How do you show your value as a career development leader?

I feel as career development leader one needs to lead by example and model the behaviors, attitudes, and values that they want to see in others. By setting high standards, SMART goals, being ethical, accountable, and transparent, and showing respect, empathy, and appreciation to one and all in the surrounding.

It takes a bit of crafting to make sure the vision is simple, understandable and memorable. Don’t get so complicated in the ideas or include parts of your execution plan here. Its important to keep this crisp and clear. Ideally, everyone in the company should be able to repeat is easily.

As a career development leader, you first need to know yourself. What are your values, skills, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. What is your purpose? Once you are clear in these things you will know what kind of a leader you want to be and what kind of a career path you need to pursue. One needs to lead by example and be the epitome of the leader others aspire to be.

You show your value by being honest and building trust in relationships. You should practice what you preach, so that when others see you they aspire to be a leader that has values.

As a career development leader, defining your vision is crucial for demonstrating your value and making a meaningful impact. Here's how you can articulate and manifest this vision: 1. Clarify Your Purpose Your vision should begin with a clear understanding of your purpose. What motivates you as a career development leader? Is it helping individuals find their true potential, facilitating professional growth, or creating pathways for success? By defining your purpose, you establish a foundation for your vision that resonates with both you and those you lead.

As a career development leader, your credibility is central to your effectiveness and influence. It’s not just about having expertise; it’s about how you present and validate that expertise in ways that inspire trust and respect. Here’s how you can build and strengthen your credibility in this role: 1. Demonstrate Expertise: Stay current with industry trends, best practices, and emerging tools in career development. Attend and/or present at industry conferences. This will expand your knowledge base and keep you current. Practical Experience: Share your hands-on experiences and success stories. Real-world applications of your skills and knowledge can validate your expertise and make your advice more relatable and trustworthy.

Don’t underestimate the value of continuous learning- even short courses prove valuable in increasing your ability to network with others, gain new perspectives and skills.

While it’s good to be defensive of your time, it’s also good to be flexible to take opportunistic meetings- you never know where a connection might lead you.

Being in a leadership role, one needs to be self aware and evolve emotionally. Leadership skills are more about relationship / stakeholder management rather than about skill set management. A leader needs to learn to be vulnerable and encourage others to do the same.

Companies are increasingly seeing developmental opportunities for the individual can have strong business impact/ROI when employer funded and offered as a benefit. The win-win-win scenarios that can be created are worth pursuing if you are an HR leader responsible for reducing attrition and increasing productivity of staff.

There is a saying; learn from the cradle to the grave. Our brains are one of the most fascinating parts of the human body. Never stop learning and investing in yourself. Learned experience can involve taking qualifications, shadowing senior leaders, stepping outside of your comfort zone, setting goals and taking action to achieve them. As a leadership and career coach, I am no different, I practice what I preach.

A true leader is one is aware as to when to lead, when to step back, and when to guide from afar. To be a true leader is one who is very comfortable in his skin.

AI only goes so far in touching a topic. From someone in the trenches for 24 years of executive search helping companies and candidates I offer the following insight. Companies wonder why employees leave their company? A common response from candidates when you talk with them is no one asked me about my career. A career development leader would be wise to ask at least every six months! Yes that often. Sit down with your employee and ask them how is it going? What do they aspire to do next? Help them understand what new skills they need to get to the next level. Help them get those skills by putting together a plan with them, giving them developmental opportunties, training and mentoring to obtain those skills.

Why do leaders use only annual appraisal to give negative feedback. A ‘Needs Improvement’ rating given to a team member in the appraisal points to the leader who ‘Needs Improvement’ In communication and motivation.

A true leader is one who has courage, is emotionally intelligent, is an excellent communicator but also if someone who knows they are human and can make mistakes. Yes be ambitious, hardworking and determined but also be kind to yourself. Having a balance is key to help both your career and mental health intact. Great leaders are not afraid to go against the status quo and tell the truth no matter how hard it may be.