
Cull or cultivate? Protecting your entry-level leadership pipeline
Protect your pipeline: actionable steps to develop leaders from entry-level roles as AI transforms junior work tasks....

Published December 4, 2024 in Brain Circuits • 3 min read
Often, we don’t recognize our strengths and values as special. To help find your true value, ask those around you what they’ve noticed that you do well that you perhaps haven’t noticed yourself and weave this into your CV and interview responses. Then you don’t need to say, “I believe in excellence” – you’ll stand out as you leave people in no doubt that this is your North Star.
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Go beyond simply researching a company before applying for a job and think deeply about what the company really wants. Understand its values and where they align with yours and map your value onto its needs. And think about what your interviewer can gain from employing you – you will be a much more attractive candidate.
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When we communicate, we tend to talk about our value last of all. It’s easy to assume it’s obvious to the other person – but it rarely is. Instead, lead with your value and give the evidence to back this up.
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Storytelling is far more impactful than reeling off a list of facts and is a more natural way to weave (or whisper) your value into your content and conversations. Use stories to build your personal brand while networking on your social media, in your motivational letter, and in the interview itself. It’s a powerful way to personalize your experience and views and seem friendly and relatable.
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Build your personal brand by ensuring that your words and actions consistently demonstrate your true value. To make this simple, think about how you want to be remembered by others and reduce it to three guiding words. Then, before any meeting, networking event, or social media update, remind yourself of these words to stay consistent with them. People will soon start to associate them with you because it’s what they experience in every interaction.
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If you’re not confident walking into a room of strangers and tend to avoid networking events, reframe your understanding of networking. Create a vision of what a strong network could do for you – it’s one of the best assets you can have, and you never know what opportunities it will bring.
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To attract your dream career, know your value, believe in it, consciously whisper it through everything you do, and you’ll stand out and attract the right people and opportunities.

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