Learn skills to upgrade yourself from executive to leader

1. Learn How To Upgrade From
Executive To Leader
with Abhishek Prasoon
21st March 2021
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2. About Me
• 16 years of experience in IT industry. Have been working
with companies like NIIT Ltd., HCL, Mastek, Coforge
(Erstwhile NIIT Technologies)
• Author: The Forefront Manager
• Published 100+ articles and case studies on Technology
and Management
• Orator on various platforms about technical and
managerial skills
• Avid traveler and Yoga enthusiast
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishekprasoon/
Contact Me – aprasoonin@yahoo.com
Twitter - @aprasoonin
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3. Disclaimer
Any views or opinions represented in the webinar are my own and do not represent those of the
people, institutions, or organizations that I may or may not be associated with in professional or
personal capacity, including past, current, and future employers unless explicitly stated.
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4. Outline
Mid-Career Crisis: Get Over It!
My Journey from Executive to Leader
• Sell Yourself! – Establish yourself as a Brand
• Networking: An Essential Skill
• Managing Up: build a bridge with higher management
• Increase Your Visibility at Workplace
• Leading without Authority
• Why are communication skills important?
• Productivity Hacks
• Importance of Emotional Intelligence at workplace.
• Volunteering Experience: Upskill through Community Service
• Job Searching: A must-have skill
Duration – 45 minutes
Q&A – 15 minutes
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5. What is Mid-Career Crisis?
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6. What is Mid-Career Crisis?
• Scope of further growth seems scarce
• No new learnings or no value addition in the professional life
• Compensation is not according to knowledge and experience level
• No scope of promotion or very late promotion
• The job profile is not aligned with the skillset and knowledge
• No job satisfaction
• No job security, fear of unknown or opaque future
• You are apathetic towards your work and often disinterested in achieving greater results
• You are impatient, defensive and disgruntled
• Boredom
• FOMO – Fear of missing out - a widely-known cognitive bias
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7. Mid-Career Crisis: Get Over It!
• Accept that you have a problem!
• Time to introspect and analyze!
• Hit the Bull’s Eye!
• Be passionate!
• Define your goal
• Upgrade yourself!
• Keep an eye on the aim!
• The crisis may be a blessing in disguise!
• Meet with a Career Counsellor
• Change is inevitable
• Love what you do!
• Reboot and Refresh!
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8. My Journey from Executive to Leader
My Journey from executive to Leader
• The Right Mindset (Fixed and Growth)
• Know your work inside out
• Soft skills are also important
• Take responsibility
• Continuous learning
• Maintain consistency
• Experience is exponential
• Impression Management
Trainee
Software
Developer
Sr. Software
Developer
Team Lead
Project
Lead
Project
Manager
Project
Head
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9. Manager vs Leader
Role of Manager
• Ensuring goals are met
• Managing in an Agile environment
• Implementing the best practices
• Communication hub
• Spokesperson
Manager vs Leader
• Leaders manage the Managers
• Managers manage projects and operations, Leaders manage people
• Leaders create visions, Managers build them
• Leaders take risks, Managers work on the risks
• Bird's Eye view vs Micro-Level View
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10. Sell Yourself! – Establish yourself as a Brand
“Branding is what people say about you when you are not in the room” – Jeff Bezos
• Community websites (e.g., stack overflow, LinkedIn code project, Quora etc.)
• Write Blog, Articles, Case Studies or Book
• LinkedIn Profile
• YouTube Video Blog
• Personal Website
• Conduct Seminars, Webinars or Workshops
• Networking, BNI and Meetups
• Volunteer Services
• Tailor your elevator pitch
• Create your brand- Josh and TEDx talk
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11. Networking: An Essential Skill
“Networking is an essential part of building wealth.” - Armstrong Williams
• Why Networking?
• Power networker
• Define your networking goals
• Rule of 33%
• First impression is the last impression
• Tell captivating stories
• Ask for the referrals
• Some Myths related to Networking
• How to be a value-added friend?
• How to expand your network and contacts?
• Learn networking skills
• Meetup / Toastmasters / BNI
Three pillars of networking by Keith Ferrazzi
Pillar no 1 – Move from “what” to “who”
Pillar no 2 – Move from “getting” to “giving”
Pillar no 3 – Act on relationship establishment
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12. Networking: An Essential Skill
1000 Social Media Connections
200 Frequent
Conversations
50 Regular
Meetings
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Who can refer you for better
opportunity
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13. Managing Up: build a bridge with higher management
• Soft Skills
• Anticipate the expectation
• Be a source of help
• Be productive
• Build relationships beyond your boss
• Don’t burn your bridge!
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14. Increase Your Visibility at Workplace
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they
can tell us what to do.” – Steve Jobs
• Overcommunicate
• Value creation
• Be a specialist
• Take up new challenges
• Get face to face with influential people at work
• Get noticed by your boss’ boss
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15. Hard Skill vs Soft Skill
Latest technology trends
Helps in Planning and guiding
Improved Connections
Improved Communication
Improved Confidence
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16. Hard Skill vs Soft Skill
Leadership skill
Conflict Management
Negotiation Skill
Problem Solving
Interpersonal Relationship
Goal Setting
Team Management
Self and Team Motivation
Communication
Social Intelligence
Responsibility (Ownership)
Cultural Intelligence
Self-Awareness
Emotional Intelligence
Networking Skills
Stress Management
Time Management 16

17. Leading without Authority
Demonstrate your Leadership Behaviors
Mindful listening
Adding value to every meeting
Getting a mentor and being a mentor
Inspiring others
Influencing during difficult times
Interactions with Others
Developing a team mindset
Setting expectations vs. giving orders
Adapting to change
Demonstrate Your Capabilities
Leading when your team is in trouble
Leading when your boss is about to make a mistake
Developing informal authority when you don't have
Formal Seniority
Continually learning
Building trust
Types of Power - Formal, Reward, Penalty, Expert, Referent
Leadership Style - Directing, Autocratic and Bureaucratic
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18. Various aspects for communication skills
“Communication is the sister of leadership.” —John Adair
7 C’s of Effective Communication
1. Completeness
2. Conciseness
3. Consideration (audience)
4. Clarity
5. Concreteness (facts and figures)
6. Courtesy
7. Correctness (grammar)
Osmotic Communication
Persuasive Communication
Non-Verbal Communication (Body Language)
Public Speaking
Written Communication
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19. Productivity Hacks
• Get the right tools!
• Be responsible for your time
• Delegate
• Make a to-do list
• Prepare not to-do List
• Work in chunks
• Be careful about spending your
time with people
• Communication
• First things first
• Do one thing at a time
• Audit your time spent
• Read books and articles on time
management
• Utilize your waiting time
• Pomodoro Technique
• Seinfeld Method
“Productivity is less about what you do with your time. And more about how you run your mind.”-
Robin S. Sharma
Japanese 5S Method - Sort (seiri), Set in order (seiton), Shine (seisō), Standardize (seiketsu) and
Sustain / Self-discipline (shitsuke)
Key factors to improve productivity
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20. Test your Emotional Intelligence
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21. Test your Emotional Intelligence
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/ei_quiz
Credit:
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22. Importance of Emotional Intelligence in corporate
• What is Emotional Intelligence?
• General effects of Emotional Intelligence
• IQ Vs. EQ (IQ + EQ = Success)
• Model of EI - Self Awareness, Self-Regulation, Social Skills, Empathy and Motivation
• How to increase Emotional Intelligence?
• Test your Emotional Intelligence level
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23. How to Increase Emotional Intelligence
• Understand oneself
• Being honest
• Maintain truthfulness
• Know your worth potential
• Practice positive attitude
• Empathizes with others
• Self goal aligning
• Open to listening to others
• Enjoy success and achievement
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24. Volunteering : Upskill through Community Service
“Volunteering is at the very core of being a human. No one has made it through life without someone’s
help”- Heather French Henry.
• Helps you obtain new skills
• Add experience and cover employment gaps
• Impress companies with your ambition
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25. Job Searching: A must-have skill
“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch
but on its own wings.” – Denzel Washington
Top reasons for job loss
• No response despite multiple job applications
• Non conversion of call to an in-person interview
• Lots of in-personal interviews but no move to the
next round
• No Conversion to an offer
Few points to consider during the job hunt
• Find the right fit
• Job Sites
• Job Search Funnel
• Upgrade yourself
• Resume development
• LinkedIn Profile
• Digital Footprint
• Knock every possible door
• Keep a Tracker
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26. • The Forefront Manager: 50 Skills To Become A Successful
New-Age Manager
• https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08MYYFHKX
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27. Table of Contents
1. Why have I written this book?
2. My Journey from Executive to Manager
3. Mid-Career Crisis: Get Over It!
Upgrade Yourself!
4. Why does organization need Manager?
5. New Manager: Starter Kit
6. Soft Skills for Project Managers
7. Develop a Consulting Mindset
8. Job Searching: A Must-Have Skill
9. 10 Common Mistakes as a Project Manager: How to Avoid Them
10. Reading: A Commitment to Development
11. Top 10 Books: Guide to Become a perfect Project Manager
12. Certifications for Project Manager: Required or Hoax?
13. 10 Essential Softwares Tools for Project Manager
14. Professional Bucket List: The To-Do List of Professional Life
15. Is Hard Skills Essential for the Project Manager?
16. Critical Thinking: Think Better Work Smarter
17. Make a Presentations Like a Pro
18. Volunteering Experience: Upskill through Community Service
19. Annual Performance Appraisal – Earn Merit and Promotions
20. Developing an Agile Mindset
21. New Management Trait: Get Aware
22. Essential Skills for Project Manager - Pre-Sales
23. A Sixth Sense of Project Management: An Excerpt by Tres Roeder
Communication Ninja
24. Communication Skills for Project Manager
25. Persuasion & Persuasive Communication for Manager
26. Body Language: The Secret to Effective Management
27. Public Speaking: Must-Have Skills for Manager
28. Impressive Writing: Must-Have Skills for Manager
29. Elevator Pitch: The Lift to Success
30. Senior Management Review: Essential components
31. Managing Up: Build a Bridge
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28. Psychological Aspects
32. Apply Positive Psychology at Workplace
33. Stress Management for Manager
34. Emotional Intelligence for Managers
35. Spirituality: A Management Aspect Nobody Told You About!
36. Five Neuro-Linguistic Programming Techniques for Managers
Customer is the King
37. Increase Customer Happiness Index
38. Out of the box Initiative
Productivity
39. Top 10 Productivity Hacks
40. Time and Tide wait for None: Time Management
41. Effective Risks Management
Team
42. Managing Multicultural Virtual Teams
43. Leading without Authority
44. Team Motivation: The Key to Achievement
45. Performance Appraisal of Team: How to do it effectively
46. Giving and Accepting Negative Feedback
Networking is the Key
47. Networking: An Essential Skill
48. Sell Yourself! - Personal Branding for Managers
49. Increase Your Visibility at Workplace
50. LinkedIn: The Social Media for Professionals
51. Art of Talking to Strangers: Part of Management Skills
What Next
52. Moving Up: The Professional Hike You Need
53. Project Manager: Where to Go Next?
Table of Contents
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29. The Forefront Manager: 50 Skills To Become A
Successful New-Age Manager
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08MYYFHKX
Till Tomorrow
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Feedback and Suggestion
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishekprasoon/
Contact Me – aprasoonin@yahoo.com
Twitter - @aprasoonin