Next Move, Best Move

Chapter 1Serving as a People Leader Is a Privilege, Not a Rite of Passage

Career Affirmation: I will lead my team in the way I would like to be led.

When I started writing this book, I envisioned writing my next book solely about managing people. However, it is especially important to include information in this book about becoming a people leader or currently serving as a people leader because your management experience can be an overlay to your entire career. Sadly, in most professionals' careers, management opportunities have become a rite of passage instead of an intentional move. When you do great work, you get more responsibilities. To manage more responsibilities, frequently you must manage people to get all the work done. In many organizations, upward mobility may be dependent upon managing people, but one of the biggest pieces of feedback I hear from clients seeking more senior‐level roles that involve managing people is that they do not have management experience. It's a vicious catch‐22. The only thing that makes this worse is that managers who have never had a great manager model positive behavior can become terrible managers.

Throughout my career, I've taken the most pride in being a people leader. No matter the individual tasks I have been charged with, executing them with precision has never been a concern for me. Despite managing priorities, tight deadlines, and sometimes conflicting information, I know that I can deliver impactful work. However, nothing ...