How to Build and Control Your Career with Confidence: Kimberly Brown

The Duality of Reputation

• 🎯 Reputation is built on both task execution and how you make people feel.
• ⚠️ Neglecting either aspect can lead to trust issues and hinder career advancement.
• 💡 Executive presence encompasses gravitas, communication, and appearance, with gravitas being key to how people perceive your interactions.

Cultivating Positive Interactions

• 🤝 The way leaders deliver feedback, acknowledge contributions, and handle disagreements significantly impacts how people feel.
• 🚫 Casual behavior in informal settings, like after-hours events, can negatively affect reputation if not managed carefully.
• ⏳ Slowing down conversations, especially tough ones, allows for better processing and understanding, preventing unnecessary negative feelings.

Strategies for Reputation Improvement

• 🔍 Review formal performance appraisals and seek informal feedback from colleagues at all levels (senior, peer, junior).
• 📝 Use methods like asking for three descriptive words, examples of handled situations, or a start-stop-continue exercise to gather insights.
• 🧭 Align your current self-perception with how others see you and with your future career aspirations.
• 🚀 Connect with a mentor or coach to process feedback and develop a strategic plan for image enhancement.

Rectifying Reputational Gaps

• 🛠️ Identify specific experiences and moments that contribute to perceived gaps in your reputation.
• 📈 Consistently create new, positive experiences to demonstrate improvement and change perception over time.
• 🗣️ For those perceived as lacking deep relationships, increase strategic casual conversations and one-on-one meetings.
• 🧠 For those perceived as lacking strategy, focus on demonstrating your thought process and allowing others to understand your decision-making.

Developing Thought Leadership

• ✨ Thought leadership is about having a respected and influential methodology, opinion, or deep knowledge within your organization.
• 🚀 It distinguishes you, making you sought after for specific insights and contributions.
• 🔑 Cultivate a unique viewpoint or deep expertise that makes you the go-to person in your niche.
• 🌱 Focus on strengthening your strengths and what brings you joy, rather than solely addressing weaknesses, to build a fulfilling career.