L. Michelle Smith

A message without a method or focus

That trite, cliche question that faux, modern-day philosophers raise about a tree falling in a forest and no one hearing is probably not as thought provoking as considering the exact opposite. If that same tree falls and everyone hears it, will they know it has anything to do with them? Leaders, if you truly want to lead, it may serve you to not be seduced by being everywhere…

L Michelle Smith Decoded

  Ever wonder what the secret code is to break into the executive level at top tech companies? Unlock the answer at this year’s Decoded cohort, presented by the Executive Leadership Council The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) and sponsored by Google. I’m glad to return as one of their elite, certified executive and personal coaches. Last year, I witnessed first hand, five incredible leaders grow their leadership abilities and…

L Michelle Smith Speaker Sheet

You don’t realize that you’ve been at a thing for a while until you see that your tools need refreshing. Thank you so much to those organizations who have invited me to speak over the last seven years…that‘s right, SEVEN. And to think it all started on a stage in Hollywood, Florida at the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit in 2015. Thank you, Jennifer Jones for believing…

How do you remove the sting of formal feedback?

Consider that written feedback seems to be more piercing than the spoken kind. We can stare at it, revisit it. It seems more permanent and carries more lasting impact. It seers into our psyche. Try not to give negative feedback the entirety of your attention especially if you have glowing and more neutral feedback to consider. Let’s do some math: ➕ Count the number of positive statements ➕…

Who is bought in on you fully?

How do you get a great sponsor? Today’s #NSCJournalPrompt gets you started. It’s part of the 6-part series that we started last week on the #NSCRockStarLeadership Tip of the Day which you see here at the beginning of the week. We’ll be putting the advice to action in these Thursday prompts. My good friend Ted Rubin says, and I quote loosely: Your network is your reach, your community…

Leave, then watch the learning that happens.

Proximity can be an aspiration killer. When I was running my agency, I recall putting a policy in place for interns that they could not immediately be hired on to my staff until they joined another agency. Then they could boomerang if they’d like, but only after experiencing another work environment. They didn’t understand it. In fact, one of my intern’s parents called and tried to talk me…no,…

How to secure a sponsor

Have 10-20 years experience under your belt and are at least at the director level? Let’s talk sponsorship! In this 6-part series on Assembling and Activating Your Tribe, I discuss all the components of your personal board of directors to make it effective and how to activate it. Today, I drop two tips–how to initiate getting sponsors on board, and, conversely, how to make it happen more organically.…

UNT Honors LMS

It’s incredible to be recognized by a university you’ve never actually attended, but I have employed their graduates over the years and contributed as a keynote speaker at conferences on campus and as a guest lecturer at the University of North Texas. So it is an honor to receive the UNT Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism Career Service Recognition Award next week, honoring my contributions…

How to boss up, from a bee 🐝

When Kim Nelson-Ingram graduated from Florida A&M University, she wanted to be in TV, but little did she know that her first job search would land her in some incredible roles in the world of radio, making history too, and eventually as a children’s book author with a vision for more. Her message is simple, and she’s lived by it: You can BEE anything. It’s a mantra that…

Do you give yourself credit? Or are you making yourself small?

  Shrink. When you think about it, you didn’t come up with that notion at work. It’s a part of corporate culture. In fact, the word corporate means “one body,” so it only makes sense that it has been ingrained in you that being a standout is ultimately frowned upon. Shining is a no go, right? What a direct conflict to the word leadership. Recently, my client work…

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