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I help executives learn strategies, backed by decades of research, for building your personal power and brand – and leveraging it to ASCEND…
Some of what I teach could make you uncomfortable… I am, in many cases, going to challenge you to re-examine your assumptions of what it takes to be effective and a great leader, and to make bold moves.
How are you spending your time, showing up, interacting with others?
Many of us have bought into the conventional wisdom and prevailing “feel-good” leadership advice, which is well intentioned but misguided – because it is based on how we wish the world to be – not on how it actually works.
Most of us shy away from power and politics, and have an overly rigid definition of who we “authentically” are. And that can hold you back.
The evidence is clear: building power, navigating politics, and managing key stakeholders are the top skills needed to get into the leadership ranks – and then survive and thrive when you are there.
Honing these skills will make you unstoppable in your organization in getting things done -- and put you on the fast-track to promotions, pay raises, and compelling work assignments or job offers, all the way to the C-Suite, if that’s what you want.
I’m so confident about all this because I’ve seen it work…with my executive coaching clients, in the reams of research by eminent psychologists and social science experts over the past several decades, and my own experience.
Prior to becoming an executive coach, I worked for 20 years in senior roles with multinationals in the United States, China, and Europe. I’m a Coach in Stanford Business School Executive Education programs, and a Lecturer at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. I hold an MBA from Stanford Business School.
My articles in Harvard Business Review and Forbes have opened the eyes of thousands of executives to the truth about power and authenticity in today’s workplace.
In other words, I live and breathe this stuff…
I’d like to invite you to find out more about my methods by reading my new book, Get Promoted. You can download a preview chapter for free, just click here.
You can also book a free consultation call with me to figure out how I might be able to help you in your specific situation.
Don’t take my word, hear what my clients say…
I didn’t even know that my thinking was 'wrong'. Working through the power map and the relative importance of the people helped clarify to me that I am looking at it all wrong. I mean, my priorities were all up-side-down. I was haggling over minor things I have no control over and ignoring things I could control. Going over the important people and how they can help me increase my influence was an eye-opener. You have a simple and easy approach to thinking about the issues. The questions you asked, helped me a great deal.
LR, VP of Product and Innovation at a high-growth tech firm
I was in a weak position in my organization, where working remotely was leaving me out of the loop and risking my job. As a result of working with Michael I regained personal confidence and focus. I am now in a much better position in my organization, and my role has more visibility and power. The confidence of my boss in me has dramatically grown and although the situation in the company is less stable, I am not feeling that my job is at risk anymore.
EG, Fintech Executive AT GLOBAL BANK
If we work together, you will benefit from
my 3-Part Power Framework
THE ROCK
Before you can make progress you must accept the hard truth that organizations, even yours, operate on power dynamics... And that you are probably getting in your own way.
THE MAP
To get ahead you need to understand the “lay of the land”…identify and manage key relationships ... and see how power can help you achieve your goals.
THE SNOWBALL
When you take small, strategic and intentional actions to build power and make critical relationships work in your organization, you start to roll “The Snowball” and quickly build momentum.