Career – You-P

The shortage of sponsoring leaders

The shortage of sponsoring leaders Observing the current state of companies and their leadership, I must conclude that we have a shortage of sponsoring leaders. Instead, more self-serving and short-sighted leaders are rising to power. I’ve heard from countless talented professionals who say their leaders are solely focused on protecting their positions and results, without investing the time to develop their employees, offering little guidance, and failing to advocate for their growth. Hence, my conclusion is that we are missing sponsoring leaders! I was very fortunate to have a couple of strong sponsoring leaders who represented me in talent discussions with senior executives and human resources, sharing important information about my skills, performance, and leadership style. Their support made a lasting impact, and I carry deep gratitude for it. So, let’s talk about what it means to be a sponsoring leader: Start by identifying the talents within your team, specifically those who have demonstrated outstanding performance and leadership skills, whether or not they hold a formal leadership title, and consistently uphold essential values such as integrity, respect for others, and impartiality. A person who walks the talk and keeps their promises. Those are the talents you need to know everything about, including their strengths, potential opportunities for improvement, personal situation, availability to relocate, educational background, achievements, and experiences. And when I say, “know everything about them,” I mean know it by heart. You never know when an opportunity will arise where you’ll need to advocate for them. The good sponsor does not miss a chance to showcase their talents; they are at the top of everything and act with agility regarding opportunities for their sponsored individuals. An excellent sponsor is passionate about people’s development and growth; they feel satisfaction and accomplishment in sponsoring talents and celebrate their success as if they were their own. If you’re already a leader, take a moment to reflect: Are you just managing performance? Or are you also sponsoring talents? Now is the time to lead with purpose, by lifting others as you climb. Think about it! By Erika Molina

Career, Leadership

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Career Move: Embrace the Change

Embrace the Change, and let this feeling guide your thought process and actions, and enjoy it! From the moment you decide to steer your career in another direction and engage with a new company, environment, and job, you will feel that you are creating a great journey. If you stop and think rationally, you may conclude: Why change? Why put energy into changing if it is all fine? But” all fine” may not be enough anymore, and regardless of how mature your career is, ask yourself, is “all fine” okay? At some point in my career, I decided “all fine” was not what I wanted, although a wonderful “all fine” was not okay and neither was enough, and I opted for the change. This move brought me back many things: the ability to continue evolving, learning, creating, and testing new limits, or no limits at all, with no labels to define me. Undoubtedly, worthwhile. Embrace the Change! By Erika Molina

Career

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Confidence is about bravery

Confidence is about bravery. Bravery to believe in yourself. Bravery to take risks. Bravery to steer your life or career in a new direction. I once heard someone say that confidence is the moment you realize there is no need to compare yourself to anyone else. To build on that thought, I say that confidence is the bravery to be yourself, unapologetically, every single day. Easier said than done. In our careers—and life in general—we often encounter people who act as roadblocks to our authenticity. These are the “energy vampires” who slowly drain our confidence. And yet, we sometimes allow them to do it. Why? There is no unique or simple answer, but the important piece of this process is for you to recognize who are these vampires, and block them from your life, or influence. Be brave to stop them. Use your superpower: Confidence. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But what matters most is recognizing who these people are—and choosing to cut off their influence. Be brave enough to stand up to them. That’s your superpower: Confidence. By Erika Molina

Career

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How to professionally handle the feedback you disagree with

This is a tricky situation, as human beings, we tend to react immediately in front of a comment we disagree with. This demands practice, and you will need to be prepared, as you never know when you will be in this spot. The first step is to “listen and listen”, and demonstrate you are truly paying attention. Second, watch your body language, as it normally says much more than your own words. Do not roll your eyes or cross your arms in front of you. Third, after you have listened and paid attention, you will see that you have time to formulate a respectful answer, using some data to show your point of view. And finally, if you cannot come up with anything different than the feeling of “attack”, say “I will think about it, and come back to you”. Being professional in a critical discussion is key to demonstrating your maturity and ability to overcome conflict and difficult situations. By Erika Molina

Career

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