Jo Miller quotes: on leading, standing out, maximizing your energy, and more.
“Have clear career goals. You must have clarity about your career goals.”
“We are often so focused on trying to fix our weaknesses that we neglect to nurture our strengths.”
“Amplify the accomplishments that align with your aspirations.”
“Before you start climbing the career ladder, it’s key to ask yourself, ‘Is my ladder propped against the right building?’ What I mean is this: Your career plan needs to be about more than just getting into the next job, and the next one after that. Sustainable, long-term advancement comes more easily when you start out on the right trajectory. Instead of committing yourself to simply ‘getting ahead,’ do some self-reflection and identify a career ‘sweet spot,’ or niche—then pursue that.”
“Establish your personal vision, values, and goals, because if you have those, you know where you want to go. It helps you see when there are opportunities that fit in with that vision. It keeps you from going on a path that is not consistent with what you believe in.”
“Sharell Sandvoss of Europe of Brown-Forman Beverages, suggests, ‘Know your passion and evaluate how it fits with your role, your company and the strategy of the company.'”
“Ask yourself: What could you be doing more of in your career that aligns with your values, passions, and strengths? Is there something you’re great at—something you could do in your own leadership style? Is it possible to maneuver into a role or career path that combines all of that, while delivering a highly valued service to your company or industry that will make you a sought-after resource?”
“If so, that’s your niche. And it’s what’s likely to make you happier in your career than anything else. So before you take your next step up the corporate ladder, make sure it’s in the direction of your sweet spot!”
“Don’t be the best-kept secret in your organization. Once you achieve something noteworthy, make your achievements visible.”
“Connect the dots from your leadership strengths to work that ignites your passions and fills a gap within your organization.”
“Spruce up the delivery of your elevator pitch by using language that focuses on strong leadership verbs to send a powerful, forward-focused message.”
“Don’t become indispensable for doing work that hides your potential.”
“Being indispensable in your current job won’t move your career forward.”
“When you emulate someone else’s style you cancel out your own. You feel like an imposter, and that’s no way to lead boldly and effectively.”
“Standing out is easier than you think. You don’t have to be brilliant or lucky to stake your claim to professional fame.”
“Do less. Lead more. And become the powerhouse leader you were meant to be.”
“Connect before you collaborate. Listen before you lead. Partner before you persuade.”
“The assignments you say no to can be as career-defining as the ones you accept.”
“Don’t fall for the myth that your work speaks for itself.”
“Don’t just kick open doors. Hold them open and invite others to step through.”
“As you become more empowered, look for opportunities to empower others.”
“By investing in others, you in turn honor those who invested in you.”
“To be a consistently high-performer, you have to manage your energy, not your time.”
“If you typically manage your time—say, by creating to-do lists, prioritizing tasks, and scheduling dedicated time for each of those activities—you know how easy it is to get derailed in the course of an ordinary business day. A single email or conversation can break your focus or completely rearrange your priorities.”
“By managing your energy, you can bring your best performance to whatever activity that comes up, whether it’s being 100% present in conversations, contributing creative ideas in a meeting, or fully focusing on a critical task. You can achieve results that are far superior to the incremental gains you might get from time management techniques.”
“Think about the times when you’re most able to listen, be fully present, and energize others. Build more of those interactions into your day, and you’ll find that your performance gets a boost, too.”
“In short, managing your energy means being authentic at work and encouraging others to do the same. Discover and play to your signature strengths, make room for your team to play to theirs, and as a result, you’ll be able to unleash greater performance as a team.”
“You don’t need a title to be a leader or to accomplish amazing things. See yourself as a leader, now, without changing who you are.”
“When people see the leader in you, don’t let them down. Trust what they see, and learn to see the leader in yourself.”
“Stepping up as a leader can feel risky. The relationships you invest in and the people you bring along with you are your safety net.”
“When I think about the qualities I admire most in leaders, three words come to mind. They are: responsibility, accountability and decisiveness.”
“Leadership is not about doing more. It’s about switching from doing to leading.”
“Leaders don’t sit around and complain about what’s wrong. They drive solutions. They figure out how to make it right.”
“Leaders don’t set out to climb the ladder; they rise by lifting others up.”
“You don’t see leaders bragging about their success. They talk about their team and their team’s contributions. And if they feel really good about themselves, they do it at home or with a close friend but not publicly. A leader will apologize and take accountability for their actions.”
“Learn to inspire and motivate as opposed to dictate. At the end of the day, good leaders often don’t do the work but they make you feel like they did.”
“I’ve spent over two decades helping women develop their leadership skills. Along the way, I’ve seen how easy it is to get bogged down on the path to realizing our leadership potential. I frequently watch women be unaware of how much they already are a leader. Their internal monologue whispers, ‘But I’m not a leader yet,’ when in fact they have bucketloads of leadership ability.”
“Claiming your value starts with understanding where your power comes from, and one of the best things you can do for your self-development is to identify all of the ways in which you are already a leader.”
“Developing as a leader is not about changing yourself. It’s about becoming yourself.”
“Think of these key attributes as a platform from which you can lead, rise, and thrive—without selling out your soul. As you learn and grow, stay anchored in these strengths, and what you can uniquely contribute as a leader. Give yourself permission to show up as you are and grow from there.”
“From this point forward, the tasks you let go of will define you more as a leader than what you take on.”
“Feedback, if you’re willing to hear it and even if it stings at first, can be one of the most powerful engines behind your development as a leader.”
“When I decided to not hold onto stuff too tightly, but instead to share it out in the world, that changed everything. I think if you’re trying to build a presence on social media and put yourself out there as an expert, you’ve got to show your expertise. Otherwise, how will people know? How will they discern whether you’re truly an expert with something of value if you’re holding onto your intellectual property too tightly?”
“What are some of the best questions to ask a mentor? To maximize the benefits of the relationship, come prepared to every conversation. It’s a way to show appreciation for your mentor and their time and commitment to you. Ultimately, both of you should leave every conversation feeling like it was time well spent. All it takes is a few minutes of thoughtful preparation.”
“Before every meeting with your mentor, prepare one question from each of these categories: stories, situations, self-awareness, and skill building. By preparing thoughtfully for each mentoring session, you’ll avoid the awkwardness of feeling like you’re wasting your mentor’s time, and it guarantees that the mentoring relationship can continue to be gratifying for both of you for many years to come.”
“Mentors help you ‘skill up,’ whereas sponsors help you move up. Having the support of a sponsor is like having a safety net, allowing you to confidently take risks like asking for a stretch assignment or a promotion.”
“Perform. Great performance must come first. You can’t expect a sponsor to advocate for you and put his or her own reputation on the line to speak up on your behalf if you’re not going above and beyond in your role.”
“A positive mood lifts your brain’s dopamine levels, resulting in improved cognitive performance. So, build a mood-lifter into your commute, whether it’s listening to music, calling a friend for a virtual coffee chat, watching an uplifting TED Talk, or catching a highlight from your favorite late-night show, and enjoy the resulting boost in brainpower as you arrive at your desk.”
“Tailor your goals and how you achieve them to suit the style that best motivates you. Once you’ve found your personal formula for self-motivation and rejuvenation, you’ll be better prepared to pay it forward and go beyond being a solo star performer who motivates only him or herself. Now you can begin lifting up others as you climb.”
“If you want to attract meaningful, fulfilling work that challenges you and fits your strengths, take control of your personal brand. It’s the first step to creating a rewarding career.”
