November 11, 2025 • 23 mins
Are you doing great work but still waiting for recognition or a promotion that never seems to come? In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral explores how to elevate your reputation, credibility, and leadership impact without waiting for a new title.
This conversation focuses on leading through influence, not authority. You’ll learn how to stand out in today’s fast-moving workplace by earning trust, building psychological safety, and demonstrating anticipatory leadership that makes you indispensable.
Through real stories and actionable examples, John breaks down what it means to lead before the promotion and how subtle shifts in behavior can transform how others perceive your leadership.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• The difference between authority and influence and why behavior earns trust
• Key trust signals that quietly boost your visibility in your organization
• How anticipatory leadership helps you spot risks early and protect results
• Quiet leadership habits that reduce friction, improve collaboration, and build team confidence
• Why psychological safety drives innovation and engagement
• How to shift from reactionary to strategic thinking with better feedback habits
• Three presence practices to signal confidence and composure in every interaction
• The Three O’s Framework, Observe, Offer, Own, for leading without permission
If you’re ready to be recognized for the value you bring and lead more effectively in your current role, this episode is your blueprint.
Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.
Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to:
- Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
- Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
- Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.
Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.
Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here.
Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching.
Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Have you ever felt like you have ideas that could
make things better at work?
But because you're not the onewith the title, no one seems to
listen.
You're not alone.
Many mid-career professionalsfeel like they hit a wall when
they realize that leadershipdoesn't always come with a
title.
They're leading meetings,mentoring new hires, solving
(00:22):
problems, and yet they stillfind themselves sitting at their
desk waiting for some kind ofrecognition from their
leadership.
This episode today is all aboutacknowledging that frustration
and shifting your mindset intosomething bigger.
Learning how you can leadthrough influence instead of
(00:46):
waiting for permission.
In this episode, I'll provideyou with a simple framework and
practical tips so you can showup as a quiet leader, someone
who is shaping culture, makingdecisions, and creating positive
outcomes, even if your namedoesn't have quote unquote
(01:07):
leader on the org chart.
Let's get started.
(01:43):
So I want to make sure I getthis podcast episode recorded.
I'm also going to pre-record thefollowing week's episode as
well.
But here's the thing (01:52):
I am glad that you and I get a chance to
spend some time together.
And if you are not aware, I havea free email newsletter that I
email twice a week all aboutleadership and career transition
and navigating this mid-careerjourney.
It's free.
All you need to do is go to mywebsite at johnner.com forward
(02:13):
slash resources.
You'll see a tab right there tosign up for the newsletter.
And I'd love to have you come inand be part of a much larger
conversation that happensoutside of this podcast.
And I'm glad you're here today.
This episode is one that comesup from a lot of conversations
that I have had this year abouthow do you lead without having
(02:38):
that influence?
You don't have that particulartitle or recognition, or as
someone once said to me, it'slike they've been anointed on
the org chart and thereforepeople just listen to them.
And that's not really the case.
We know leadership is far muchmore than that because when we
lead, we lead because peopletrust us.
(03:01):
They see us as reliable and wehave a certain initiative that
allows us to lead from thisplace.
And I so often say that we showup from a place of value and
service.
But one of the things that thathopefully you know, and if you
don't, let's just let's justpause for a minute here.
When somebody has a title, be itCEO, leader, manager, executive
(03:29):
director, whatever it is, thattitle grants them a certain
level of authority.
It does not grant theminfluence.
Come on, you and I both know wehave worked with people.
We're not going to name names,but we've worked with people who
they have a certain title and wedon't respect them.
(03:52):
They're not really good in theirrole.
Because, see, it's a leader'sbehavior that truly earns their
influence.
As we're seeing organizations,especially some of our larger
organizations, look at theirstaffing numbers and they're
getting leaner, right?
(04:13):
But the job market has not beenparticularly kind in terms of
reading about layoffs,especially over the last few
weeks and months.
Organizations today are flatterand faster, meaning that people
who want to move up, they'removing up in a variety of
different ways.
(04:34):
But how they excel or ascend tothat part on the org chart, it
is because of where they areable to influence.
See, I know that the mosteffective mid-career
professionals that are out therecreate what are called trust
signals.
Those trust signals are thingsthat make them reliable and
(04:55):
exemplary employees.
So here they are, they'remeeting deadlines, they're
keeping promises, they'reexcellent communicators, they're
excellent executioners, theyfollow through on what they say
they're gonna do.
But here's what I want to askyou.
When people think about beingreliable or being someone who's
(05:19):
dependable on your team, howoften does your name come up?
How often are you the one that'sbeing spoken about?
I've worked with people thisyear who don't necessarily have
(05:39):
manager in their title, but theyhave tremendous responsibility
within their organization.
They are they are doing thingsto strategically position
themselves for that next role,that next level.
And one of the things that wealways come back to in looking
at their professional brand andtheir reputation is how well are
(06:02):
they trusted?
How well are they trusted tofollow through on what they say
they are going to do and thenhow well they execute on it?
So even though you may not havethat manager or director word in
your title, are you behavinglike one?
(06:23):
Are you demonstrating the corecompetencies at that level
within your organization that isgetting you noticed?
People who have that manager ordirector title, that authority
has already been given to thembecause of their promotion.
But their influence, that'searned.
(06:47):
Authority is positional.
And by that I mean it's whereyou sit on the org chart.
But your influence isrelational, and that's created
based on how reliable you are,how well you communicate, how
consistent you are as aprofessional.
(07:10):
The influence is based on thewhy and the how you are doing
things, not because of who issaying so.
Let me say that again.
Your influence is based on thewhy and how you are doing
things, not because someone issaying so.
(07:32):
I remember earlier in my careerwhen I was leading a team and
someone desperately wanted tohave a manager in their title.
And I asked them in a promotionconversation, I said to them,
why do you want to be a manager?
And they looked at me and theysaid, Well, then people actually
listen to me then.
And they were shocked when Ireplied and said, Well, why
(07:52):
aren't people listening to younow?
Yeah.
That was a hard conversationthat day for them.
Influence, the influence thatyou have within your
organization begins when yourcolleagues realize that you're
(08:14):
trying to make progress.
You're not doing this out ofsome kind of power grab or
authority maneuver.
You're doing it because you wantto make progress in seeing a
particular project succeed, aninitiative succeed.
And you're doing it in a waythat is putting a spotlight on
(08:36):
you because you then appear asthe problem solver, the conduit
for making that kind of change.
So, where are you buildinginfluence right now within your
organization?
Where are you leveraging yournetwork and building your
network so people get to see youas that powerful influencer you
(08:59):
are, so that your name is beingspoken at the table when it
comes time for conversations.
Oftentimes, mid-careerprofessionals will get stuck in
thinking that if they just dothe work, the work will speak
for itself.
And yes, there is absolutely apart about being competent and
(09:21):
confident in what you're doingand having quality work
associated with who you are andwhat you do.
But when you think about makingthat leadership transition to be
that person who's the manager,senior manager, director, senior
director, you're that kind ofleader that is building bridges.
(09:42):
You are connecting teams, youare connecting people, you are
avoiding friction.
You're asking questions that aremeaningful and intentional.
You bring what a lot of peoplecall anticipatory leadership,
where you see problems beforethey surface and you are
(10:05):
offering solutions early in theprocess so timelines don't get
away from you or budgets aren'tover-allocated.
Quiet leaders do not need thespotlight.
They're not standing aroundgoing, look at me, look at what
I did, I'm over here, you, noneof that.
(10:26):
The quiet leaders are the onesthat sit back, they execute on
their plan, they know theirresult, and they communicate
those things accordingly.
They have this tremendousability to read the room, they
recognize conflict intention,and they create psychological
(10:49):
safety to help move throughthat.
When you have a leader whobuilds psychological safety,
they're the leader who haspeople on their team willing to
take risks, speak up, and beinnovative.
They're not afraid of failingbecause they recognize that
(11:10):
failure is a step towards thatprogress.
That is the kind of leadershipyou may be looking to or
aspiring to within yourorganization.
But if you're sitting around andyou think that you're being
allowed and you're waiting to benoticed, what I want to offer
you is to try being a littlemore curious.
(11:31):
Ask questions that are going tomove the conversation forward.
I remember working in adifferent organization where the
senior leader was extremelyfrustrated with someone on their
team.
This person on their team wasvery knowledgeable, but also
very reactionary.
(11:52):
Um, they used the wordemotional, that they made
decisions emotionally ratherthan looking at all of the
things that could potentiallyhappen based on their action.
And so I went to this person oneday and I was like, hey, would
you like some feedback?
And they were like, Yeah, I'dlove some feedback.
(12:13):
And I said, Great.
Would you like some feedbackthat might be a little difficult
to hear?
And they were like, sure.
Right, because you don't knowwhat's going to come at that
point, right?
And I said, um, it's been myexperience and it's been my in
conversations with other peoplethat you are seen as very
(12:34):
reactionary, that you quicklywant to get to solving the
problem.
But in doing that, you'remissing some things because
you're not seeing the entirelandscape of the situation.
You're not taking into accountall of the other players.
And I shared a very specificexample of where I had witnessed
this in a meeting.
I said, this is actuallyhindering your progress because
(12:56):
people are not going to bewilling to promote you because
you're not slowing down andtaking into consideration all of
these other factors that mightbe a result of you making a
quick decision to solvesomething.
And they sat there and they theykind of took it all in.
And you know how when you talkto people, you can see like
(13:17):
their eyes turning a little bitas their processing type thing.
Not like in a cartoon kind ofway with a you know swirly kind
of design, but you can tell thatthey're really trying to grasp
all of this.
And they looked at me and theysaid, I need to think about
this.
I'm not sure how this sits.
And I said, That's fine.
(13:38):
Let's make it a point to talktomorrow.
Let's circle back on this.
Let's continue the conversationwhen you've had a chance to
process this.
And so they did.
And we talked the next day.
And they came in with somequestions about where they felt
like they were beingmisunderstood.
And I said, look, from my view,I can see where you're saying
(14:02):
you're being misunderstood, butthis is how people are
experiencing you.
So your intention isn't liningup with your action.
We need to change that.
Here's what that may look like.
And I shared some examples and Iwas like, how does that sit with
you?
They were like, okay, I think Ican try that.
I didn't do anything after thatpoint, other than just
(14:24):
occasionally check in and talkabout things.
But about six months afterwards,I went to the senior leader and
I said, Hey, how are thingsgoing with insert name of said
employee?
And they were like, Oh my gosh,I've noticed such a huge change.
Um, they slowed down, they'rethinking about things, they're
not as reactionary, they're um,they're really thinking about
(14:47):
the risks involved.
And I just kind of smiled and Isaid, Oh, that's that's really,
really good.
And I said, I'm glad to hearthat.
And then there was this pause.
And uh the senior leader lookedat me and they go, Um, you're
behind this, aren't you?
(15:07):
And I went, Who me?
I'm just doing my job.
And we kind of looked at eachother, and the senior leader
looks at me and says, uh, thankyou.
And I said, You're welcome.
And that person got promoted.
That person got promoted about ayear after this whole thing had
(15:30):
happened because they were theywere demonstrating that kind of
level of trust.
Because as we talked about in aprevious episode, it's not so
much executive presence, it'seffective presence.
And you can you can demonstratethat through how you're showing
up in a variety of situations.
It's about how clear you are,how clean you are in your
(15:53):
actions, and the calmness andthe confidence that happens as
you react to those situations.
Here's three ways I can offeryou today about building that
kind of presence.
Number one is about tighteningup your updates.
Make sure that your updates areclean, clear, and concise.
(16:14):
Stick to what matters most.
Don't go above and beyond.
The second thing is watch yourlanguage.
Make sure that your language isvery solution-based.
It's not we have a problem.
It's here's the situation we'redealing with, here's a potential
way to solve it, or here's someother considerations to solving
(16:36):
it.
And the last one is composureunder pressure.
This one is hard, especially ifyou're a heart-centered leader
and you wear your heart on yoursleeve and you want to just
react and you think you're beingtransparent with everybody.
But having composure underpressure is what allows you to
build trust.
People will look at you whenthings get tough.
(16:59):
They will know you are dealingwith a lot, but you are being
calm enough and composed andcentered to put forth the
information you do becausethat's how you lead.
Right?
So, what I want to offer you aswe start closing here is that
(17:20):
you do not need the promotion inorder to shift your mindset in
terms of how you are leadingchange.
Look at what you're doing rightnow in your job and lead
accordingly.
See if there are ways you canlead a little bit differently.
So think of this in terms ofthree O's.
(17:41):
Number one is observe.
Observe what's going on aroundyou and observe what's needed.
Look for any kind of repeatedpatterns, um, specific
challenges or pain points, andwhat opportunities may be there.
Secondly, offer solutions.
Don't just highlight or talkabout what's wrong or what's
(18:05):
broken.
Make a suggestion about what'snext.
The budget is currently$250,000over at this point.
In order for us to get on track,here's what I think needs to
happen.
What are your thoughts on that?
The third O is ownership.
(18:25):
And it's about owning theoutcome.
So when you make a decision, youfollow through, you measure
results, and you share whatyou've learned, but you own it.
You in leading is you takingownership of what's going on or
what's happening.
So if you observe, offer, andown, you have already moved
(18:47):
yourself up from being the onewho's hanging out in the shadows
and now stepping up to theforefront to say, This is what's
happening.
This is what I think couldrectify this.
You then become this trustedcolleague that when you act on
(19:11):
what you notice, you changeculture, you change dynamics.
Because now the leaders who maynot have necessarily seen you as
one now may start to.
They may start seeing you alittle bit differently than
(19:31):
where you are.
So here's a quick reflectionquestion for you.
Where are you alreadydemonstrating your leadership
that others may not be seeing?
So, what I want you to do iswhen you think about where
you're demonstrating yourleadership, pick one particular
area.
(19:52):
Pick one particular area,observe what's needed, offer one
small solution, and own theoutcome.
If you're in an organizationwhere you can do that, or if
maybe this is a stretch goal,demonstrate and exercise your
leadership in a way that isthere to help make things better
(20:14):
because of your expertise.
You might just be surprised howquickly people start to see you
differently when you startleading in this way without any
kind of title, but you aredemonstrating your influence.
All right.
(20:35):
So you already have the toolshere.
Now it's your decision about howyou want to start using them
more intentionally.
So as part of the mid-careerjourney, it is not just about
finding that new job.
It is about learning to bebetter leaders, learning to
exercise your authority, yourpresence, your impact in new and
(20:58):
different ways.
And that's one of the many areasthat I help my clients with.
Okay.
So if this episode resonatedwith you, do me a favor, share
it with someone.
Text this link to somebody andsay, hey, I just listened to
this great podcast episode.
I think this would be reallyhelpful.
Okay.
And you can go onto my websiteat johnnarrell.com forward slash
(21:21):
resources.
Come join my newslettercommunity.
I'd love to have you be a partof that.
And if I can help you in anyother way as your coach, if
you're interested in joining mymembership community or
one-on-one coaching, there'smore information for that there
as well at johnnarrell.comforward slash resources.
So, all right, I got throughthis episode without my voice
(21:44):
getting too gravelly.
So I'm kind of proud about that.
Um, always great spending sometime with you this week.
Um, we're we're rushing towardthe end of the year.
It's kind of hard to slow thingsdown, it seems, at times, but
take care of yourself, take careof each other.
Remember this.
You will build your mid-careerGPS one mile or one step at a
time, and how you show upmatters.
(22:06):
Make it a great rest of yourday.
Thank you for listening to theMid Career GPS Podcast.
Make sure to follow on yourfavorite listening platform.
And if you have a moment, I'dlove to hear your comments on
Apple Podcasts.
Visit johnnarrell.com for moreinformation about how I can help
you build your Mid-Career GPS,or how I can help you and your
(22:29):
organization with your nextworkshop or public speaking
event.
Don't forget to connect with meon LinkedIn and follow me on
social at Johnnaryl Coaching.
I look forward to being backwith you next week.
Until then, take care andremember, how we show up
matters.
Have you ever felt like you have ideas that could
make things better at work?
But because you're not the onewith the title, no one seems to
listen.
You're not alone.
Many mid-career professionalsfeel like they hit a wall when
they realize that leadershipdoesn't always come with a
title.
They're leading meetings,mentoring new hires, solving
(00:22):
problems, and yet they stillfind themselves sitting at their
desk waiting for some kind ofrecognition from their
leadership.
This episode today is all aboutacknowledging that frustration
and shifting your mindset intosomething bigger.
Learning how you can leadthrough influence instead of
(00:46):
waiting for permission.
In this episode, I'll provideyou with a simple framework and
practical tips so you can showup as a quiet leader, someone
who is shaping culture, makingdecisions, and creating positive
outcomes, even if your namedoesn't have quote unquote
(01:07):
leader on the org chart.
Let's get started.
(01:43):
So I want to make sure I getthis podcast episode recorded.
I'm also going to pre-record thefollowing week's episode as
well.
But here's the thing (01:52):
I am glad that you and I get a chance to
spend some time together.
And if you are not aware, I havea free email newsletter that I
email twice a week all aboutleadership and career transition
and navigating this mid-careerjourney.
It's free.
All you need to do is go to mywebsite at johnner.com forward
(02:13):
slash resources.
You'll see a tab right there tosign up for the newsletter.
And I'd love to have you come inand be part of a much larger
conversation that happensoutside of this podcast.
And I'm glad you're here today.
This episode is one that comesup from a lot of conversations
that I have had this year abouthow do you lead without having
(02:38):
that influence?
You don't have that particulartitle or recognition, or as
someone once said to me, it'slike they've been anointed on
the org chart and thereforepeople just listen to them.
And that's not really the case.
We know leadership is far muchmore than that because when we
lead, we lead because peopletrust us.
(03:01):
They see us as reliable and wehave a certain initiative that
allows us to lead from thisplace.
And I so often say that we showup from a place of value and
service.
But one of the things that thathopefully you know, and if you
don't, let's just let's justpause for a minute here.
When somebody has a title, be itCEO, leader, manager, executive
(03:29):
director, whatever it is, thattitle grants them a certain
level of authority.
It does not grant theminfluence.
Come on, you and I both know wehave worked with people.
We're not going to name names,but we've worked with people who
they have a certain title and wedon't respect them.
(03:52):
They're not really good in theirrole.
Because, see, it's a leader'sbehavior that truly earns their
influence.
As we're seeing organizations,especially some of our larger
organizations, look at theirstaffing numbers and they're
getting leaner, right?
(04:13):
But the job market has not beenparticularly kind in terms of
reading about layoffs,especially over the last few
weeks and months.
Organizations today are flatterand faster, meaning that people
who want to move up, they'removing up in a variety of
different ways.
(04:34):
But how they excel or ascend tothat part on the org chart, it
is because of where they areable to influence.
See, I know that the mosteffective mid-career
professionals that are out therecreate what are called trust
signals.
Those trust signals are thingsthat make them reliable and
(04:55):
exemplary employees.
So here they are, they'remeeting deadlines, they're
keeping promises, they'reexcellent communicators, they're
excellent executioners, theyfollow through on what they say
they're gonna do.
But here's what I want to askyou.
When people think about beingreliable or being someone who's
(05:19):
dependable on your team, howoften does your name come up?
How often are you the one that'sbeing spoken about?
I've worked with people thisyear who don't necessarily have
(05:39):
manager in their title, but theyhave tremendous responsibility
within their organization.
They are they are doing thingsto strategically position
themselves for that next role,that next level.
And one of the things that wealways come back to in looking
at their professional brand andtheir reputation is how well are
(06:02):
they trusted?
How well are they trusted tofollow through on what they say
they are going to do and thenhow well they execute on it?
So even though you may not havethat manager or director word in
your title, are you behavinglike one?
(06:23):
Are you demonstrating the corecompetencies at that level
within your organization that isgetting you noticed?
People who have that manager ordirector title, that authority
has already been given to thembecause of their promotion.
But their influence, that'searned.
(06:47):
Authority is positional.
And by that I mean it's whereyou sit on the org chart.
But your influence isrelational, and that's created
based on how reliable you are,how well you communicate, how
consistent you are as aprofessional.
(07:10):
The influence is based on thewhy and the how you are doing
things, not because of who issaying so.
Let me say that again.
Your influence is based on thewhy and how you are doing
things, not because someone issaying so.
(07:32):
I remember earlier in my careerwhen I was leading a team and
someone desperately wanted tohave a manager in their title.
And I asked them in a promotionconversation, I said to them,
why do you want to be a manager?
And they looked at me and theysaid, Well, then people actually
listen to me then.
And they were shocked when Ireplied and said, Well, why
(07:52):
aren't people listening to younow?
Yeah.
That was a hard conversationthat day for them.
Influence, the influence thatyou have within your
organization begins when yourcolleagues realize that you're
(08:14):
trying to make progress.
You're not doing this out ofsome kind of power grab or
authority maneuver.
You're doing it because you wantto make progress in seeing a
particular project succeed, aninitiative succeed.
And you're doing it in a waythat is putting a spotlight on
(08:36):
you because you then appear asthe problem solver, the conduit
for making that kind of change.
So, where are you buildinginfluence right now within your
organization?
Where are you leveraging yournetwork and building your
network so people get to see youas that powerful influencer you
(08:59):
are, so that your name is beingspoken at the table when it
comes time for conversations.
Oftentimes, mid-careerprofessionals will get stuck in
thinking that if they just dothe work, the work will speak
for itself.
And yes, there is absolutely apart about being competent and
(09:21):
confident in what you're doingand having quality work
associated with who you are andwhat you do.
But when you think about makingthat leadership transition to be
that person who's the manager,senior manager, director, senior
director, you're that kind ofleader that is building bridges.
(09:42):
You are connecting teams, youare connecting people, you are
avoiding friction.
You're asking questions that aremeaningful and intentional.
You bring what a lot of peoplecall anticipatory leadership,
where you see problems beforethey surface and you are
(10:05):
offering solutions early in theprocess so timelines don't get
away from you or budgets aren'tover-allocated.
Quiet leaders do not need thespotlight.
They're not standing aroundgoing, look at me, look at what
I did, I'm over here, you, noneof that.
(10:26):
The quiet leaders are the onesthat sit back, they execute on
their plan, they know theirresult, and they communicate
those things accordingly.
They have this tremendousability to read the room, they
recognize conflict intention,and they create psychological
(10:49):
safety to help move throughthat.
When you have a leader whobuilds psychological safety,
they're the leader who haspeople on their team willing to
take risks, speak up, and beinnovative.
They're not afraid of failingbecause they recognize that
(11:10):
failure is a step towards thatprogress.
That is the kind of leadershipyou may be looking to or
aspiring to within yourorganization.
But if you're sitting around andyou think that you're being
allowed and you're waiting to benoticed, what I want to offer
you is to try being a littlemore curious.
(11:31):
Ask questions that are going tomove the conversation forward.
I remember working in adifferent organization where the
senior leader was extremelyfrustrated with someone on their
team.
This person on their team wasvery knowledgeable, but also
very reactionary.
(11:52):
Um, they used the wordemotional, that they made
decisions emotionally ratherthan looking at all of the
things that could potentiallyhappen based on their action.
And so I went to this person oneday and I was like, hey, would
you like some feedback?
And they were like, Yeah, I'dlove some feedback.
(12:13):
And I said, Great.
Would you like some feedbackthat might be a little difficult
to hear?
And they were like, sure.
Right, because you don't knowwhat's going to come at that
point, right?
And I said, um, it's been myexperience and it's been my in
conversations with other peoplethat you are seen as very
(12:34):
reactionary, that you quicklywant to get to solving the
problem.
But in doing that, you'remissing some things because
you're not seeing the entirelandscape of the situation.
You're not taking into accountall of the other players.
And I shared a very specificexample of where I had witnessed
this in a meeting.
I said, this is actuallyhindering your progress because
(12:56):
people are not going to bewilling to promote you because
you're not slowing down andtaking into consideration all of
these other factors that mightbe a result of you making a
quick decision to solvesomething.
And they sat there and they theykind of took it all in.
And you know how when you talkto people, you can see like
(13:17):
their eyes turning a little bitas their processing type thing.
Not like in a cartoon kind ofway with a you know swirly kind
of design, but you can tell thatthey're really trying to grasp
all of this.
And they looked at me and theysaid, I need to think about
this.
I'm not sure how this sits.
And I said, That's fine.
(13:38):
Let's make it a point to talktomorrow.
Let's circle back on this.
Let's continue the conversationwhen you've had a chance to
process this.
And so they did.
And we talked the next day.
And they came in with somequestions about where they felt
like they were beingmisunderstood.
And I said, look, from my view,I can see where you're saying
(14:02):
you're being misunderstood, butthis is how people are
experiencing you.
So your intention isn't liningup with your action.
We need to change that.
Here's what that may look like.
And I shared some examples and Iwas like, how does that sit with
you?
They were like, okay, I think Ican try that.
I didn't do anything after thatpoint, other than just
(14:24):
occasionally check in and talkabout things.
But about six months afterwards,I went to the senior leader and
I said, Hey, how are thingsgoing with insert name of said
employee?
And they were like, Oh my gosh,I've noticed such a huge change.
Um, they slowed down, they'rethinking about things, they're
not as reactionary, they're um,they're really thinking about
(14:47):
the risks involved.
And I just kind of smiled and Isaid, Oh, that's that's really,
really good.
And I said, I'm glad to hearthat.
And then there was this pause.
And uh the senior leader lookedat me and they go, Um, you're
behind this, aren't you?
(15:07):
And I went, Who me?
I'm just doing my job.
And we kind of looked at eachother, and the senior leader
looks at me and says, uh, thankyou.
And I said, You're welcome.
And that person got promoted.
That person got promoted about ayear after this whole thing had
(15:30):
happened because they were theywere demonstrating that kind of
level of trust.
Because as we talked about in aprevious episode, it's not so
much executive presence, it'seffective presence.
And you can you can demonstratethat through how you're showing
up in a variety of situations.
It's about how clear you are,how clean you are in your
(15:53):
actions, and the calmness andthe confidence that happens as
you react to those situations.
Here's three ways I can offeryou today about building that
kind of presence.
Number one is about tighteningup your updates.
Make sure that your updates areclean, clear, and concise.
(16:14):
Stick to what matters most.
Don't go above and beyond.
The second thing is watch yourlanguage.
Make sure that your language isvery solution-based.
It's not we have a problem.
It's here's the situation we'redealing with, here's a potential
way to solve it, or here's someother considerations to solving
(16:36):
it.
And the last one is composureunder pressure.
This one is hard, especially ifyou're a heart-centered leader
and you wear your heart on yoursleeve and you want to just
react and you think you're beingtransparent with everybody.
But having composure underpressure is what allows you to
build trust.
People will look at you whenthings get tough.
(16:59):
They will know you are dealingwith a lot, but you are being
calm enough and composed andcentered to put forth the
information you do becausethat's how you lead.
Right?
So, what I want to offer you aswe start closing here is that
(17:20):
you do not need the promotion inorder to shift your mindset in
terms of how you are leadingchange.
Look at what you're doing rightnow in your job and lead
accordingly.
See if there are ways you canlead a little bit differently.
So think of this in terms ofthree O's.
(17:41):
Number one is observe.
Observe what's going on aroundyou and observe what's needed.
Look for any kind of repeatedpatterns, um, specific
challenges or pain points, andwhat opportunities may be there.
Secondly, offer solutions.
Don't just highlight or talkabout what's wrong or what's
(18:05):
broken.
Make a suggestion about what'snext.
The budget is currently$250,000over at this point.
In order for us to get on track,here's what I think needs to
happen.
What are your thoughts on that?
The third O is ownership.
(18:25):
And it's about owning theoutcome.
So when you make a decision, youfollow through, you measure
results, and you share whatyou've learned, but you own it.
You in leading is you takingownership of what's going on or
what's happening.
So if you observe, offer, andown, you have already moved
(18:47):
yourself up from being the onewho's hanging out in the shadows
and now stepping up to theforefront to say, This is what's
happening.
This is what I think couldrectify this.
You then become this trustedcolleague that when you act on
(19:11):
what you notice, you changeculture, you change dynamics.
Because now the leaders who maynot have necessarily seen you as
one now may start to.
They may start seeing you alittle bit differently than
(19:31):
where you are.
So here's a quick reflectionquestion for you.
Where are you alreadydemonstrating your leadership
that others may not be seeing?
So, what I want you to do iswhen you think about where
you're demonstrating yourleadership, pick one particular
area.
(19:52):
Pick one particular area,observe what's needed, offer one
small solution, and own theoutcome.
If you're in an organizationwhere you can do that, or if
maybe this is a stretch goal,demonstrate and exercise your
leadership in a way that isthere to help make things better
(20:14):
because of your expertise.
You might just be surprised howquickly people start to see you
differently when you startleading in this way without any
kind of title, but you aredemonstrating your influence.
All right.
(20:35):
So you already have the toolshere.
Now it's your decision about howyou want to start using them
more intentionally.
So as part of the mid-careerjourney, it is not just about
finding that new job.
It is about learning to bebetter leaders, learning to
exercise your authority, yourpresence, your impact in new and
(20:58):
different ways.
And that's one of the many areasthat I help my clients with.
Okay.
So if this episode resonatedwith you, do me a favor, share
it with someone.
Text this link to somebody andsay, hey, I just listened to
this great podcast episode.
I think this would be reallyhelpful.
Okay.
And you can go onto my websiteat johnnarrell.com forward slash
(21:21):
resources.
Come join my newslettercommunity.
I'd love to have you be a partof that.
And if I can help you in anyother way as your coach, if
you're interested in joining mymembership community or
one-on-one coaching, there'smore information for that there
as well at johnnarrell.comforward slash resources.
So, all right, I got throughthis episode without my voice
(21:44):
getting too gravelly.
So I'm kind of proud about that.
Um, always great spending sometime with you this week.
Um, we're we're rushing towardthe end of the year.
It's kind of hard to slow thingsdown, it seems, at times, but
take care of yourself, take careof each other.
Remember this.
You will build your mid-careerGPS one mile or one step at a
time, and how you show upmatters.
(22:06):
Make it a great rest of yourday.
Thank you for listening to theMid Career GPS Podcast.
Make sure to follow on yourfavorite listening platform.
And if you have a moment, I'dlove to hear your comments on
Apple Podcasts.
Visit johnnarrell.com for moreinformation about how I can help
you build your Mid-Career GPS,or how I can help you and your
(22:29):
organization with your nextworkshop or public speaking
event.
Don't forget to connect with meon LinkedIn and follow me on
social at Johnnaryl Coaching.
I look forward to being backwith you next week.
Until then, take care andremember, how we show up
matters.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.