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Inside this Issue:

• Preview the 2019 Gen Now Retreat, pg. 3

• Move up without moving out with Catherine Ni, pg. 5

• Stay secure with Dana Johnson, pg. 9

… and more!

MAY 2019 VOLUME 12, EDITION 5

CREATE SUCCESS FOR YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION…

ATTEND THE 2019 GEN NOW RETREAT

APPLY HERE

NOV. 1-3 / THE BERKSHIRES OF WESTERN MA

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Know What You Don’t Know: Crave Strong Input

When my recent flight to New Orleans was delayed two hours, I started pacing, tensing, and fretting. Negative energy took over about a factor—a mechanical or crew issue—that I couldn’t control. I felt trapped, without a gym to vent my energy. Fortunately, before I fell victim to the stress, a discovery at the terminal bookstore gave me cause to recalibrate. My positive from the negative? A brain boost from Daymond John’s Rise and Grind. It’s a fast-moving read, recapping powerful experiences and people that helped this shrewd entrepreneur and Shark Tank star overcome obstacles and achieve success. As with most business books, there are numerous takeaways—but this one most stuck with me: Following Daymond’s advice, to “know what you don’t know,” requires making time to ask and listen to those around you—a priceless skill highlighted in this month’s Community Connection through the personal stories of remarkable DLE alumni and friends who have grown their careers, their perspectives, their personal strength, and their patience from the gift of feedback.

Like our talented community, the DLE has grown as a program thanks to feedback. The addition of DLE Podcasts, as you’ll read in this issue, was triggered by comments from an out-of-state alum unable to attend the Berkshire-based debut of the DLE Open Forum last March. Emily contacted me and asked if a podcast would be available. At the time, a podcast wasn’t even

a consideration. Her input changed that and inspired smart growth in our online, on-demand programming. That input—your input—has factored large in the development of topics and sessions for this year’s DLE annual retreat. Comments from polls and conversations helped to carve a concentrated curriculum around the theme: Create Success for You and Your Organization. Details await on the next page.

Ask. Listen. Learn. Crave strong input. Make that your leadership mantra for May. Keep soaring!

LINDA DULYE: FOUNDER’S COLUMN

Linda working to give maximum output to the strong input of trainer Tuan Nguyen, DLE ’17 and ’18 faculty fitness guru

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REER SKILLS SPOTLIGHT

Apply Now to Create Success for You and Others An exclusive application period for DLE alumni, friends and colleagues is now open for the DLE’s 2019 Gen Now Retreat, scheduled for Nov. 1-3 in the Berkshires. Connect here to the application form. Powered by the theme of Be Inspired! Create Success for You and Your Organization, this dynamic learning immersion unites a select group of 45 motivated young professionals with highly respected corporate executives, emerging entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from diverse industries and geographies.

The retreat’s comprehensive curriculum satisfies a range of developmental needs—from high-potential individual contributors, to first-time managers, to managers in need of a refresh. Sessions are crisply organized for lively interchange about pressing workplace challenges and most-desired skills for career and personal success Attend and enhance your skills and knowledge to:

Leave the retreat with:

2019 GEN NOW RETREAT

Create Success for You

• Communicate like a superstar

• Overcome imposter syndrome

• Manage inner bias

• Expand professional networks

• Put stress in check

• See a team of personal coaches

• Find passion outside of your career

• Design a meaningful career path

Create Success for Your Organization

• Motivate others to speak up and take action

• Create an inclusive, multi-generational team

• Project your own brand with a captivating voice

• Ask great questions for listening and learning

• Give and receive constructive feedback

• Make decisions that deliver high-impact results

• Hold others accountable—and yourself too!

• Accept change as a workplace constant

• An expanded network—diverse, accessible, receptive headline speakers from C-suites, start-ups and hard-driving organizations nationwide.

• Meaningful relationships and new friendships! • A self-developed 2020 Leadership Action Plan including strategies, tools and advice from the

weekend.

• The motivation, excitement and tools to take your career to the next level!

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How to Apply: Take advantage of the early and exclusive application period, which runs through May 31. After that, retreat marketing will go beyond the DLE community. Applications for the 45 retreat seats will be accepted through July 1. The online application form is available here. Details about the DLE appear at dle.dulye.com. Retreat Location: The Berkshires’ premiere event venues The Lake House and Proprietor’s Lodge on Pontoosuc Lake, Pittsfield, MA.

Who Should Apply: High-impact professionals from organizations and diverse industries of all sizes who are motivated to advance in their professional and personal development. Participants should be naturally curious, eager to broaden their leadership skills and network, and have some experience managing projects and/or people.

Retreat Schedule:

• Friday, Nov. 1: 5:00 pm-8:00 pm (includes welcome reception)

• Saturday, Nov. 2: 8:30 am-8:30 pm (includes evening networking reception)

• Sunday, Nov. 3: 9 am-12:30 pm (plus optional, early morning wellness workout) $850 Registration Fee Delivers:

• Full access to all sessions/all days • Meals and special receptions • Networking with a nationwide, professional community • Membership to the DLE’s extensive, online learning resources • A personalized Action Plan for achieving 2020 work and career goals • Personal coaching opportunities

Seize the Full Retreat Experience: Maximize the DLE’s extraordinary networking experience by staying with speakers and attendees at the DLE Lake House Compound, conveniently and spectacularly located on Pontoosuc Lake just a few minutes from Proprietor’s Lodge. Overnight accommodations for Nov. 1 and 2 are available at a special retreat rate for a limited time.

Since 2008, the DLE’s premiere professional development and networking program has inspired emerging leaders in diverse industries to confidently contribute to their company, community, and personal career. Thousands have benefited from DLE year-round learning and networking opportunities, including Open Forums, podcasts, newsletters, online learning resources, on-demand coaching, and a nationwide alumni network.

This transformative weekend will ignite the drive and

determination to add greater value at work, in the community,

and with personal connections.

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Rising Up the Ranks in One Place By Danielle Waugh, DLE ’10, ’12 & ‘13, Investigative Reporter at WPEC In today’s economy, we often expect the only way to move up in our careers is to move “out”—to hop from company to company. Not the case for Catherine Ni, who has spent 19 years at one company, Lockheed Martin. Catherine started in a rotational leadership program at Lockheed straight out of college. Since then, she has been promoted five times, made several lateral moves across business areas, and is now a Director, overseeing the development and production of sensor systems for helicopters and ground vehicles for the U.S. military. "I've had a really good ride at Lockheed," she says of her time working for the world's largest defense contractor, a $53 billion company. Looking at all the different roles and responsibilities she has had over the years, Catherine's path shows how you can grow your career and rise up while staying in place. For the first two years at Lockheed, she rotated positions every six months, giving her a “bird's eye view” of the business. The engineering major left college not knowing her focus, and the leadership program allowed her to experience everything from supply chain and quality, to production and program management. In her near two decades at Lockheed, she has worked across seven business areas, rising from deputy manager to manager roles, learning a diverse skill set that helps her see the big picture at work. “I can speak the language of many functions and bring them together, connecting the dots,” Catherine says. "Each division has a different product line and focus. The common thread is that we support the mission of the war fighter." Her advice is to have a strategic plan for your career that has you thinking 10 years out. Remain flexible, but know where you want your career to go and seek opportunities to grow skills that will get you there. “I've always had a roadmap,” she confesses. When Catherine identified a skill she needed to develop, she would seek out mentors and utilize her network to open up a new opportunity. She believes that 18-24 months is probably the right amount of time in a position, but you can't leave because that time is up or you're bored. “If you're bored, and nothing has been achieved, then shame on you,” she explains. You have to say you made a positive impact and left the job a better place than how you found it. Otherwise, you're leaving before you've ever seen anything come to fruition. “I have always made sure—whatever I was brought on to do—that I did not leave until things were in place for success. Performance is key.”

CAREER SKILLS SPOTLIGHT: LOCKHEED MARTIN’S CATHERINE NI

Catherine Ni

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Her many role changes at Lockheed have required her to relocate and re-establish herself several times. Catherine grew up in New Jersey and remembers how shocking her first big move to Denver was. “I had never pumped my own gas!” she laughs. “I had never lived by myself. It was a huge, life changing event for me.” Since then, she has relocated to Washington, D.C. and Florida, where she currently lives in Orlando with her husband and two daughters, aged 3 and 9. Her advice to anyone facing a big move to a new city is to do it when you're early in your career and be adaptable: “I have learned ‘never say never,’” Catherine explains. “When we moved to Florida, my family agreed we would do one year and get out.” Nine months in, Ni realized there was no way she could move back up north. “You need to be open-minded.” With nearly 20 years of job experience under her belt—and a probable 20 more years to go--Catherine is now perfecting a balancing act: managing a $150 million annual portfolio at Lockheed, while being the best mom she can be. She admits her priorities and values have changed as her children have grown: “I could potentially be a company president or the next level up from there, but I also love my roles as a mom and wife in my family,” she explains. “I have two amazing little girls. My husband is a senior program manager here as well. He has had a rigorous career and has been managing his career with mine.” For now, Catherine’s roadmap involves a route plotted to Vice President, a position that will allow her to continue moving forward and be “a great mom and great at work also.”

UICK TAKES

Introducing the DLE Podcast Series Driven by feedback from the DLE community, there’s another resource in DLE learning and development program portfolio: the DLE Podcast Series debuts on the DLE website and features subject matter experts discussing topics of importance and interest for personal and professional growth. The first installment—Nonprofits Want You—features Liana Toscanini, the founder and executive director of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires. Liana shares her advice for finding meaningful volunteer activities and community service. As you’ll hear from Liana, nonprofit organizations not only want young professionals to help them plan and attend special events, these organizations need millennial talent to join their boards. Share your ideas for future podcasts at dle@dulye.com.

CONTINUOUS LEARNING RESOURCES

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Seek Feedback and Listen By Marcus Coleman, DLE ’15, ’17, ’18, Advisory Associate, FS Investments Being an effective communicator is one of the most sought-after skills in business—and I believe in your life outside of the business realm. I recently read an article on interpersonal skills, which got me thinking about this fundamental communication concept: "The sender ‘encodes’ the message, usually in a mixture of words and non-verbal communication. It is transmitted in some way (for example, in speech or writing), and the recipient ‘decodes’ it." I can safely say that we have all been in situations where we have misread someone's body language, their tone of voice and vernacular. I’ve been guilty of this both at work and in social settings. I’ve read meaning into facial expressions, body movement, and comments that—in fact—were opposite of the intended message of the sender. Self-awareness plays a key role in effective communication. You need to be aware that your filters—shaped by experiences and biases—can alter a message that you are receiving or sending. To be an effective communicator, you must know your audience. Getting to know your audience means networking and breaking bread with people from different economic, social, and religious backgrounds. I challenge everyone to identify one potential obstacle to effective communication that may be holding you back from your next business opportunity. Seek feedback from family, friends, and co-workers to become a better communicator—and listen without getting defensive. We can all become more effective communicators—however, not without working it. Success requires us not to judge one's culture based on the norms of one's own culture.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO BE A BETTER COMMUNICATOR

Related Reading: 6 Barriers to Effective Communication Marcus references a blog post from Anne Converse Willkomm, of Drexel University’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies, who outlines a few ways communication can go awry. Be in the know so you can work to prevent these forms of miscommunication in your work!

Marcus Coleman

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Use Tough Conversations to Create Positive Change

In this series, we asked DLE alumni to describe a time in their professional life when they felt frustrated or stagnant in their job and what conditions led them to feel that way. We also wanted to know what actions they took to make a positive change that would pull them out of these negative feelings and the outcomes of their actions. In this installment, Charles Lerner, DLE ’14, ’17, ‘18, who works as TAO Cares Engagement Coordinator at TAO Group, reveals techniques he used to overcome frustration and move forward with positive energy in his career.

When you're doing work that you don't fully believe in or completely understand, it can be hard to buy in. It can lead to disagreements with your manager, which can then lead to continuing and snowballing frustrations and communication challenges that are hard to change. When I was faced with this situation at work, I started communicating with people I did trust. I found my ‘champion’ at work, a close colleague who was able to advise me on how to have tough conversations with my manager and others in the company. I also relied on my outside network to understand my feelings. I realized that frustration taught me a lot about what it takes to power through hard times and ultimately succeed. For example, I was able to learn what matters most to me in my career. I realized how much I value working directly for someone whom I respect and trust. Short-term 'benefits' like unlimited time off and free snacks sound good on the surface, didn’t actually matter if my company didn’t fully believe in me and the work I did on a day-to-day basis. I think these self-discoveries should be two important—yet underrated—goals during everyone’s early career learning experiences. It comes down to trusting yourself enough to have tough, honest conversations that ultimately benefit you.

WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED: CHARLES LERNER

Charles Lerner

Related Reading: Toxic Workplace Repair Plan A toxic workplace doesn’t have to fester! In this Fast Company article, author Gwen Moran provides specific actions for rebuilding trust and teamwork.

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Security: A New Era for Information Technology By Dana Johnson, DLE 2019 Gen Now Retreat Candidate; Client Support Manager, CompuWorks Ltd.

Security has always been a concern in the digital world, but today’s high level of awareness, concern, and scrutiny is recent. Those threats creating the demand for heighted digital security are no longer “some kid in their parent’s basement”—they’re teams of people, some who even work for companies overseas focused on extorting American consumers and professionals. In my work, I’ve seen the myriad of ways these groups create mayhem. This year, the two most common methods are social engineering (read more) and ransomware. Both are easily avoidable with proper end user education.

BE ALERT: Every day, millions of fake emails are sent—apparently from USPS, Facebook, PayPal, etc.—to trick you into entering confidential information. The odds of you getting a fake FedEx email the same day you’re expecting a package are far greater than you would think. Once you click that fake link, a ransomware virus will try to encrypt as many files as it can access. From one PC to the entire network, it will make the files unreadable and unusable. Without a back-up, you are left with paying the ransom or losing all your data. Costs for a total company hijack could exceed $100,000. No matter how busy you are, never aimlessly click a link in an email—always hover over it to confirm it’s taking you the location it should. Emails that look like they’re coming from a trusted source could be spoofed, and it’s worth the time confirming with the vendor, client, or coworker that they did, in fact, send that email. PASSWORD TIPS: Avoid using the same password on multiple platforms—all it takes is one breach for someone to have access to multiple accounts. I recommend a well-trusted password management platform, like the one Google Chrome has built-in. Password managers generate passwords that are far more secure than you could come up with and save them in your account, adding convince and leaving no excuse not to step up your password game! The only risk now is that all your passwords are stored on one central location. Google has remedied this with notifications of odd log-ons. Your phone will prompt you if Google has noted bizarre behavior, allowing you to lock it down instantly. GOVERNANCE PRACTICES: More companies are implementing end-user training to keep their employees up to date on current risks and standards. Programs that cover these topics are cheap and require only a few minutes a week to stay up to date. If these programs stop just one social engineering or ransomware attempt, then the company has saved thousands of dollars in labor, production, and—most importantly—public relations. If your employer does not engage in these trainings, you have the opportunity to help close a massive gap in their security. Step up and sound out. Your feedback can be a lifeline for digital security!

STAY SECURE WITH DANA JOHNSON

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Fit to Lead: Making Strides for Career Advancement By April Roche, DLE’ 18, Director of Clinical Services at Hillcrest Educational Centers In March, I ran my first 10k race. I’ve run plenty of 5k races and was ready to push myself. As I thought about this month’s DLE stories and interviews, it occurred to me that my race experience makes a great analogy for career advancement. Running a race first involves the courage to sign up and show up at the starting line. It also involves a commitment to training, using strategies to weave your way through congestion at the start, and a whole lot of pacing yourself. These are same skills you need to achieve career advancement. Then, there are the skills you need to manage the career advancement journey. Two encounters during my race are analogous for these skills. The first came as I approached a runner wearing a shirt identifying him as a veteran and hefting a military pack on his back. I needed to be patient and respectful and wait my turn to pass him. The second involved a group of little girls cheering and reaching out to runners for high-fives. Because any time is a good time to be a positive role model for girls, I stepped up my pace and high-fived them all as I ran by. I offer four strategies for not only being prepared for advancement, but for remembering that the journey itself is meaningful—even if it takes a different path than you were expecting. That different path may turn out to be a pretty amazing one!

1) Prepare and show up. Know your trade and practice your skills. Get involved with the initiatives and projects going on at your company. Don’t hide in the back of the pack waiting for someone to clear a path for you.

2) Be patient. At some point, you’re guaranteed to spend time in the middle of the pack, and it may feel frustrating. Remember that career advancement takes time. Highlight your skills when it’s appropriate, but don’t step all over people along the way—you don’t know who could become an important resource who can contribute to your success. Remember and respect the efforts and journeys of your colleagues who are also doing their best for career advancement.

3) Find your groove. Hard working, positive staff who are confident in their skills are far more likely to be prepared for career advancement.

4) Don’t forget to pay it forward. Undoubtedly, someone was a role model to you and showed you what was possible. Don’t forget to do that for others along your journey toward career advancement.

FIT TO LEAD

April at the 10k

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Monthly Mix: May Edition By Jesse Noll, DLE ’16 & ’18, Senior Associate, Integrated Planning & Custom Content & Experiences at Wavemaker As you listen to the May edition of the Monthly Mix, I thought it’d be fun to share my process for creating the playlist. First, I keep track of every song I’m interested in and save it to a separate playlist in my Spotify. I have a massive 500+ song playlist called ‘Cool S**t’ where I save all of the songs that I find—well, cool! After that, I start to narrow down the songs to the ones I want to share every month. While the playlist is only 19 songs usually, the list of songs up for consideration usually is anywhere between 40-60 songs. I go through this list and determine the ‘must have’ songs, the ‘absolutely not’ songs, and the ‘maybe this one could work’ songs. Through all of this, I make sure to keep in mind things like ‘do these songs play well together?’, ‘is there a wide range of genres?’, and ‘how many of these songs are actually new vs. which ones are just personal favorites?’ Once I narrow the options to the final 19 or so songs, I start to organize them in the way that flows best. I love albums that lead seamlessly from track to track, so I try to do that with the songs in this playlist. If there’s an awkward pause between songs it can feel off-putting, so I try to avoid that as much as possible. Also, I ensure that there’s a good mix between upbeat and slower tracks to help keep everything fresh and surprising along the way. This step is normally the hardest because you basically have to listen to the songs over and over again, which can get annoying. However, a trick that I learned is if I’m really struggling with the order, I can just put the songs on shuffle. Spotify has done a really good job with their algorithms and technology to ensure listeners are getting a good mix of songs, so this never fails to help me distinguish a good order for the mix. And that’s it! I encourage all of you to try doing this with one of your next playlists, and feel free to send me the link—I’d love to listen. As always, I hope you enjoy this month’s playlist. Happy listening!

JEEB’S MONTHLY MUSIC MIX

Jesse Noll (aka Jeeb)

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CK TAKES

Lexi Aruk, DLE ’16,’17 and ‘18, has a new position as Packaging Quality Assurance Manager at her company, Anheuser-Busch in Baldwinsville, NY. She’s now responsible for the quality of the entire packaging process, from filling all the way to shipping pallets out of the warehouse. In her new role, she continues to handle relationships with outside material vendors, but adds all internal quality standards as well. Lexi says that the position is an unexpected but welcome return to a business area—quality—that she enjoys!

QUICK TAKES

Amy Tatnall, DLE ’13, has a new position as Account Manager at All Heart PR, where she helps to oversee and coordinate new business opportunities while handling PR and media efforts for more than 20 restaurants, hotels, and lifestyle brands in Boston and beyond. Her current clients include the Boston Public Market, Lark Hotels, Island Creek Oysters, The Eliot Hotel, UNI, Alden & Harlow, and more.

The DLE community welcomes a new bundle of joy! Xavier Jamaal Mason was born on April 23rd at Pennsylvania Hospital to alum and longtime DLE program assistant Liz Smithers Mason and husband, Erik. Everyone is doing well, reports Liz, adding that parenthood has brought unexpected joys: “Xavier makes me a better person already.” Liz, Erik, and Xavier live in Lansdowne, PA. Liz is taking a break from her job as a portfolio billing lead with North Highland business management consultants. Happy first Mother’s Day to Liz!

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THANK YOU! DLE COMMUNITY CONNTELL A FRIENDECTION

VOLUNTEER TEAM

“It's not enough to just know where you are going. You've got to make progress every single day. That's why I'm constantly learning and reimagining my approach to business and life. - Daymond John, Shark Tank star, entrepreneur, business leader and bestselling author; from his book, Rise and Grind

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

- Jack Welch, business executive, author, chemical engineer, and former chairman and CEO of General Electric.

HOT RESOURCES FOR CONTINUOUS LEARNING

Articles

Networking for People Who Hate to Network

From BBC

How to Show You’re Passionate in a Job Interview From Harvard Business Review

Lead by Responding

From SmartBrief

Leaders Look Weak When They Use These 15 Phrases

From Forbes

Memorable Quotes

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DLE COMMUNITY CONNECTION VOLUNTEER TEAM

Follow the DLE Online Click on the icon to connect to these platforms

News to Share? Have you started a new position, traveled an amazing trip, read a great

book, accomplished a personal first or volunteered for a memorable cause? Tell the Community Connection team. Contact us at DLE!

Linda Dulye President & Founder of Dulye & Co. and the Dulye Leadership Experience

Morgan Maier DLE ’18, DLE Intern, Journalism Major at Syracuse University

April Roche DLE’ 18, Director of Clinical Services at Hillcrest Educational Centers

Danielle Waugh DLE ’10, ’12 & ‘13, Investigative Reporter at WPEC

Jesse Noll, DLE ’16 & ’18, Senior Associate, Integrated Planning & Custom Content & Experiences at Wavemaker

Mary Gallagher DLE ’08, Assistant Director, Center for

Academic Success at Universities at Shady Grove; PhD student at UMBC

Nicole Mancivalano DLE ’18, Human Resources Representative at Greylock Federal Credit Union