Career Growth Moves That Make You Impossible to Ignore | Career | Presented by MasterClass

Speaker 1 Hey Young Improfiters! Influence isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about being strategic, memorable, and indispensable.

Speaker 1 If you want to grow fast, get noticed, and become indispensable at work, it starts on day one. And it's not just about what you believe, it's about what you do.

Speaker 1 Welcome to a special episode of Young Improfiting, sponsored by Masterclass. Today we're breaking down how to build influence at work from every angle.

Speaker 2 We are meant to exercise the gifts we've been given.

Speaker 3 I believe myself worthy of every opportunity.

Speaker 4 Communication is how you show up to the world. When you open your mouth, that is your brand.

Speaker 5 If I'm around the right people and in the right places, the right time will happen on its own.

Speaker 1 You don't need to wait for permission to be influential. Let's go.

Speaker 1 Do you want to get promoted, close more deals, or be the one that others actually listen to in meetings? Because let's be honest, influence isn't about being the loudest voice in the room.

Speaker 1 It's about being strategic, memorable, and indispensable. Welcome to a special episode of Young Improfiting, sponsored by Masterclass.

Speaker 1 Today we're breaking down how to build influence at work from every angle.

Speaker 1 We'll talk about how to find your role, communicate with confidence, increase your likability, ask for meaningful feedback, strengthen your relationships, promote yourself, and so much more.

Speaker 1 You'll hear powerful insights from top experts like Chris Voss, Kim Scott, Patrick Lincione, Tori Dunlap, and Ken Coleman.

Speaker 1 By the way, Chris Voss and Kim Scott also have classes on Masterclass that you can check out. All right, Yap Bam, the climb starts now.
So let's get it.

Speaker 1 If you want to grow fast, get noticed, and become indispensable at work, it starts on day one. And it's not just about what you believe, it's about what you do.

Speaker 1 Whether you're in sales, operations, or middle management, the most influential employees treat their jobs like a business.

Speaker 1 The ones who act like business owners, who find ways to grow revenue, reduce friction, and solve problems stand out fast.

Speaker 1 Derek Kinney, a financial educator and the host of the Good Money Podcast, gave me some great pointers on how you can become the go-to person that your company can't live without.

Speaker 7 I want to make sure that you are the person to stand out where there's opportunities. When there's a challenge that comes up, they call on you as the go-to person.

Speaker 7 And it's all about a mentality that I think you want to lay the moment you get to the office and say, look, I want to be here long term. I want to think like an entrepreneur.

Speaker 7 How can I help you grow this business?

Speaker 7 And I will tell tell you if an employee says that to me that's gold that is absolute gold because you stand out and we know that that person wants to add more value and they're likely going to be making more money as well And not to mention, when if you work for a small startup, you're setting up yourself to eventually get equity in that company.

Speaker 1 I mean, I can like, I'm looking at my two top employees and they're getting equity in my company because they help me grow the business.

Speaker 1 And when you act like an entrepreneur, even when you're an employee, especially in a startup environment, you open yourself up to those types of opportunities.

Speaker 7 That's exactly right. And I think right now, employees have a very unique opportunity.
So they can choose to stay mentally on this path of, look, I'm just an employee. I show up at the office.

Speaker 7 I do my work and I leave. And you're probably going to get paid exactly what you're getting paid right now, maybe 3% more this year.
Or you can say, you know what? I'm going to go out on faith.

Speaker 7 I'm going to say, take what Hall and Derek talked about. and I'm going to apply these principles and let's just test it.

Speaker 7 There's literally no risk to you to put a list together of here's ways I have found to help grow this business or this part of the company.

Speaker 7 Your odds are going to walk out of that meeting with either an idea for three months from now. If you do these things, you'll get a raise.

Speaker 7 You might get a raise on the spot, but you'll be value to someone who's a team player and someone who wants to help grow this business.

Speaker 7 And that's what people want as a big decommoditizer for employees right now.

Speaker 1 Once you start thinking like an entrepreneur and a true team player, the next step is knowing exactly how you add value. The most successful people don't just take the initiative.

Speaker 1 They align it with their strengths. They know what fuels them and what drains them.
And here's a trap that most high achievers fall into.

Speaker 1 They think that they have to be great at everything, but you don't.

Speaker 1 Patrick Langioni, leadership expert and the founder of the table group, says one of the most powerful mindset shifts is letting go of the need to master it all and instead lean into the work that truly energizes you.

Speaker 2 Sometimes because of the way we're raised,

Speaker 2 we have this desire to achieve. I had this growing up and

Speaker 2 I was actually really good at the things I was I hated.

Speaker 2 The first job I got out of college was a job organized around the very things I liked least. But because I had this achievement mentality, it was like, then I am going to do it.

Speaker 2 And I've come to realize now that I have wounds that i didn't even know were wounds i thought they were my superpowers

Speaker 2 and you know and you're young and you're like i can power through anything and that doesn't mean we're meant to and so as you as you

Speaker 2 understand your geniuses more it'll be nice for you to be able to go i don't have to be good at that yeah you know but for the longest time when i was young i was doing all the things i didn't necessarily like and i said see i'm pretty good at this yeah and so does we have to to get the experiences Absolutely.

Speaker 2 There are certain things in life where we, and in fact, even in any job, every CEO, every leader has to do all of them a little bit.

Speaker 2 But if they over-index on the ones that drain them of energy and they don't give themselves the, the experience of spending a lot of time in their genius,

Speaker 6 it's really bad.

Speaker 9 It's really bad.

Speaker 2 And burnout and really, I think a lot of addiction comes from that, a lot of really difficult things because we are meant to exercise the gifts we've been given.

Speaker 1 When you know your role, when you're operating in your zone of genius, it gives you a huge boost in confidence. You stop second-guessing yourself.
You speak up more. You feel in control.

Speaker 1 But real confidence, it goes deeper than just knowing where you shine. It's about self-worth.
It's about walking into the room and knowing that you belong there, even if nobody's told you that yet.

Speaker 1 Tori Dunlap is the founder of her first 100K, and she's built a global movement around financial power and personal confidence. Tori shared with me where she thinks true confidence really comes from.

Speaker 3 The biggest question, which is very flattering that I get asked other than a financial question, is like, how are you so confident? Or like, how do you build your own confidence?

Speaker 3 I believe myself worthy of every opportunity, of every, every piece of love and belonging. When I walk into a date, it is not, oh my God, is this person going to like me?

Speaker 3 It is, how does this person fit in with my life? Like, I'm not worried about how I'm presenting myself.

Speaker 3 I'm just trying to figure out, like, it does this person is this person worthy of me is this relationship worthy of my time when i walk into a meeting with a client i am wondering how is this person going to see the value and the worth that i offer and if they're not it's not it's not of interest to me so in terms of building confidence financial confidence career confidence relationship confidence it is a self worthiness issue.

Speaker 3 If you believe yourself worthy of love and opportunity and belonging and of every good thing, you will not be shocked when all of that starts happening in your life i have never once questioned if i'm worthy of those things i joke when i walk into a new therapist's office there are many other things we're going to have to talk about but worthiness is not one of them so when you believe yourself worthy of those opportunities you will show up differently in every aspect of your life Confidence doesn't just change how you feel.

Speaker 1 It changes how others see you. Because when you carry yourself like you're valuable, others start to believe it too.

Speaker 1 Stacey Vannick-Smith, a journalist and host of of the podcast Everybody's Business, says that our entire economy runs on stories, especially when it comes to value.

Speaker 1 And if you want to shift how others value you, it starts with the story you tell about yourself.

Speaker 10 All the studies show confidence is probably one of the most powerful things in the workplace, correlated to how happy you are, how much you get paid, how fast you get promoted, how much people like you.

Speaker 10 People like leaders that are more confident, all of these things.

Speaker 10 I think the reason it's so powerful is that value, the value of a person or a worker or the work itself is a story like it's just a story and confidence is a story i mean the reason women get paid less the reason that black women get paid less and black men get paid less is just a story of how much their work is worth which is also part of why it's so painful when you realize you're getting paid less um

Speaker 10 and confidence is also a story and if your story is like i am amazing and everyone's like wow he's amazing i mean there's also like arrogance which is a little different but true confidence is just a deep knowing of self-worth.

Speaker 10 And that is infectious. People believe you.
One big thing you can do is to take action. Confident people act.
People who aren't confident waffle. So speak up in the meeting,

Speaker 10 ask for a raise.

Speaker 1 take action.

Speaker 10 That is something that is very confident.

Speaker 10 Another thing you can do is aim a little higher than what your goal is. So confident people expect a lot for themselves.

Speaker 10 So you can can pretend that you're confident by asking for more than you think you can get as far as resources, money, time off, deadlines, space, like ask for something that feels nuts to you.

Speaker 10 That's a way to fake it till you make it.

Speaker 1 And how about birds of a confident feather?

Speaker 10 The people we hang around influence us a lot. So if you are around someone who's always like, oh, I'm never going to get this.
I would ask for a raise, but I feel like I'm going to get fired.

Speaker 10 That's not great to be around if you're trying to like change your confidence level. You want to be around people who are confident, people who boost your confidence.

Speaker 10 And that can be very helpful too, because you can just sort of, you know, get little tips and also just kind of be in that energy, that confident energy. It's, it's helpful.

Speaker 1 Of course, confidence doesn't mean going it alone. Influence grows faster when people actually enjoy working with you.
And that's where likability comes in.

Speaker 1 When you're likable, people see you as more competent, more approachable, and more valuable. Your ideas get heard, your emails get answered, and your name gets brought up in rooms you're not even in.

Speaker 1 Michelle Tillis-Letterman is a top networking expert and the CEO of Executive Essentials. I asked Michelle why likability is one of the most underrated but most powerful tools for influence.

Speaker 11 When you are likable, you are seen as more credit worthy, more trustworthy. Your ideas are received and acted upon.
So you are listened to, you are more influential.

Speaker 11 You are seen as more innovative because you get credit for the ideas that other people then expand on because of the connection you have with them.

Speaker 11 They receive them, they morph them, they play with them, and then it's like, oh, well, that was Michelle's idea.

Speaker 11 So all of those things about influence, impact, innovation, being listened to.

Speaker 11 Like ability also affects things like promotions and getting the job and getting the sale and getting the referral because All business is relationship business. And we often don't work for a company.

Speaker 11 We work for a person. We don't quit a company.
We quit a person. When we are hiring somebody, when we are thinking about who we want to work with, it is who.

Speaker 11 Because a lot of people can do the same thing. And the differentiator is who that person is.
And do I trust that they'll have my back? Do I trust that they'll step up when I ask for something?

Speaker 1 Another thing that's sort of often confused when it comes to networking and things like that is that like networking is this thing that you do for some ultimate outcome.

Speaker 1 I'm networking because I want to get a job. I'm networking because I want to find a husband, you know, whatever it is.
Why do you think that we need to not have this kind of approach to networking?

Speaker 11 Okay.

Speaker 11 So you saw me like kind of cringe when you said that. I hate the whole networking for need.
And that's why I hate the word, because I just want you to connect.

Speaker 11 I just want you to build relationships, the ones that you want to, because those are the ones that are going to get you where you want to go. And the idea is that it's not strategic.

Speaker 11 And I know we have to be more intentional, but there's a difference between strategic and intentional. I can intentionally put myself in situations to be curious about somebody else, right?

Speaker 11 Law of curiosity is one of the laws of likability to be interested in somebody else.

Speaker 11 But I don't have to be thinking, well, you can't do anything for me. So next.

Speaker 11 If I'm enjoying my conversation with you, that's all that matters because I don't know who you are connected to. I don't know who you went to college with, who your neighbor is.

Speaker 11 Because when real connection happens, those other connections extend more easily. So when it comes to relationship networking, there's three shifts I want people to make.

Speaker 11 The first shift is from talking about business. I always say, please don't get right down to business.

Speaker 11 Right? Everyone has that phrase, let's get right down to business. No, please don't, right?

Speaker 11 Get right down to personal. Get right down to

Speaker 11 the things that you really enjoy talking about because when we connect on what we like to do rather than what we do that's where connection forms because connections are about you know common people places causes values experiences interests and not jobs

Speaker 11 so get away from just talking business talk about anything shift number two is um from short term to long term which is what you were saying all right it it is not about now or need it is about relationship building and having that mindset

Speaker 11 and the third is from it's not about about me. A lot of times when we're out there, it's what do I need and who do I want to connect with?

Speaker 11 But it's not about them either, because that's just, it's about me in reverse.

Speaker 11 It's about the relationship. I call it the dance, right? The exchange.
And how do you add value for both sides?

Speaker 1 So yes, being likable builds trust, but influence doesn't stop there.

Speaker 1 Once people like you, you need to back it up with how you speak, how you carry yourself, and how you handle high-stakes conversations.

Speaker 1 Coming up, we shift from inner belief to outer impact, how to speak, move, and negotiate like somebody who's worth listening to. What's up, Yap Gang?

Speaker 1 I remember back when I was in corporate, I did everything right.

Speaker 1 I worked hard and I poured into my job, but when it came time for a big promotion, the one I've been working towards for years, they gave it to somebody else, somebody less qualified.

Speaker 1 It was painful, but a powerful realization that the hard work alone doesn't guarantee success. You've got to understand the rules of power at work.

Speaker 1 That's why I'm recommending this new series on Masterclass Masterclass called The Power Playbook, How to Win at Work, taught by Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer.

Speaker 1 In his class, he breaks down how top executives really rise to the top and how influence actually works inside organizations.

Speaker 1 You'll learn how to build strategic alliances to move your career forward, communicate with confidence, and position yourself for your next big opportunity.

Speaker 1 This kind of advice is something I wish I had back when I worked in corporate. If you truly want to gain power at work, you need to sign up for this.

Speaker 1 The Power Playbook, How to Win at Work, is available exclusively on Masterclass. Masterclass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes as much as 50% off.

Speaker 1 Head to masterclass.com slash profiting for the current offer. Again, that's 50% off at masterclass.com slash profiting.
Again, that's masterclass.com slash profiting. Welcome back, Yap Gang.

Speaker 1 So far, we've built up your confidence and likability, but now it's time to talk about your delivery. Because here's the deal.

Speaker 1 You can't influence anyone if they don't understand you or worse, they don't remember you. In the business world, verbal communication is everything.

Speaker 1 And according to Yasser Khan, the founder of SpeakLig, a CEO, every interaction you have, whether it's a Zoom call, a pitch, or just a hallway conversation, is a stage.

Speaker 1 And how you show up on that stage determines how people perceive your value.

Speaker 4 When you open your mouth, that is your brand. And you'll be shocked, Hala.
In fact, you probably won't be shocked with the amount of people you talk to.

Speaker 4 How many people are not careful of the words that come out of their mouth?

Speaker 4 Because what you say is what is reflected about your business. So if you knew that, wouldn't you be a lot more careful on what came out of your mouth, what you said, what you wrote?

Speaker 4 That's why just having that finesse on your words, making sure when you're on stage, people remember you is more important than it's ever been.

Speaker 1 Oh my gosh, I think that's so true.

Speaker 1 And aside from speaking on stage, because entrepreneurs, not all of us are really going to be on stage, but there's transferable skills when it comes to public speaking. Can you talk to us about that?

Speaker 4 Yeah, the definition of public speaking isn't just being on stage. It's talking to someone at some time.

Speaker 4 If you are talking to someone, which I imagine if your listeners are listening, they're talking to people, right? Unless they're locked in a basement somewhere, you are going to do public speaking.

Speaker 4 And every single time you do that, you are representing yourself and your brand. What do you want people to interpret about you? How do you want them to perceive you?

Speaker 4 How do you want them to perceive your company? All of that is public speaking. So you want to treat the stage as your entire life.
Every single place you go, you're performing.

Speaker 4 So wouldn't you want to put up the best performance wherever you go?

Speaker 9 I think the answer is totally.

Speaker 1 Now showing up with presence is step one, but speaking with impact, that doesn't mean winging it. It means prepping like a pro.
There's a real science behind things like small talk and networking.

Speaker 1 Matt Abrahams teaches strategic communication at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, and he shared how even the most spontaneous sounding conversations are built on preparation and how you can actually train for these high impact moments.

Speaker 13 When you're networking, just like when you're interviewing, first and foremost, you should be thinking about who are the people that are in the space or in the room or on the Zoom that you're connecting with.

Speaker 13 So do some research, reconnaissance, and reflection about who the people are that you might be speaking to, because that will help you focus your content.

Speaker 13 Second, come up with themes that you want to get across. So, in a networking environment, what are some key ideas I want to get across and share? And you can plan those in advance, whatever those are.

Speaker 13 You may want to share your opinions, or you have strong opinions on AI or something going on in the news. That's your theme.
And then stockpile some specific support for those themes.

Speaker 13 Maybe it's a story you have, maybe it's some data you heard about.

Speaker 13 Think of it this way: you know, if you ever see a restaurant's kitchen and everybody's cooking fast and furious during a high peak time at the restaurant, they have everything prepared in advance.

Speaker 13 Everything's pre-chopped, pre-sautéed. So they're just assembling.
You can do the same thing. Think about these themes and then think about these different types of support for those themes.

Speaker 13 So, when I'm in the networking situation, and somebody brings up a point, I could say, I can connect that point to this theme I wanted to get across, and I can pull in this example.

Speaker 13 So, you've taken the pressure off of yourself to be to originate in the moment, and instead, you're just connecting and building, and that can actually help you feel better.

Speaker 13 And it allows you to be more agile and spontaneous. And then, when it comes to small talk directly, start with questions or observations.

Speaker 13 Ask somebody a question or observe something that's happening in the environment. Just comment on it.
I made a great good friend simply by standing in line at a conference. I didn't know anybody.

Speaker 13 I looked around and I noticed lots of people were dressed in blue. It wasn't a uniform.
It just happened to be coincidence. I turned to the guy.
I said, I didn't get the memo on wearing blue.

Speaker 13 He looked around and said, you're right. Everybody's wearing blue.
Started a great conversation. We've now become friends.
When I travel to where he lives, I visit him all the time.

Speaker 13 It started simply with an observation.

Speaker 1 Of course, it's not just about what you say in these types of conversations. It's how you show up while saying it.

Speaker 1 Your body language, your vocal tone, your presence, those little intangibles can make a big difference in how your message lands.

Speaker 1 Here's Matt Abrahams again, breaking down the subtle signals that can make you look more confident, sound more credible, and leave a stronger impression.

Speaker 13 I think one of the things we did not talk about that is important for us to think about is not just what you say, but how you say it.

Speaker 13 We need to be thinking about our body and our voices when we communicate. So it's not just feeling comfortable and confident speaking in the moment.
It is appearing comfortable and confident.

Speaker 13 So let me share just a couple bits of advice about what we can do with our body. and our voices.
First and foremost, you want to be big.

Speaker 13 Many of us, when we get nervous or are feeling threatened, we make ourselves small. So the best thing you can do is take your shoulder blades and just pull them down.
Make yourself broad.

Speaker 13 I'm not pushing my elbows back. I'm not puffing my chest out.
I just pull my shoulder blades down and I make myself look bigger.

Speaker 9 You look more confident.

Speaker 13 You want to hold your head straight and not tilted. So we don't want to be, I'm not saying be stiff and rigid.
Just make yourself big. When you speak, vary your voice.

Speaker 13 If I were to have spoken like this for this entire interview, people would have left a long time ago. Our brains are wild for novelty, things that change.
So add emotive words.

Speaker 13 If you are somebody who doesn't have a lot of variation, add adjectives and adverbs. So I would never say, I'm really excited to be here.

Speaker 4 No, I'd say I'm really excited.

Speaker 13 So emphasize those words. So the one thing we didn't talk about is how you say what you say.
And we need to remember that.

Speaker 13 And the single easiest way to work on this is to record yourself, either through voice memo or through video.

Speaker 13 It's really easy to do that these days and watch. It's painful to watch yourself, but when you do, you'll see these things that work for you and things that you might want to change.

Speaker 13 All of my MBA students I teach, whenever they do a presentation, I make them watch themselves without listening to it.

Speaker 13 And then I make them listen to themselves without watching it and then do both together. And while they hate it, they love it because they learn so much and they actually are able to change.

Speaker 1 So you've got the presence, you've got the body language. But when the stakes are high, sometimes the most powerful way to influence isn't by saying more.
It's by flipping the script.

Speaker 1 Great communicators know how to shift the dynamic. And what's one of the most effective ways to do that? It's by asking the right questions, specifically what and how questions.

Speaker 1 They get people to think, reflect, and even persuade themselves while giving them the illusion of control.

Speaker 1 I learned this from Chris Voss, the CEO of the Black Swan Group and a former FBI hostage negotiator.

Speaker 1 He knows how to guide high-pressure conversations, and he shared this powerful framework for leading without forcing.

Speaker 14 People love to be asked what to do. People love to be asked how to do something.

Speaker 14 You know,

Speaker 14 you give them the illusion of control when you ask those questions. And, you know, control, negotiation is not about control.

Speaker 14 To guide someone, what in crisis intervention they call guided discovery. That's not control.
It's giving the other side a lot of latitude. But you kind of frame

Speaker 14 things

Speaker 14 with a what or how question.

Speaker 14 And the other side doesn't feel framed. They feel

Speaker 14 they were just asked what to do or how to do it. I mean, they feel in control.
So it's given the other side the illusion of control. It's usually through a what or a how question.

Speaker 1 Could you give us an example?

Speaker 14 Well, you know, the famous, how am I supposed to do that?

Speaker 14 as a way to say no.

Speaker 14 The other side doesn't feel attacked.

Speaker 14 What it really is, is if you can't do something, because the implementation is really difficult,

Speaker 14 you say, How am I supposed to do that? Or you might say it three times, how am I supposed to do that?

Speaker 14 Or you might say it a third time, how am I supposed to do that?

Speaker 14 Each one of those questions

Speaker 14 makes the other side think about the complexity of the problems,

Speaker 14 but they don't know that you made them think about it. They feel in control.

Speaker 14 They feel like you're asking for help.

Speaker 14 And, you know, that's kind of the, that's the way you get it started.

Speaker 1 Chris Voss just showed us how powerful it is to guide a conversation with the right question. But sometimes the hardest questions are the ones you ask about yourself.

Speaker 1 The most respected professionals aren't afraid of feedback. They go after it, not because it's comfortable, but because they know it's the fastest way they can grow.

Speaker 1 If you want more influence, you need to get really good at hearing the hard stuff and doing something with it.

Speaker 1 Kim Scott is the best-selling best-selling author of Radical Candor and the co-founder of the company by the same name.

Speaker 1 She shared her playbook for how to solicit honest feedback, handle it like a pro, and build a stronger relationship with your boss in the process.

Speaker 15 So how can you make sure that you can receive, that you can get feedback that is actionable from your boss?

Speaker 15 Again, there's an order of operations. You want to start by soliciting it.
and really drawing it out

Speaker 15 of your boss. Sort of think about your go-to question.

Speaker 15 Think about how you're going to embrace the discomfort, like sit with the silence. Think about how you're going to prepare yourself to listen with the intent to understand, not to respond.

Speaker 15 And then you got to reward the candor by either fixing the problem or explaining why you disagree. That last thing is pretty tough.
But this is about radical candor.

Speaker 15 Don't pretend to agree when you disagree.

Speaker 1 Oh, that's that's so interesting.

Speaker 1 So you're saying there's a point in this conversation where you can kind of be like, Well, I appreciate your feedback, even though I requested it, but I don't necessarily agree.

Speaker 15 Yes, because if you can't do that, then you get wedged, right? You ask for the feedback, you disagree with it, and you're like,

Speaker 15 you know, and that's often why people fail to solicit feedback because to avoid that awkward situation. So, what do you do if you disagree with your boss's feedback?

Speaker 15 Look for that five or ten percent of what your boss said that you can agree with and give voice to that. And then say, as for the rest of that, let me, can I think about it and process it?

Speaker 15 And then can we have another conversation? And then you've got to get back to them. Some of my best professional relationships started with a good, respectful disagreement.

Speaker 15 And you can't argue endlessly. You can say, look,

Speaker 15 before you disagree, say, look, I will do it your way.

Speaker 15 But I want to explain to you why I have some questions about this way. So you want to make sure that you're communicating your willingness to listen, challenge, commit.

Speaker 15 But don't skip that challenge part because it's when you challenge that you give your boss the opportunity to explain to you why you may be wrong.

Speaker 1 Welcoming feedback doesn't mean you're weak. It makes you trustworthy.
And trust is the currency of influence. But here's the thing.

Speaker 1 Sometimes no amount of self-improvement can fix a broken environment. The real power move is knowing when it's time to walk away.

Speaker 1 If the culture is toxic, if you're not being developed, or if you're constantly overlooked, it might not be you. You could be doing all the right things, but just in the wrong place.

Speaker 1 Tim Sallow, also known as Mr. Future of Work, faced that exact situation during his time at Microsoft.
And instead of staying silent, he chose to speak up.

Speaker 12 So for me, you know, while I was working with Microsoft and I was working in a culture like that where, you know, I saw upfront the fact that someone toxic was hurting the culture.

Speaker 12 I remember that I went into my boss's, literally his office one day. He had white walls.
He was sitting in front of his desk on a Windows computer and literally he turns at me as I walk in.

Speaker 12 I sit on a brown chair and he's looking at me with a brown shirt and black glasses. And I look at him straight in his face and I tell him, look,

Speaker 12 I'm not happy here. I don't feel like you're doing enough to grow me.

Speaker 12 And although I was killing it, my teammates loved me. me, I was good for the culture, I just didn't feel as if I was being developed.

Speaker 12 And he looks me dead in my eyes and he says, It's not my job to grow you, it's not my job to coach you, and all of that.

Speaker 12 And then that's when I realized, you know, great manager, but an awful leader, right? He's great at delegating work, getting work done, making sure milestones are met, but he's not a leader.

Speaker 12 And for me, I felt as if I deserved better because I was a leader, right? And I, and I, and I carried myself in high stature.

Speaker 12 And I think that a lot of people need to run away from these environments that

Speaker 12 are toxic like that, right? Like a lot of people often they stay in environments where they're not wanted and they don't feel wanted and it's killing them.

Speaker 12 I've had friends in my life in environments like that. They're like, I'm tired of my corporate job.
And it's like, I encourage them, well, do something about it, right?

Speaker 12 If you have enough saved, if you feel as if you have an opportunity, you can create another opportunity, you're talented, why not seek something else?

Speaker 12 Why do you feel as if you have to relegate yourself to only working with this one employer? And as we mentioned earlier, you know, that's really risky nowadays, right?

Speaker 12 Because we were relying on just one revenue stream.

Speaker 1 Knowing when to leave a toxic environment is powerful, but knowing where to go next, that's even more valuable. It reminds me of another great insight from Jeffrey Pfeffer in the Power Playbook.

Speaker 1 He says, if you want power, you need to stay close to it. If senior leadership is in the office, be in that office.
In short, if you want bigger opportunity, proximity matters.

Speaker 1 You need to be around people doing what you want to do and in the places where they're doing it.

Speaker 1 Ken Coleman is a career expert and the host of the Ken Coleman Show, and he calls this very idea the proximity principle.

Speaker 5 We'll start with what the principle is and then what it does. The principle says this, in order to do what I want to do, you can fill in the blank there.

Speaker 5 I've got to be around people that are doing it and in places where it is happening. Young Holla did this.
She thought she wanted to be a singer. So what did she do?

Speaker 5 She went to the place where they were playing all the songs. And it was a brilliant move, right? Now, your idea changed.
But again, what's interesting is that you've also could have used the radio as

Speaker 5 that idea of this is the right place. So the proximity principle is about people and places.
The right people plus the right places equals opportunity.

Speaker 5 In other words, if you're constantly getting around the right people, people that are in the space that you want to be in or similar to the space that you think you want to be in, that proximity is just there.

Speaker 5 And I think your life is actually a wonderful example of this. And you talked about it earlier.
Because you were in proximity, you pointed it out. It wasn't that big of a departure.

Speaker 5 You are, in fact, a performer. You're a top-notch performer.
You may only sing for friends and family now, which, by the way, I'd love to hear you sing.

Speaker 6 I think your audience would too.

Speaker 5 There might need to be a single coming out later. But anyway,

Speaker 5 that's my ADHD flaring up.

Speaker 5 But I think that the issue here is if I understand that being around the right people

Speaker 5 is going to allow me to meet more of the right people.

Speaker 5 Being around the right people, they're going to point me to the right places. I go to the right places.
I see, I learn, I observe. Oh, by the way, I connect with more of the right people over here.

Speaker 5 And so what you've got is if I were going to draw it up, it would be an arrow here, an arrow here, and we'd have the right people in the right places.

Speaker 5 And it becomes this cyclical process of learning, doing,

Speaker 5 and connecting. That's what it spits spits out.
And

Speaker 5 that formula equals opportunity to where, if you do it right, Holla, people will knock on your door.

Speaker 5 In fact, some of the coolest experiences I got in my career where I got huge opportunities were because of proximity. I was the second option, but they needed another option.

Speaker 5 But the only reason they thought of me is because I was in the orbit, if you will. So in order to do what I want to do, I got to be around people that are doing it in places where it is happening.

Speaker 5 In other words, if I'm around the right people and in the right places, the right time will happen on its own.

Speaker 1 All right, Yap Bam, you've made the move. You're in the right room, surrounded by the right people.
But here's the final piece of the puzzle.

Speaker 1 Once you're there, make sure they know what you're all about. Because if you don't speak up for your value, who will? Julie Solomon is a business coach and the host of the Influencer Podcast.

Speaker 1 She calls this idea B-Y-O-P, be your own publicist, and talks about the importance of promoting your worth with authority.

Speaker 16 If you're not going to teach your own horn, who is? You know, it really does have to begin with you. It has to begin with you advocating for yourself, saying what you want,

Speaker 16 saying what you want, saying what you need, meaning what you say with clarity, with confidence, with security, getting really clear about what is it that I want and being able to advocate for that.

Speaker 16 And I think that it... from my experience, not only just being a publicist, but just through my own journey, it has to begin with you.

Speaker 16 You know, most of

Speaker 16 most publicists that I know, it's like they can't even really do much for somebody if someone hasn't laid that foundation first for themselves and have really learned, especially in this day and age, Holla, like how to brand themselves, how to speak for themselves, how to be clear about their messaging, how to be clear about their marketing, and how to promote themselves.

Speaker 16 And so, that's really, I think, the important piece. And if anyone's having

Speaker 16 any trouble with that, I would just encourage you to ask yourself: you you know, why are you so afraid to be seen? You can't hide yourself and expect to be seen.

Speaker 16 So, you know, why are you so afraid to give yourself that gift of shining and see where that leads you?

Speaker 1 I love that. Julie's right.
If you want to shine, you have to stop hiding. The power to be seen starts when you decide you're worth looking at.
You don't need to wait for permission to be influential.

Speaker 1 Start acting like a leader, speak like one, connect like one. Influence is built in the small daily moments when you listen well, show up fully, and own your value.

Speaker 1 So go claim your seat at the table and don't forget to sit tall and speak up because the room listens to those who believe they deserve to be heard.