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Professional Presence Makes the Difference!
No one is born knowing anything. We maintain that once we know ‘the difference’ we can make a difference for mankind. We encourage leaders to consider using nuances evident in everyday business situations and leverage them as stand-alone opportunities to show they know ‘the difference,’ while demonstrating the ultimate respect toward others. Trust is ultimately inspired, critical business relationships blossom, careers advance.
Interpersonal communication skills are central to the fabric of our society and quickly becoming a lost art. In today’s fast-paced frenetic world, timeless people skills are not being taught and as a result, next generation leaders are massively disadvantaged. The reason we wrote How to Stand Apart @ Work is because we acknowledge the opportunity at hand to restore the valuable people skills necessary to succeed in our global business climate today.
The little things get noticed – and others particularly notice when they are missing. These little things have the power to make or break relationships because they (or their absence) can make others feel exceedingly special (or slighted) which is (either) a fabulous (or poor) reflection on you. An effective leader is able to motivate others by demonstrating respectful gestures and using basic people skills. In so doing, important tasks are accomplished and everyone gets elevated, recognized, energized!
The way we conduct ourselves every day, and the way we treat others, is noticed and judged. When we demonstrate more respect, listen more attentively, communicate more effectively, we are more resilient and flexible in a world where others notice. While we may live in the moment we must not lose sight of the fact that in order to be fully effective we need to be fully present in the moment with other people.
Imagine combining the brilliant technological advances of today with timeless people skills, and consider the potential of future generations. The qualities of a true leader revolve around hallmarks of respect and consideration. Whether you are entering, re-entering or transitioning in the world of business or, just want to get ahead, consider specific ways to achieve leadership distinction through nuances. And, despite today’s extremely competitive global business climate, it is actually easier than ever to stand apart, simply by practicing these small nuances because so few people do these days!
The fact is, interpersonal communication skills are intrinsic in business and are the spark to ignite business relationships, yet ironically few teach these people skills, and they are not found in any textbook. Moreover, the chances of landing our dream job with the firm of our choice through an Internet website or an ad in the local community newspaper are remote. Most agree that the way we identify and land the position we really want is through other people we know. Leaders should be acutely aware of the opportunity at hand to use finely-tuned people skills to cultivate interpersonal relationships, reignite and expand our network of connections, and fortify our business lifelines.
America’s future leaders should embrace every opportunity to personally connect, further cultivate and reignite critical interpersonal relationships to better navigate the business landscape. By demonstrating respect toward others, professionals at all levels automatically earn respect, lead more effectively, motivate others to get the job done and advance in their careers.
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About the Author
Judith Bowman’s career has been highlighted and advanced through proper business etiquette and international protocol. After working for twenty years in the sales and marketing industries, she founded her consulting business, Protocol Consultants International, in 1992. Bowman’s expertise was further recognized when she was asked by the Eagle Tribune Publishing Company to author a weekly etiquette column for ten years, and when she was honored to host a weekly television segment on New England Cable news for four years. Her work has also been featured in Forbes, CFO, Newsweek, CNN Everyday Money, Business Week, The Boston Business Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and The Boston Herald.
John Hamm is one of the top leadership experts in Silicon Valley. He was named one of the country’s Top 100 venture capitalists in 2009 by AlwaysOn and has led investments in many successful high-growth companies as a partner at several Bay Area VC firms. Hamm has also been a CEO, a board member at over thirty companies, and a CEO adviser and executive coach to senior leaders at companies such as Documentum, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, TaylorMade-adidas Golf and McAfee. John teaches leadership at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. To read John Hamm’s full biography, 
StrategyDriven Leadership Conversations focus on the values and behaviors characteristic of highly effective leaders. Complimenting the StrategyDriven Management & Leadership articles, these conversations examine the real world challenges managers face every day that are not easily solved with a new or redesigned process and instead demand the application of soft leadership skills to achieve a positive outcome.
Complimenting the outstanding insights Frank shares in this edition of the StrategyDriven Leadership Conversation podcast are those he shared in a three-part series on Employee Retention:
Frank McIntosh is author of 
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