GHC14 Sidekick to Superhero Slides

Thank you to everyone who attended my Grace Hopper Presentation. You were a fantastic audience.  As promised here are the slides from the presentation.  I love to hear any feedback and suggestions you have on the presentation.

 

Step 1: Super Sizing Your Strengths

Our strengths are the key to our success. The first step in supersizing our strengths is identifying them.  Chances are you don't even think about them as strengths they are just part of your DNA. 

Step 1:  Make a list of what you are good at, keep it to the top 5.

The next question you have to ask your self is does anyone know I am good at these things.  You may know its your strength but if the people who are important don't  know  your strengths then your personal brand is not what it needs to be.

Step 2:  Make a list of who needs to know that I am strong in each of these strengths? (top 3)

Step 3:  Do they know that I am strong in these areas (Yes or No)

You know have identfied your top 5 strengths,  the top 3 individual who need to know about those strengths and are they aware of your strengths.  Now your ready to Super size.  But which strength should you Supersize? This is the question I get asked the most. Should it be what my boss wants? Is it the strength I am the most passionate about? Is it the thing that is unique to me?

Step 4: Identify one strength to Super Size.  Ask yourself the following questions and the strength you need to super size will float to the top

1. What strength are you the most passionate about?
2. What strength do people least know that you are a SME ?
3. What strength do I used the most to be extraordinary at my job?
4. What strength is most important to my future career happiness?
5. What strength is unique to me?

Note: What strength your boss thinks is not listed. Your boss' opinion and mentorship is important however if you put your leaders opinion above yours could mislead you. My warning is that strength maybe the best thing for your leaders career not necessarily yours. 


Your almost there, you now know your strengths, who needs to know about them, a plan to make them aware of your strengths and identifed what strength to Super Size.  One last step the Super Sizing strength. Unlike superheros you don't have to be exposed to radiation, mutation, come from another planet or bit by a spider to Super size your strength. 

Step 5: Super Sizing

1. Continuous deepening of knowledge and skill in this area
2. Practice, practice, practice, you need to do to be come a master (10,000 hour rule)
3. Create new knowledge or techniques in your strength area
4. Teach what you know (user groups, mentorship, tech forums, mini courses)
5. Let others know you are an expert (strategy, blog, wikki, presentations, deliver great results)

I am curious to know your tips in super sizing your strenths,  the strengths you are working on supersizing, and your success?

5 steps to move from Sidekick to Superhero

For most of my career, I was under the impression; I was the Wonder Women of IT, getting accolades and promotion for everything I did. Then one day the promotions stopped the accolades not as glorious. I found myself struggling, as my once skyrocketing career flat lined. 

 I discovered I hadn’t been the Superhero that I thought I was.  In reality, I was a pretty amazing Sidekick to a great set of Superheroes.   I had a big problem though my Superheroes left the company leaving me with a new leader, who was not interested in a new sidekick.  I discovered I was a Sidekick without a Superhero. 

After much anger and angst, I realized if my career was going to go anywhere, I needed to step out of the shadows and become a Superhero.  I discovered a lot about myself and uncovered a five step process that helped me succeed in my quest for a more rewarding career.   Here are the five steps.

Step 1: Supersize your Strengths
The Sidekick has many strengths and skill. Yet the Sidekick seems to never quite reach her full potential.  To become a Superhero you need to invest at being the best at what they do. You need to invest in maximizing your strengths to become an expert in your role.

Step 2:  Front and Center
The Sidekick is fine with the Superhero taking the lead while backing the Superhero up from the shadows. But face it; you are in the shadows because it is safer there.  To become a Superhero you need to lead from the front and center, initiate the discussion, express your ideas, and take ownership.

Step 3:  Slay the Villain
The Sidekick needs the Superhero at their side to defeat the villain. In the business world the villain can take on many forms, a bully, a tough project, a hard decision but they all boil down to confronting your own fears. To become a Superhero you need to face and defeat the villain.

Step 4:  Create a New Super Powers
 If you are going to supersize your strengths, sit front and center, and slay the villains, you are going to need some new super powers.  No one is going to hand you a magic but you can create super powers. To become a Superhero you need to build new skills to add to your utility belt, learn how your company’s financials work, become a great communicator or master the latest hot technology.

Step 5: Inspire Others
Most importantly the Superhero never does it by themselves they bring their friends with them Buffy and her Scooby gang or Frodo and Fellowship of the Ring.  To become a Superhero inspire others to be great, own your mistakes, be humble grow more Superheroes.

Laying out the steps is easy. Making them real is the hard.

In future blogs I will share more details about each of the 5 steps. I hope you share your experiences as well so we can learn from each other.