TC&MN #17 Elevate your tech career: 5 unexpected executive skills that can set you apart from your peers

Redefine Your Tech Career: 5 Executive Skills That Schools Don't Teach

Unlock the full potential of your tech career with skills you won't find in a classroom.

Many essential skills you need for leadership are not taught in the school.

Today, I am exploring five crucial executive skills for tech professionals that are not typically taught in traditional education. These skills can significantly accelerate your career progression in the tech industry, and building them can also avoid burnout.

By learning these 5 skills you can protect your health and grow your career.

The Gap in Traditional Education

Traditional education often focuses on technical and theoretical knowledge, overlooking the practical executive skills needed to manage daily life.

Imagine being equipped with skills that complement your technical expertise and elevate your professional demeanor and strategic thinking. These skills fill the gap between technical know-how and executive excellence, which is crucial for navigating the complex tech industry landscape.

You may ask: "Aren't my technical skills enough to succeed, and I can figure out the rest as I go? "

While technical skills are foundational, executive skills are the catalysts for career acceleration. If you leave learning them to chance, you can lose career momentum and make easily avoidable mistakes. These skills are essential for effective leadership, time management, and personal development.

Without understanding the basics, you will struggle with execution as your team size and responsibility grows.

The Five Transformative Executive Skills

1. Setting Healthy Boundaries: Prioritize and protect your personal and professional time to increase productivity and well-being.

2. Managing Up: Develop strong relationships with superiors to align your career trajectory with company goals.

3. Calendar/Time Blocking: Master the art of strategic scheduling to balance workload and personal commitments.

4. Start-Up/Shutdown Rituals: Create effective rituals to transition into and out of work mode, enhancing focus and reducing stress.

5. Unplugging Regularly: Regularly detach from work to prevent burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

The Impact of Integrating These Skills

All of these skills have reshaped my approach to work and leadership.

When I start a role, I immediately block out my calendar with times when I am not available because of family dinners and personal health time. As I onboard with my new manager, I will start understanding their needs and sharing what I need to be set up for success.

  Blocking time for what I need to accomplish during the day sets my time for work and prevents my day from being owned by someone else.

My routines are my bookends, preparing me for what is to come and helping me shut down. When I unplug regularly, I am able to come back recharged and ready to work.

 These skills are not just career-enhancers; they're life-changers.

Creating and using these skills will help you move from chaos to order, from hanging on day by day to driving your days and, ultimately, your career. Each skill supports the other in creating space to work and margin to breathe.

A New Career Paradigm

Embrace and cultivate these skills to stand out as a tech professional.

These skills bridge the gap between technical proficiency and executive excellence.

•   Setting Healthy Boundaries: Work-life integration 

•   Managing Up: Strategic Career Alignment

•   Calendar/Time Blocking: Mastering your schedule

•   Start-Up/Shutdown Routine: Enhanced focus

•   Unplugging Regularly: Sustainable career growth

Start applying these skills today to witness a remarkable transformation in your tech career journey. 

As always, thank you for tuning in and reading.

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Hit reply and let me know what resonated with you, or if you have any questions.

I'm here to help you navigate this exciting journey.

See you next week!

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045 🎙️ Five Essential Executive Skills in Tech Not Taught in School

I’ll never forget my first year as a Director in a tech company.

It was a challenging transition, navigating uncharted territory in a corporate world. My mentor offered no playbook, saying, “Executive skills aren’t always taught; you need to learn on the job.”

Over the next two years, I transformed from a struggling newbie to a confident leader. Hear how 👇.

Tech IPO Comeback in 2024?

2024 could see a resurgence of tech IPOs following two years of little activity.

2022 was a brutal year for IPOs, and 2023 was worse, with only 148 companies completing IPOs. This slump is attributed to factors like high-interest rates and slowing sales. However, the outlook for 2024 appears brighter.

What is different in 2024?

Firstly, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates two to three times this year, making it more attractive for companies to go public.

Secondly, 2024, an election year, is seen as positive for the overall economy.

Finally, several promising tech startups with solid financial metrics have been waiting for the right conditions to launch their IPOs.

2024 may begin a comeback cycle for tech IPOs, assuming interest rates go down and the economic climate remains favorable.

Here are a few articles to check out:

Constellation Research - Potential Tech IPO Companies 2024

Access IPOs - 60+ Startups in the IPO Pipeline

Upcoming IPOs: 11 Hottest Listings to Watch Out for in 2024

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Disclaimer: This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Always consult with qualified professionals before making any decisions based on the information provided.