Talking about TED - The Career Advice You Probably Didn't Get" by Susan Colantuono

After you have viewed Susan Colantuono's TED Talk, please share your thoughts about her premise and advice. In what ways have you witnessed the impact of what she refers to as "the missing 33%," which consists of business, strategic and financial acumen?  And, how do global skills factor in?

Ode to a Spring Quarter Class Finale

The objective of the wrap-up session for “Global Leadership: Developing the Mindset That Matters” was to reinforce course content and galvanize understanding of the skills necessary to successfully navigate our global, VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world.

But with our final spring quarter session occurring on the Saturday afternoon of the Memorial Day weekend, it seemed unlikely that restating global leadership concepts one last time would have impact. Instead, we viewed the TED Talk, “The Career Advice You Probably Didn’t Get,“ by Susan Colantuono, CEO of Leading Women, another offering in the “Talking About Ted” series.

Speaking to both women and men in middle management, Colantuono posed the question: What has to happen to move to the top? “There’s a missing 33% of the career equation which is required to close the gap,” she claimed. “One needs to use skills, talents and abilities to help the organization achieve its strategic and financial goals, and one does that by working effectively with others inside and outside the organization.” According to Colantuono, the missing 33% consists of business, strategic and financial acumen.

Much to my surprise, Colantuono made no mention of the importance of global skills. Considering that we just completed ten weeks of reading, practicing, and regurgitating concepts of successful global leadership, I wondered if the students would notice the missing piece.

Following goodbye hugs, handshakes, and wishes for future success, I gathered my things and headed off to a lovely little restaurant for a light dinner and a glass of wine, eager to read the students’ presentation feedback forms. Much to my delight, responses to the first question—Was this presentation relevant to the course?—were unequivocal:

“No mention of global leadership skills”

“U.S cultural references, only”

“The global skills component is missing from this presentation, and often missed in business”

“She overlooks the global skills that aren’t discussed on a regular basis in the business world”

“I would value global leadership being added to this list”

“Bravo!” I thought, and ordered a second glass of wine to celebrate.

Aside from the missing global skills piece, I would summarize students’ comments on Colantuono’s well-designed presentation as follows:

In terms of new ideas, the talk seemed to encourage a new level of confidence among students in the ability to self-promote. While students were aware of the leadership gap and gender divide, the statistics Colantuono presented reinforced the magnitude of the gap. Several students mentioned mentoring both women and men to the missing 33% as a vital element of their personal leadership skill development. In general, the presentation helped to expand students’ awareness of the challenges present in reaching top positions and the specific steps required to close the gap.

Published through LinkedIn 7/19/16