Executive Career Articles

Get the inside scoop for executive who want to plan their next move. Karen gives you a fresh perspective in a crisp, straight-to-the-point format. 

• Recession Trap vs. Recession Opportunity
  

  Recession may or may not be upon us. It really doesn't matter if it is or isn't because when we know it will be too late. Instead, executive must focus on how to grow organizations and build revenue streams regardless of their functional role. 

• 7 Tips to Career Preparedness in a Slowing Economy
  

  The first half of the year will experience a slowdown in hiring but that doesn't mean that executive recruiting will cease. Execunet reports that their job postings are robust for executives. Segments will have it harder than others - financial services, retail, and consumer goods - but others will use this downturn to use their resources to hire the very best.  To make your move this year, you will have to do your homework and make a clear, concrete plan. Good talent will always find opportunities as long as they are prepared. 

• Innovation and Talent -- Recession Busting Strategies for Big and Small Companies
  

  Talent, based on definition, is very different from skills, expertise, position, or function. It is the ability to leverage knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve current business objectives and goals. Talent is more about potential. And as we move deeper into the Creative Economy, executive roles and requirements will more align with potential - of an individual and company -- rather than just a functional role one holds.

• Presenting Your Executive Potential
  

  Executives who desire to make their next career move must do the deep introspective work that causes them to be a Thought Leader.  To position yourself as a Thought Leader means that you must understand your potential within these concepts rather than recite your past as if it was special.  Your past may be great but it is in the past!

• Hot Property: Why Executive Thought Leaders Are "In"
  

  Did you know that the Thought Leader executive is one of the most heavily-recruited and sought-after top talent today? The problem is that many executives think they are Thought Leaders.  But given my research, many do not understand this definition.

• Personal Branding: Standing Out from the Crowd
  “Did you know that the executive who is considered a thought-leader is one of the most heavily-recruited and sought-after top talent today? The problem is that many executives think they are thought-leaders.”
• e-Lancers: Moving Beyond The Knowledge Worker
  

  Within the Vertical Disintegrated Organization (VDO), the idea of knowledge workers is inadequate for today’s organizational needs.  The term “knowledge worker” means that individuals were able to use technology in their respective field of specialization.  The dialogue about “retraining” is also insufficient – it presumes the past definition for knowledge workers and focuses heavily upon continued creation of specific specialties (i.e. retrain manufacturing operators to become healthcare workers).

• Executive Assessments -- What do they measure?
  “Assessments are vital to individual leadership feedback.  However, relatively few measure whether a leader is truly leading.”
• A Challenging Experience Is The Greatest Teacher
  

  A recent poll asked 400 executives how they learned to lead and process of leadership development that they underwent as an executive.  The top three sources of developmental growth were reported as...

Next Steps

• Get ideas that will help you right away.  Sign up for Karen’s newsletter.
• Download Karen’s free ebook, Market Your Potential, Not Your Past.