Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to speak with one of the world's most influential management thinkers - Whitney Johnson. Whitney is the author of the critically acclaimed book "Disrupt Yourself; Putting The Power Of Disruptive Innovation To Work". In this episode, you'll hear about her fascinating story as she grew from working girl to coach and leader. You'll also hear about a personal approach to disruption, which I think we'll all find valuable in our careers. Take a listen below.
On This Podcast:
Key Topics
- The Story Of Whitney's Career
- The Concept Of "Disrupt Yourself"
- How You Can Disrupt Yourself Personally And In Your Career
Key Answers
Tell us about "Disrupt Yourself"
"The idea for this came from the time that I was working at Merrill Lynch - when I knew that I was going to have to disrupt myself and walk away from this great, powerful, prestigious position and reset onto a new trajectory. Over the last seven years, as I've applied these ideas, I've focused on what disruption looks like on a personal level, to see if it's true that companies don't disrupt, but rather individuals do. I wrote this book to help people think about personal disruption and how you can drive innovation at the corporate level through the seven steps that I've outlined in the book."
What is your best advice for someone who wants to "Disrupt" their career?
"Here are my three tips:
- Work isn't school. You need to speak up and understand that you're not going to know the answer every time.
- Get a coach. 50% of being successful is navigating the terrain.
- Always take the opportunities that will open more doors for you. Not fewer."
Key Soundbites
- "Throw down your pom-poms and get in the game!"
- "Focus on your strengths. Don't ignore them just because they come to you naturally. Often times, the very thing that could propel a career forward is the thing we dismiss first."
- "Companies don't disrupt. Individuals do."
Resources
- Personal Twitter: @johnsonwhitney
- Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneyjohnson
Enjoy, and check back here for more episodes of the All The Social Ladies podcast on Social Media Today.