Conrad P. Nguyen’s Post

This story has a happy ending: Samira Manfon was in such a low place that getting out of bed was a struggle. Talking was a struggle. She’d just lost out on a promotion and it crushed her confidence. She almost didn’t apply to our career accelerator. But we’re so glad she did because she blew us away with her courage and insight! I remember thinking, “she’s exactly who we had in mind when we created the program.” The vote was unanimous. Samira was admitted into the program with flying colors. She showed up every week and put her full heart into supporting her peers. And a few months after graduation, she got a promotion. Samira, we’re so proud of your perseverance, leadership, and excellence. Congratulations on your well-deserved promotion! ********* Fix The Broken Rung’s goal is to help one million women of color achieve promotions. Check out our upcoming Promotion Strategy Master Class to learn the step-by-step playbook Samira used to level up. Link in the comments.

This past Friday evening, Augustana College Quad-Cities alumni had the opportunity to gather for the "Winter in the Q-Cs" event at the beautiful Figge Art Museum. It was a lovely evening and I enjoyed talking with many alumni, friends and Augustana parents who were in attendance. I also enjoyed the opportunity to present a special preliminary session on the topic of, "How to Have a Courageous Conversation." We had a great group of participants that encompassed alumni from across the decades and career spectrum including clergy, physicians and healthcare professionals, local media leaders and many more. I appreciated the robust participation and there were lots of great questions! In a nutshell, here are a few highlights to enable parties to have a successful courageous conversation: ♦ REQUEST A CONVERSATION: Request a meeting, set a time and (neutral) location away from distractions and removed from volatile, "in the moment" emotions associated with the issue ♦ SET A POSITIVE TONE: To initiate the conversation: thank the other party (ies) for taking the time to have the conversation and reassure them that you feel confident that you will be able to reach a win-win solution ♦ SET YOUR INTENTIONS: Clearly state what you are hoping to get out of your time together (and check in with each other at the end of the meeting that you and the other parties accomplished what you had hoped) ♦ DO ADVANCE RESEARCH: Whether it involves asking for a raise, promotion, more resources, or consideration of an organizational initiative or resolving a conflict, it is important to do thorough research to allow you to build your problem solving on ASSERTIONS (facts) vs ASSESSMENTS (personal view) ♦ PREPARE A MEETING AGENDA: To help you stay on point ♦ USE a "P.R.O" FRAMEWORK: In your conversation, establish your PROPOSAL, articulate your RATIONALE (based on research/facts) and offer OPTIONS ♦ CHECK-IN: At the meeting close, agree on check-in points to ensure that what you agreed upon is in fact happening #careerconversations #leadershipdevelopment #careersuccess Karen M. Petersen Krista Rittenhouse Colbie Andes Brinton Vincent Kelly Noack Evan Sammons John Glimco Jon Enslin Erin Williams Hannah Sundwall Ann Pedersen, CPA, CMA, MBA Helen B. Angie Sharp Karen Dahlstrom

'Breakthrough' from the perspective of Claire Camara (She/Her) FCIPD \(Chartered Fellow\), our Global Chief People Officer. 👩🏿🤝🧑🏼👩🏻🤝🧑🏿 Claire talks about her personal experience and reveals a profound breakthrough in her career. 🙌 Read the latest edition in our series here 👇 https://lnkd.in/ghi7GHBd #BreakthroughForBrands #NewCommunicationsEconomy

What do Fortune 500 CEOs Mary Barra, Sarah M. London, Safra C., Phebe Novakovic, Gina Boswell, Penny Pennington, and Kathy Mazzarella have in common? They're all Girl Scout Alumnae. As the famous sweet treat operation lends lessons in skills like finance, marketing and teamwork, it's no wonder that the CEO of Graybar Electric Kathy Mazzarella stated “The timeless life lessons I learned as a Girl Scout influenced me throughout my career and continue to shape the way I lead today.” Read the full article below to see why your local Girl Scout troop could be holding the future of the Fortune 500⬇️

A big thank you to Lisa Bragg for delivering such an insightful and engaging presentation at our Women’s Thought Leadership event last night. The energy in the room was contagious. You left everyone wanting more. Thank you for sharing insights from your book, Bragging Rights and teaching us how to get comfortable with sharing our strengths. Your expertise and passion truly shone through, leaving us inspired and enlightened. We all look forward to implementing your valuable insights into action. My three biggest takeaways for the evening were: 1.     If you don’t share your successes, who will? No one can do so better than you. 2.     Lift up another woman and promote her success. We need to support one another. 3.     Share your journey not just the success. People want to know your story.

🌙✨Embracing the Event Vibes! 🌃 Let the stars guide you, and the moon inspire you. 🏆 Suuchi Ramesh, our incredible CEO, received the prestigious Champion of C Suite Award from ROI-NJ 🌟👏 #Leadership #CSuite #Innovation #SupplyChain #Congratulations #Suuchi #GRID #CEO #SupplyChain #SupplyChainManagement #SupplyChainSoftware

Today marks a significant milestone not just in my life but in the journey of a remarkable young individual - my daughter Rhema, who turns 13. As I reflect on the past thirteen years, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the joy, challenges, and profound learning experiences that parenting has brought into my life. Rhema is a testament to the power of strong will, talent, and the courage to speak one’s truth. Her journey from a curious child to a funny, talented, and opinionated teenager teaches us the importance of embracing our unique gifts and perspectives. She embodies the essence of dreaming big and the unwavering belief in oneself to make those dreams a reality. As professionals, we often talk about leadership, innovation, and the courage to challenge the status quo. In Rhema, I see these qualities unfolding naturally. Her approach to life reminds me daily of the importance of authenticity, passion, and perseverance. It's a lesson in how the purest form of leadership often starts with the courage to be oneself and to stand by one's convictions. I am immensely proud of the young woman Rhema is becoming. Her journey is a vivid reminder that our greatest contributions often stem from nurturing the potential in others, especially the young minds who will shape our future. As we celebrate Rhema’s 13th birthday, I am filled with anticipation for all the incredible things she will achieve. Her story is a beacon of inspiration, encouraging us all to pursue our dreams with courage and to lead with heart and conviction. Here's to the leaders of tomorrow and the endless possibilities that lie ahead. #Leadership #Inspiration #ParentingJourney #DreamBig #futureleadership

After conducting some extensive research on the ongoing democratic national primaries in the USA, the ongoing war in the Middle East, and the mentality of Gen Zs, I came across the following humble opinions, which I am sharing in good faith. 1. As a former activist who is also a millennial, I think Gen Z has failed to carry on the legacy of activism passed onto them by the millennials. In recent years, Gen Zs have been very vocal about small but important matters. However, the big challenge came when a large number of babies are still being killed on a regular basis; Gen Zs could not bring tangible results by their activities yet. 2. If we think about the past conflicts in 2008, 2012, 2014, etc., where the millennials were most active in leading the protests demanding a ceasefire, those wars ended relatively quickly compared to this one. However, we have not seen any real outcomes when Gen Zs took the task in the ongoing war. Yes, different times, different wars, different circumstances, but no impactful activities/protests organized by Gen Zs in 6 months are quite interesting. 3. We still have a chance to make sure we have a ceasefire. To do that, Gen Z should go out and vote for the upcoming primaries. How Michigan, Wisconsin, Massachusetts voted for a ceasefire can be used as a model for the whole nation. Candidates who do not want peace as well as oppose a ceasefire and a two states solution should be voted against during the primaries. 4. This would be a long road. We may see no immediate results. However, it would raise some concerns in the establishments. Nothing can beat using voting as a weapon to establish peace. We should be lucky because of the ongoing primaries; we can use this weapon very conveniently. Relevant Links: 1. https://lnkd.in/ettSUUhQ 2. https://lnkd.in/erKy_NKi 3. https://lnkd.in/eAvpG8t6 4. https://lnkd.in/eWr-s78g

📣 Excited to share my latest article, "Breaking the Mold: The Quest for Diversity and Inclusion in Sales Leadership." It's a humble reflection on my journey in the world of IT sales and the pressing need for diversity and inclusion. Let's start the conversation and work towards a more inclusive future! 💪 #DiversityInSales #InclusionMatters

ICYMI: Check out this morning's conversation with ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award finalist Samantha Diedrich: