Episode 202: Jenny Blake – Pivot – What Do You Do When Your Back Is Against The Wall?

Jenny Blake is an author, career and business strategist and international speaker who helps people organize their brain, move beyond burnout, and build sustainable, dynamic careers they love. She is the author of the Axiom Award-winning book PIVOT: The Only Move That Matters is Your Next One (Portfolio/Penguin Random House, September 2016), and Life After College.

After two years at a technology start-up followed by five years at Google in Training and Career Development, Jenny moved to New York City in 2011 where she has been running her own consulting business in the years since. Jenny combines her love of technology with her superpower of simplifying complexity to help clients pivot their career or business. Her motto: if change is the only constant, let’s get better at it.

Episode 202: Jenny Blake – Pivot – What Do You Do When Your Back Is Against The Wall?

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The Learning Leader Show

“What do you do when your back is against the wall?”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Common themes of leaders who sustain excellence:
    • Great listeners — Not just doing
    • Getting the right people in the right seats on the bus
    • Design thinking — Empathy interviews
  • Common problem with CEO’s? — They surround themselves with people who only agree with them and fear disagreeing with them
    • Requires listening and a culture shift
  • Why Jenny left Google
  • Taking a leave of absence to write a book — The impact that had on Jenny
  • FONT – “Fear Of Not Trying”
  • The process of uprooting her life and moving to NYC
  • What do you do when your back is up against the wall?
    • Think of a basketball player — “It’s not a 180… it’s a pivot.”
  • “High Net Growth Individuals” — People always looking to improve, grow, learn…
  • Advice to others — Don’t worry too much on a formal business plan or thinking too far in advance.  You can’t predict it.
  • 4 Stage Pivot Method:
    • Plant – Strengths
    • Scan – People, Skills, Projects, Target
    • Pilot – Test. Like a pilot episode of a TV show — 3 E’s – Enjoy, Expert, Expand
    • Launch
  • Taking measured risks — Great originals take measured risks (don’t have to “burn the boats”)
  • Mentors — “Friend-tors”
    • Don’t ask a mentor, “How can I help you?” — Come up with a list of ideas for them and give them away. Proactively help without them asking
  • “You can navigate uncertainty. We’re always doing this.”
  • Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
  • “Befriend your fear. It’s trying to help you based on old scripts.”
  • What % of your job do you dislike?
  • The importance of mediation — Headspace App
  • Gamification — Daily To Do List

“What does success look like a year from now?”

Continue Learning:

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Episode 071: Nate Boyer – Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence – The Best Answers From 178 Questions

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

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Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

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