Manager’s Tea Break Nikki Parsons

Although I’m a leader, I’m naturally more of an introvert.
It’s true — I’m happy to get some quiet time to work in peace and think things through.
Small talk and having to be “always on” in the office drains my energy.
Unfortunately for me, it’s extroverts who are typically considered to be the most effective leaders. According to Harvard Business Review,
65% of senior corporate executives viewing introversion as a barrier to leadership.
Yet, introverted leaders have unique strengths, such as their ability to listen, think deeply, and build strong relationships with their team members.
For me, building relationships at work has always been more of an active effort.
I know developing bonds with my team is important, and I go out of my way to make opportunities where we can connect.
Full blog available on Medium.
Credits:
Read aloud by the author.
Image credits:
Photo by Omar BENSALAH on Unsplash
Music credits:
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Music promoted by Copyright Free Music - Background Music For Videos.


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What comes to mind when someone mentions personal branding?
Do you immediately think about your LinkedIn feed, consultants and other annoying people pitching you their services?
For many, the term “personal branding” is starting to morph into more of a negative connotation. As if conscientiously working to build your brand puts too much emphasis on the sales aspect.
An insight from a recent leadership peer group discussion I was in last month, really started to change my mindset on this topic with the question:
How would it be if instead of calling it personal branding, we called it your leadership shadow?
Full blog available on Medium.
Credits:
Read aloud by the author.
Image credits:
Photo by Martino Pietropoli on Unsplash
Music credits:
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Music promoted by Copyright Free Music - Background Music For Videos.


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A story about a bad example of feedback and how that taught me what not to do.
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Credits:
Read aloud by the author.
Image credits:
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Music credits:
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Music promoted by Copyright Free Music - Background Music For Videos.


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Having a good level of self-awareness can benefit you both personally, and in your career, in many ways such as: better communication, better decision-making skills, better leadership skills, higher levels of happiness, more confidence and better job satisfaction.
Sounds great in principle, but how can you actually develop this feeling/ understanding?
Full blog available here.
Credits:
Read aloud by the author.
Image credits:
Self Awareness Vectors by Vecteezy
Music credits:
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Music promoted by Copyright Free Music - Background Music For Videos.


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If you’re slightly anxious about giving performance reviews as a new manager, the first thing to know is that it’s completely normal.
Evaluating team members, delivering constructive feedback, and addressing areas for improvement can be daunting. The potential impact of your feedback can further elevate the pressure you put on yourself.
Read the full blog article.
Credits:
Read aloud by the author.
Image credits:
Photo by Bethany Legg on Unsplash
Music credits:
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Music promoted by Copyright Free Music - Background Music For Videos.


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I thoroughly believe that managers who work on honing their coaching skills earn one of the best tools to empower their teams.
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Credits:
Read aloud by the author.
Image credits:
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Music credits:
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Music promoted by Copyright Free Music - Background Music For Videos.


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