ownership of the job. People with these qualities figure out how to get something done, even if the path to success is unclear. When things get tough, they don’t point fingers or throw up their hands in frustration or complain that something isn’t fair or is too hard. Ownership is not just about having a strong work ethic—it’s about having a sense of responsibility to follow through and deliver.

I saw this quality firsthand in many of the reporters I worked with during my 14 years as an editor at Newsweek magazine and the New York Times. Reporting requires creativity, resourcefulness, and persistence. There were some people who I just knew would get the work done. And when I’ve interviewed business leaders about the qualities that set high performers apart, this theme of responsibility has come up often.

A story that a CEO shared with me years ago has stayed with me because it captures this mindset. Brent Frei is the CEO of TerraClear, a company based near Seattle, Wash., that helps farmers clear their fields of rocks. He played football in high school and at Dartmouth College. “I’ll never forget a game we were playing at Columbia,” he said. “I was on defense and trying to put pressure on the quarterback, but the linemen were practically tackling me, and the refs weren’t doing anything about it. But the coach was riding me, and I told him my valid excuse: ‘They’re holding, and they’re not calling it.’ And he said to me, ‘Well, then we’re going to lose.’ It was the way he said it. We ultimately won the game, but the lesson was that there’s a valid excuse for every failure, but the question is, how do you overcome those valid excuses? Ever since, I’ve said to people I’m working with, ‘There may be a reason why we’re not going to be successful, but how are we going to overcome that?’” (more…)

How Leaders Should Handle Public Criticism

 

 

 

by Ron Carucci

 

Summary: The last few years have wrought a wave of employee activism and public critiques of leaders. Elon Musk’s recent experiences at Twitter may be an extreme case, but the swift public scolding from employees and the world indicates that when it comes to expressing our sharp disapproval, leaders are fair game. If you’re a leader who’s facing down the strident criticism of those you lead (and even if you’re not, you’d be wise to assume your turn may be around the corner), here are some ways to steel yourself and respond well

A few years ago, a client of mine, Dennis,* the CEO of a financial services institution, walked into his executive team meeting and declared, “Anyone else have any darts they want to throw? I seem to be the dartboard of the week.”

The week prior, a lower-level executive in Dennis’s company had been fired for an ethics violation, giving the company’s otherwise upstanding reputation a black eye. Shocked and outraged by what had happened, employees took aim at the top in a spate of social media, email, and internal platform condemnations of Dennis for “letting it happen” or “turning a blind eye.” (Neither of which were true.)

Dennis would hardly be alone in his experience of public scorn from employees. The last few years have wrought a wave of employee activism and public critiques of leaders. Elon Musk’s recent experiences at Twitter may be an extreme case, but the swift public scolding from employees and the world indicates that when it comes to expressing our sharp disapproval, leaders are fair game.

I recently caught up with Dennis, now retired, and asked him about that experience of harsh public reproach, and whether, in hindsight, there was anything he would have done differently. If you’re a leader who’s facing down the strident criticism of those you lead — and even if you’re not, you’d be wise to assume your turn may be around the corner — here are some ways to steel yourself and respond well.

Accept that it’s part of the job.

When you rise to levels of leadership, consider that your actions now play out on the jumbotron for all to see and evaluate. The higher you rise, the broader that visibility.

Sometimes you’ll get things wrong. Given the thousands of decisions you likely make each week, you will inevitably disappoint or enrage someone.

Keep your eye on your longer-term track record of choices, ideally racking up more positive outcomes than negative. Don’t let yourself get stuck on any one choice or the public response to it. If you do, you risk losing confidence and letting excessive caution and ridicule-aversion drive your subsequent decisions, compounding the problem. (more…)

5 habits of confident people

 

 

BY STEPHANIE VOZZA

Confidence is a trait you can get better at with practice.

We’ve all met someone who exudes confidence. They walk into a room as if they own it. They share their ideas without worrying about rejection. And they are happy to meet new people they can add to their personal network. Ever wonder how they got that way?

“Confidence is an inside job,” says Roz Usheroff, president of The Usheroff Institute, leadership and branding consultants. “[Confident] people show up as their authentic self without apology. [They] ask themselves, ‘What would I do if I weren’t afraid?’”

Some people are naturally confident, however, it’s a trait you can acquire and improve if you practice these five habits of confident people.

1. THEY’RE ALWAYS GROWING

Learning new things expands your mindset, and confident people are curious and love to explore, says Angeli Gianchandani, professor of marketing at the University of New Haven and founder of Mobility Girl, a platform designed to empower young women and men through mentorship in coaching for economic growth.

“They are avid readers and focus on self-care making time to meditate and exercise to fuel their minds,” she says. “It is the power of their ideas and imagination to think beyond the ordinary that sets them apart.”

Growth is a continual investment in building confidence, adds Usheroff. “[Confident people] don’t depend on just natural talent but from learning new skills through perseverance and practice,” she says. “They don’t hesitate to make a course correction upon new knowledge or circumstances. They see failure as lessons learned, accept the consequences, and share their experiences.”

(more…)

5 mistakes people make when talking with executives

 

 

BY JIM FRAWLEY

Communicating effectively with C-suite leaders may require some strategy.

With so many aspects of workplace culture changing in the new economy, one particular practice remains essential to the functionality of any organization: communication. At a time when individual employees are fighting to articulate and prove their value, the way they engage with senior executives will help dictate their career trajectory. However, learning how to communicate at this level can be one of the more nuanced and challenging aspects of professional development.

There is a straightforward and simple process, yet most people ignore the opportunity to be thoughtfully prepared. Following a few basic steps can drastically shift the tides of effective C-suite communication. Mastering this skill positions an employee as a trusted partner for an executive’s thinking and productivity, which increases the likelihood that they seek collaboration from said employee. Leaders, like anyone else, are drawn toward those they like and respect, laying the foundation for organic opportunities and promotions. Strong, effective communication is a great way to get there.

Let’s break this down even further to the practical implications. It’s important to have an understanding of the communication model: There’s a sender of information, who carries the responsibility of delivering the information in a way the recipient understands. Here are a few common mistakes individuals make in transmitting this information and how to avoid falling into them.

PROVIDING TOO MUCH DETAIL

C-suite executives don’t often bother with—nor do they require—the same level of detail as workers at lower levels of the organization. Because they operate at a higher level, observing enterprise-wide challenges, any conversation that takes a deep dive into details will quickly derail. Communications must remain high level and strategic. Details often include pertinent data required to make effective decisions, but the ability to understand the greater context and filter irrelevant information falls on the shoulders of the employee.

The task in this case is to try to think like the executive. Take a larger view of the topic to ultimately lead them to a decision. Yes, the employee has all of the details, but their role in communicating is to identify the essentials in a quick and easy manner.

(more…)

I have worked with Larry as both a client, and a consumer of his services over the past 20 years.  Many years ago (and again just recently) he assisted me in gaining a position at a global major IT services provider.  Larry is a well-connected, senior professional.  He is a great communicator, clear and concise, and able to explain and work through complex recruiting and contracting issue and concerns.  Larry handled the process well, and represented my interests and facilitated a success close on a position that I am very happy with.

As a service provider, Larry and I worked together to fill a team of IT Service Professionals a few times for me.  He, through his network, was able to quickly source and many key technical, sales and business positions for me, that I was just not able to find in the market myself.

Larry is great to work with, very fair and available, and I would love the opportunity to work with him again.

Paul Allen, Global Account Executive – Consumer & Retail at DXC Technology