You've polished your resume, memorized the "perfect" answers to common
interview questions, practiced your confident handshake and rehearsed stories that show you in the best light. But if you're performing leadership rather than embodying it, hiring managers can tell right away.
As you navigate your career search, your title and company reputation does not precede you. It requires being brave and showing up as yourself in networking, communicating, and presenting your value with consistency throughout the entire search process.
In fact, when you "perform" leadership, you may create barriers that prevent real connections who can advocate for you. That's a lot of energy that is not
sustainable.
Based on what I've seen from customers...
they already have the interesting stories and experiences that have made them.
The way they are delivered and timing is a leadership quality. Such as...
In networking conversations:You share real challenges you've faced and how you actually think about problems, rather than recycling generic success stories.
You ask questions you're genuinely curious about, and that gives you the freedom to be picky about how to drive the conversation vs. what you "should" ask. This makes you interesting.
In interviews:You acknowledge what you don't know but there are always responses that can be genuine and positive about your actual leadership philosophy (and that can take a load off of
defending yourself or leaving the wrong impression).
In your communication:Your resume, profile and posts sound like you and your portfolio shows projects you're genuinely proud of. That's brand and career positioning.
You're putting yourself out there and they are waiting
