by Solange Lopes | Apr 28, 2015 | Career
The other day when I picked up my little two-foot nothing kindergartner, I caught her cute self in the midst of a group of much taller, older first-graders, explaining to them why they should absolutely take a trip to the Boston Children museum, lest their whole life would be nothing short of wasted. Or should I say, I heard her, since you could only make out her already authoritative voice in the midst of utter, awe-struck silence…I wouldn’t be surprised if any of these kids were actually taking down my baby’s emphatic words about “the magic bubble room” or the “ball roller coaster”…
That’s the thing with leadership, it really has no age, height or hairstyle requirement. You have to live it and project it onto others.
Yet, let’s face it, it’s easier to lead when your title, height, age or experience, says you have the authority to do so. But when the whole world seems to have you confined between three and two-quarters cubicle walls in an individual contributor role, leading becomes elusive. So how do you prove yourself worth of leadership responsibilities when you ain’t the boss, don’t look like the boss, and definitely don’t carry the boss’s latest Birkin bag?
1. Lead with your attitude! Attitude is everything, and as cliche as it may sound, it never fails! Your attitude even precedes your work in most cases, as you interact with colleagues and management, and learn to manage the subtle work politics.
What you deliver at work is important, yet how you deliver it is crucial. Not only does it help establish your professional brand, but it also builds your credibility and trustworthiness even beyond the workplace.
2. Lead with your work! What does the quality of your work say about you? How does your work product measure up? People are watching you, and more so at work than anywhere else. Whether for competitive, evaluation or even inspirational purposes, your results are impacting how you are perceived, and ultimately, the career progress you make.
Remember, excellence is one of the most compelling signs of leadership. By going above and beyond, paying careful attention to detail, and being receptive to feedback, you’re setting yourself for success! And that’s leadership!
3. Lead with Innovation! When you’re confined to an individual contributor role, it can be challenging to bring something new to the table. And even when you do, the chances of your idea or proposal being actually considered or implemented can be limited, depending on the professional environment you’re in.
That’s when your leadership skills come in! Keep bringing new ideas to the forefront, however structure them in a compelling, organized and documented way! Show how a new approach or idea can benefit everyone, and start by implementing it yourself! Be prepared for resistance, yet be sure to consider it and diplomatically stand your ground!
How do you lead at work, even when you’re not the boss?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 26, 2015 | Career
Happy happy Sunday everyone! It’s Sunday morning, and I can actually for the first time in a long time apply this one adjective to my household: QUIET! Everyone is sleeping, or pretending to, and it feels like Christmas morning, except my gift is being able to sip on my cup of coffee and actually swallow uninterrupted, without any little person tapping me on my upper thigh asking for animal crackers, juice or Nick Jr…And before this all reverts back to Chaos Land, here is my weekly news update in a zen, calm and cool kinda way…Now Universe, work with me, here we go…
- In “Woo-hoo” news this week, history was made, as the Senate (finally) confirmed Loretta Lynch as Attorney General, making her the first African-American woman to hold the position (virtual hugs and high-fives). The New York Times tells us all about it;
- In other happy and historical news, Buzzfeed buzzed about the new Ava Du Vernay Barbie doll, making the uber-talented Director of the Selma movie and first Black female Director to have a film nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award, an inspirational image for little girls everywhere. The doll is not available to the public, but we’re still doing the happy dance;
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Photo credit: buzzfeed.com
- Speaking of the movie Selma, Forbes reveals every high school in the US will be sent a copy, and that just makes us all warm and fuzzy inside;
- Last Thursday was “Take our daughters and sons to work” Day, and Talent had a great piece on why the whole thing really started with daughters and why we need to get schools involved too;
- Are you a woman executive and considering an international move? Japan is the place, as the demand for outside women executives is currently through the roof;
- Inc. reveals the real reason why millenials start companies (and we agree things are not what they used to be);
- In other sobering news (literally), the New York Times reveals workers seemings productivity are abusing ADHD drugs (and we’re getting very concerned):
- Business Insider lists 8 questions you should ask yourself before accepting a job offer;
- Speaking of job offers, NPR reveals some companies are eliminating salary negotiations altogether in an effort to eliminate the pay gap (and we support them);
- Meanwhile, while we’re still talking about getting hired, the Harvard Business Review rightfully asks if your voice should be used to evaluate you as a candidate (and women tend to be evaluated pretty harshly);
- In pretty awesome tech news, Fast Company introduces us to a new work ID that collects data about employees (hmmm, we’re still debating as to whether it’s borderline intrusive);
- Fast Company also brings us our important health fact of the week, revealing that a new cancer gene test that cuts costs for women;
- Speaking of health, the Huff Post Business confirms combining it with business has its advantages, as “sweat working” is becoming the new business lunch (think closing a deal with your clients are you’re literally dying in the middle of spinning class).
Happy Sunday everyone! Make it count!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 26, 2015 | Career |
Photo credit: www.fashionmagazine.com
“I’m gonna have to charge you a little more rent than Vivian…because I’ve got this beauty course I’m looking into and I’m not gonna be there that much, you know? ‘Cause you just can’t turn tricks forever. You gotta have a goal. Do you have a goal?” Pretty Woman, 1990.
Remember these lines from Pretty Woman, when Kit DeLuca/Laura San Giacomo tells her new roommate, after Vivian/Julia Roberts finally gets her Prince Charming Edward/Richard Gere? I remember (and I should, I only watched the movie about 1,000 times) nodding every time, in between two bites of sweet bread, thinking: “Yeah, she’s right, you gotta have a goal, you know!” And while I could have said a thing or two to Kit about her way too short mini skirts (ok, that was part of the business), or given her virtual high-fives on licking the glass display in the hotel lobby (remember that?), the one thing I’ll always remember her for is that “goal-digger” phrase…
I’m a proud goal-digger. I love setting goals, plans, checklists, to-do lists, not-done lists, how-the-heck-am-I-gonna-get-this-done lists, all kinds of lists of things to do, explore, visit, say, not say, not do…And while it all looks great on paper, the reality can be quite different: half of the stuff doesn’t get done, the other half requires much sweat, tears and sweet bread (available at your local Portuguese bakery, great with butter).
It’s a demanding process, this whole goal thing!
It requires you to take a good, hard look at yourself, hold yourself accountable, and keep striving despite obvious obstacles and carb-loaded temptations (remember, carbs are not the enemy). Yet at the end of the day, really, even the most spontaneous, fly-by-the-seam-of-my-pants gal out there, has some kind of goals, like being happy, or owning as many vintage shoes as possible (don’t judge)….
My question to you, yes you, today is: What are your goals? Where do you want to be in 5 years (and don’t just think of it as an answer to your next interview question), tomorrow, tonight? What are you doing here, beyond taking space and eating sweet bread (this one is a self-inflicted shot). Are you working on those dreams you had as a little person singing to the tunes of Whitney Houston’s “I wanna dance with somebody” (and did you dance with him?), or did you carefully park them in some back alleyway in a corner of your busy mind? Or are you following someone else’s dream, someone else’s idea of who you should be?
What Are You Doing These Days?
Kit De Luca was right when she said “you can’t turn tricks forever”. While some of our tricks don’t involve standing at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard, somewhere, somehow, if we’re not digging hard enough for the goals that really make us who we are, we still run the risk of standing at the corner of “Could’ve” and “Should’ve” Boulevard, a few feet away from “Hell yeah, I did it” Avenue. And while I may not know much, I know that’s not the stop I want to be standing on when it’s all done and over with…How about you?
What are your goals? Share with us some of the goals that kept you going over the years in the comments, or send us an email at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
PS: To all my goal-diggers out there, keep digging….
And yes, Pretty Woman turned 25 this year, and I just dated myself, darn….
Happy Sunday!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 24, 2015 | Career, Make More Money
Photo credit: http://drvenusopalreese.com
A friend of ours once took his paycheck out in front of us while at a gathering, to show us he really makes as much money he says he does. Now this friend had never exactly been the tactful type (I mean, he once told me I was too close to my hubby’s age to sustain his interest over time, well), so we weren’t exactly shocked. Yet for someone, anyone to talk about money and how much they make, is always a bit of stretch for most people (not our friend obviously).
Fast forward to today, in the era of Equal Pay and wage transparency, is it still taboo (or at least the tacky equivalent of removing your weave tracks in public), to tell how much you make? Or is it actually an incentive to keep the records straight for everyone?
My $0.05: Especially for women, talking about money, salaries and paychecks often crosses the line of what’s considered “lady-like”. Yet, with all the controversy around Equal Pay (although we still have some ways to go before we can even talk about it at work), an increasing number of women are now asking demanding to get the raises they deserve, enrolling in salary negotiation courses, and rightfully asking why their male counterparts are getting paid more money for the same work! Actually, more women are now asking the question: “What’s your number?”
I personally think if you’re comfortable sharing your salary with a friend, family member, or even colleague, why not? Think about how much a genuine talk about salaries could help in new fields where pay information is not readily available. Or how much easier it would be asking for a raise when having enough information to at least target a reasonable range. How would you know your salary is not up to par if you don’t have anyone else’s to compare it to?
Do you think it’s OK to tell how much you make?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 24, 2015 | Career
Printed culottes – Photo credit: asos.com
Culottes are definitely in for Spring, and while many of us are wondering what the heck a culotte is, for starters, all we could see on the latest runways were these short pants that apparently were all the rage in the Victorian era (and who wouldn’t bring Victorian back, but I digress)…Hence my week-end pick, these River Island printed culottes ! It’s $63 at ASOS!
Other alternatives I like include this wide-cut, calf-length pair from H&M, or even this jumpsuit culotte style from Nordstrom.
Although I’m not quite yet ready to sport this style to work, I love it for the week-ends, with an easy top and flats for day, or high-heeled sandals and a dressier shirt for evenings. Speaking of sandals, these HOLD IT mules, also from ASOS, have me blushing (on the inside).
Have a great week-end!
The Corporate Sis.
The other day when I picked up my little two-foot nothing kindergartner, I caught her cute self in the midst of a group of much taller, older first-graders, explaining to them why they should absolutely take a trip to the Boston Children museum, lest their whole life would be nothing short of wasted. Or should I say, I heard her, since you could only make out her already authoritative voice in the midst of utter, awe-struck silence…I wouldn’t be surprised if any of these kids were actually taking down my baby’s emphatic words about “the magic bubble room” or the “ball roller coaster”…
