I am heading out on another great leadership adventure! But before I am back in the air I thought I should drop a few creative lessons I have learned from the leadership conferences, workshops, and discussions I have attended in the last few months. From education and development to writing and publishing, to strategizing your business plan, to focused networking, to wayward leadership, to psychological safety, the lessons have been deep and I am excited to share them with you. Here are the 5 Takeaway Lessons Learned from the top minds in our field that I am personally using and will use with our clients at StellaVersed Consulting Firm, LLC:
1) Networking is an art! It is the finesse, the ingenuity, and the genuine spirit of engagement that makes networking a vital piece to your leadership communications and relationship building. Always watch, listen, and learn from others before stepping in – body language and facial expressions tell a great story and give you the nod as to when your expertise is going to be a valuable addition to a conversation.
2) Charming Curiosity – This is my own term for listening attentively to everyone else’s responses before adding my own. I love listening to the stories and experiences of others as that allows me to see if I have any commonalities with the new group I am with or looking to join. Or if my differences will be a welcomed addition and become a thought-provoking point for the group. The more curious you are about someone else’s world the more you learn and the more they will listen when it’s your turn to talk. Notice – I did not say to agree or disagree with any of the information you learned. Being charmingly curious has nothing to do with either.
3) Tenacity – With so much going on in our world – tenacious presentations and thoughts on many topics personal and professional can lead to great connections or disconnections with others. What I like about the word “tenacious” is that it rhymes with gracious – and while I can make my statements of purpose with great tenacity, I can also be gracious and thoughtful towards others and myself as we navigate uncharted and very heated waters together.
4) Creating in the Midst – In the midst of all the traveling, the multiple learning sessions, the networking, meeting new people, and celebrating old friendships; take some time to journal in the moment, in the middle of the conference center, looking out of the window onto a new city from a session. So you may come back to it at a later time. A current project we are getting ready to launch was created and designed in the side margins of my dissertation paperwork! Does old-school – doodling come to mind?!
5) Reference & Regenerate – Yes, it’s time to go back and thank people for meeting them and adding ‘a something’ to your life’s gratefulness; repurpose or reconnect information from various places of origin that have similarities that are useful to you and may add something to an older piece of information you have been hanging onto. And for the goodness of your spirit do what it takes to regenerate so it is simpler to quilt together the best pieces of information.
Those are my takeaway lessons so far from the many webinars, conferences, workshops, committees, and open-ended discussions that I know will continue into collegial friendships and more networking.
If you are interested in learning more about how SVCF can assist your company with creating productive and vital teams, purposeful and inclusive leadership, and/or learning the art of relationship building through sponsorship, mentorship, and allyship, click on the link below and let us hear from you.
Or if you want to hear more about my adventures – let me know about that too.