From the General Sessions: Secrets to Success for Emerging Leaders

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By Robin Farmer

The ability to know yourself, attract and develop talent, while also building organizational relationships are among the strategies for success as an emerging leader.

These keys to success as well as some obstacles and common mistakes emerging leaders face were highlighted by Sylvia Nealy David, MBA, managing principal of Human & Technology Capitol Advisers during the Thursday session of On the Rise! Secrets to Success for Emerging Leaders.

"What do employers want? For you to be able to do the job. Most of us in here have two degrees. That’s almost a requirement," said Nealy David. To advance, there are steps to take and competencies to master. They include:

Know yourself. Understanding your work style, thinking preference, and behavior under pressure will enable you to work on your weaknesses. "It starts with assessing yourself, so you can get to those competencies," she said. "Once you have a baseline, hire a coach to help you change. Attendees may consider the $350 HBDI assessment, which has 120 questions. Locate it at http://careersuccess.nbmbaa./jobseekers/resources. It includes an hour-long consult/debrief.

Acquire and develop talent. Emerging leaders have to be able to walk in and build or fix a team. That includes the ability to evaluate, monitor and adjust.

Build organizational relationships. This is not networking by exchanging business cards and superficial conversation. It is being deliberate "about finding some friends and some champions," says Nealy David. Seek out people who can influence your opportunities now or in the future. Be open to hearing and learning from them and work on developing a close relationship. "Don’t wait until you need something to ask for something," she said. Have a weekly or monthly call list for the network so that you learn their competencies and they learn yours. "That’s how people become your champion," she said.

Drive execution. Know the end-game objectives. Determine your obstacles, be clear about the people, practices, conditions and belief systems in the way of your vision realization.Relentlessly communicate by connecting verbally, in writing and graphically. Align and collaborate.

Some obstacles to expect include unconscious biases and misperceptions about African-Americans and lack of adequate networking and mentoring opportunities. "There are some you don’t even know exist," Nealy David said, adding she had lived in Atlanta for 29 years before she learned about Thirsty Thursday. "It is the most powerful room I have ever walked into."

Common mistakes to avoid include taking before giving and being an opportunistic relationship-builder. "People can feel and see that." Also, don’t forget about delivering results. "Good relationships can’t make up for lack of skills and knowledge," she said.

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