Authorpreneur Dashboard – Chris Nadherny
The Proactive Executive
Business & Investing
A nationally respected executive recruiter, Chris Nadherny has conducted more than 700 search assignments for a wide-range of companies, assessed thousands of successful professionals and counseled many whose career paths have been disrupted or stalled. He knows what it takes for professionals to get to the next level, and what holds them back. In writing The Proactive Executive, Nadherny has created a highly effective five-step framework for mid-career professionals who want to fulfill their potential. Packed with actionable guidance, real-world stories and insider knowledge, The Proactive Executive explains how to build key skills, assess job opportunities, develop self-awareness, and obtain a position of senior-level responsibility.
Book Bubbles from The Proactive Executive
THE “GREAT RESIGNATION”…OR GREAT MIS-STEP??
As a result of the pandemic much has been written about "The Great Resignation". There is danger in quickly accepting such mass resignation headlines as motivation for a job or career transition. Pandemic fatigued executives and professionals have fallen into the trap of making career moves that are reactive to recent stresses and not properly thought out. The likelihood of these career mis-steps occurring is substantially greater when professionals lack sufficient practical understanding about effective career management. Effective career management is the result of two primary components: 1.) understanding the dynamics of the talent market, then building and positioning your professional profile, experience and skill sets in a meaningful and differentiated manner and; 2.) pursuing and securing the right opportunities. Seems simple...if you understand how to do it. THE PROACTIVE EXECUTIVE provides a clear, practical and impactful "success formula" distilled from the author's successful 30 year career in top level executive search, guiding over 5,000 professionals at critical junctures in their careers. The most frequently cited reader comment regarding this down to earth book is, "I wish I'd read this years ago!" (see Amazon reader reviews). THE PROACTIVE EXECUTIVE is a timely and invaluable holiday gift for friends, colleagues, sons and daughters considering an job or career change.
Why you??
I've had the privilege of assisting many business professionals with their careers at various stages of development. Individuals who capture greater success not only have a firmer understanding of their strengths, interests and likes, but also position and develop themselves in the market with the mindset of a potential "buyer" (i.e. hiring organizations), not the "seller". Defining your differentiated and relevant value proposition at the starting point of a job search campaign is critical. What is the "pay-off" that an organization can expect if they hire you? What are your "proof points" that support this? The start of a more hopeful new year presents a wonderful opportunity to give someone you care about a copy of the "Five Star Reader Reviewed" THE PROACTIVE EXECUTIVE.
Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst
The present pandemic and all its repercussions can be summarized with one word...uncertainty. Coming out of this crisis individuals, businesses, industries and economies will be indelibly changed. We have no choice but to adapt and...if we think ahead and prepare, achieve even greater success. In most every hardship lies a silver lining of "opportunity" to not be a passive observer, but instead, to be a proactive participant. Professionally, have you considered how your job and industry will be changed? Will your job be redefined, or even secure amidst unemployment levels that we've not seen in our lifetimes? I hope so. However, there's never been a more important time to prepare for the worst. THE PROACTIVE EXECUTIVE provides a timely and practical road map and invaluable insights for taking charge of your career in the midst of present day chaos and uncertainty.
THE MOST CRITICAL CAREER DECISIONS YOU MAKE
The most fundamental career decisions made by professionals throughout their careers relate to consistently selecting the right opportunities. Poor "fit" is a career impediment at best and a "derailer" in the worst case with multi-year repercussions. As a career coach I often see executives who rush into job opportunities without proper reflection. As a result, they end up in the job market again all to soon looking for their next opportunity, leaving behind a checkered track record. Proper reflection considers factors such as: job fit, quality and stability of the organization, company culture, "chemistry", potential advancement opportunities, expectations, advancement opportunities, and availability of proper resources.
Your Very Own Personal Career Coach!
Are you actively and properly managing one of your most important assets…your career? THE PROACTIVE EXECUTIVE was specifically written to help professionals progress more rapidly and with more certainty in their careers. This actions-based career guidebook was designed for professionals who are periodically complacent in managing their careers, currently at a crossroads, considering a potential job change, or simply unclear about how to achieve swifter advancement, greater job satisfaction and increased compensation. The rich content provides insights, examples, templates, and a clear understanding of specific actions to take in strategically building, positioning and effectively presenting and communicating your career experience. THE PROACTIVE EXECUTIVE is designed to be a particularly high value, affordable alternative to $300-400/hour career coaches.
"Wish I'd Read this Years Ago!"
"If only I'd read this book earlier!" That is the reaction I inevitably receive from professionals once they have read THE PROACTIVE EXECUTIVE. So often, it's what they don't recognize, know or realize that makes career advancement so challenging. The simple truth is that a majority of professionals under manage or unintentionally mismanage their careers. Getting through school is easy...relative to challenges of thoughtfully managing a career! THE PROACTIVE EXECUTIVE is like having a professional coach at a fraction of the cost to show you the way and guide your thinking and next steps. I can't think of a more thoughtful and valuable Christmas gift to give an aspiring professional than the guidance, insights and actions in this book.
Your Most Critical Career Decisions
During my 30 years as a senior executive search consultant and Partner with a leading global firm I had a unique opportunity to track the career paths of several thousand bright and talented business professionals. One key factor that distinguished those who were most successful was their ability to consistently select the right companies and roles that would accelerate and not impede their career paths. In my book, "The Proactive Executive", one of the many career management fundamentals that I share is the importance of pursuing and selecting the right job opportunities and how to do so. These decisions greatly influence your personal brand, positioning in the market, professional growth, job satisfaction, and potential earnings. Faulty decision making in this regards leads to job hopping and reduced professional leverage in the talent market for many bright, well intentioned but under achieving executives. Unfortunately, effective career management is not taught in school, but, instead through the school of hard knocks – by which time mistakes have been made. My intent in writing “The Proactive Executive” was to provide a pragmatic, insight-laden, actions-based blueprint for the formation of successful business careers. In my experience, 65% of a business professional’s success is attributable to controllable factors, at the center of which are effective career management principles, thinking and actions.
Developing the “Impact”
In Chapter 4 of “The Proactive Executive” I share the 10 most important elements for building an attractive and competitive professional profile. These elements are - Experience, Impact, Potential, Stability, Quality, Presence, Passion, Influence, Intelligence, and Reputation. Your value and upward mobility in an organization is directly correlated to the results you achieve, your impact on others in your organization, and the contributions you make outside of your immediate role. In the accompanying book bubble I share some suggestions for how to have greater impact in your organization.
Stability
In Chapter 4 of “The Proactive Executive” I share the 10 most important elements for building an attractive and competitive professional profile. These elements are - Experience, Impact, Potential, Stability, Quality, Presence, Passion, Influence, Intelligence, and Reputation. The one element where many bright and capable professionals go awry is with regards to the stability of their career. Too little or too much stability raises distinct concerns as highlighted in the book passage provided here. And, unfortunately, once you’ve acquired too much or too little it can become a significant challenge to reshape perceptions and beliefs of others. Proactive professionals are aware of this distinction and make career decisions that positively shape these perceptions. In the coming weeks I will share author insights on a number of the other elements noted above for building a strong professional profile.
Successful Interviewing
Regardless of the strength of your professional track record or educational background, “hire” or “not to hire” decisions are based on how you come across during the job interview. During my 30 year career in senior level executive search I counseled and prepared countless candidates for client interviews. The most critical components of successful interviews most a
The Proactive Executive
Business & Investing
A nationally respected executive recruiter, Chris Nadherny has conducted more than 700 search assignments for a wide-range of companies, assessed thousands of successful professionals and counseled many whose career paths have been disrupted or stalled. He knows what it takes for professionals to get to the next level, and what holds them back. In writing The Proactive Executive, Nadherny has created a highly effective five-step framework for mid-career professionals who want to fulfill their potential. Packed with actionable guidance, real-world stories and insider knowledge, The Proactive Executive explains how to build key skills, assess job opportunities, develop self-awareness, and obtain a position of senior-level responsibility.
Book Bubbles from The Proactive Executive
Continuous Resume Building
The most effective resumes are not a collection of disjointed roles and experiences. The best resumes reflect a considered series of moves and experiences that are building towards a grander design. There should be consistent threads woven throughout the story of your professional development. You may not have an exact understanding of your final desired destination. However, you do likely have an idea “directionally” that is reinforced by how your strengths, interests and learned skills intersect. When looking at new opportunities it is important consider whether they are directionally consistent and whether they expand and build on the story you want to tell. Disjointed and unfocused resumes are often the result of professionals who “let” their careers happen to them, as opposed to taking control of the story they want to tell. Proactively consider the story you want to build and tell and then plan how you will gain the proof points required to be credible. Doing this throughout your career will pay dividends.
Transcending Disruption
During my 30 years with Spencer Stuart, a senior executive search firm, I met many bright, capable and energetic executives. These business professionals often fell into one of two camps. One camp consisted of successful, upwardly mobile and accomplished executives who were able to navigate market developments and disruptions in the business environment. The other camp was populated by executives who had fallen short of “what could have been”. More often than not, the key differentiator between these two groups came down to how proactively and effectively they had managed their careers, not their intellect or energy. In my book, “The Proactive Executive”, I share what I consider to be the fundamentals of effective career management and how they will help executives build track records that transcend today’s disruptive forces.
How Attractive a Candidate are You??
Few executives have an accurate perception of how attractive their executive profile (i.e. background) actually is in the job market. Understanding the relative strength of your profile and where you are stronger versus less developed is fundamental to proper market positioning, job fit, and effective career management. In my book, “The Proactive Executive” I provide a proven assessment diagnostic for answering these important questions.
Wisdom from Successful Executives
In Chapter 6 of The Proactive Executive I share the experiences and learnings of successful executives. Their remarks offer incredibly valuable insights and guidance to other aspiring business professionals. One such executive was a woman, Linda, who we placed into a private equity portfolio company as CEO. She excelled in this role and the sale of her company became the most successful investment ever made by the private equity firm who hired her. She successfully faced some significant challenges in her career which emerging females executives can learn from.
Developing Awareness
Consider two equally bright and motivated business professionals with varying levels of career success and compare them side by side. What is it that distinguishes the greater success of one versus another? In my experience, very often, the determining factor is the level of “awareness” that each exhibits in their daily activities. In your own life, you can no doubt think of individuals with either high, or, less developed levels of awareness and what it is like to interact with each. Did you ever stop to think about how many different types of awareness there are that a skilled professional uses each day?
Market Positioning for Career Success
During my 30 years as an executive search consultant with Spencer Stuart I met and assessed thousands of executives. I always found it particularly surprising how few proactively and thoughtfully positioned and differentiated their personal brands and backgrounds in the market. Proper positioning can have a profound impact on your career!
Real-world Experience
There are few better teachers than those with real-world experience. In my book, “The Proactive Executive” I share the essence of effective career management and successful career formation based on observations across several thousand executive assessments. The purpose of the book is to provide aspiring executives with a practical roadmap for strategically achieving career advancement, job satisfaction, and enhanced earnings potential.
No One Cares More Than You!
Great careers don’t happen by themselves. In my experience every great career has an “owner” who thoughtfully invests himself or herself. The underpinnings for effectively owning your career are self-initiative and self-observation. Each of these is necessary for understanding what you naturally do better than others and then determining how this natural talent can be used. By aligning this natural talent with your interests and then supplementing it with education, training and experience you will position yourself for success. The sooner you realize that no one else does this for you the better off you will be!
