Leaderly Quote: Leadership is not about making a big splash…
By Jo Miller
Taking on a challenging “stretch” assignment is a great way to break out of a career rut, develop a broader set of professional skills or establish new leadership credentials. But before taking on a big, risky, highly visible assignment, says Nina Simosko, consider starting with a smaller success.
“We all like to make a ‘splash'”, says Simosko, CEO of NTTi3, “but taking on a large challenge also comes with risk and additional pressure.”
“Volunteering to present at the national sales kickoff, for example, will put you squarely in the line of sight of your organization’s leadership. They will know your name, voice and the way you move on stage. They will scrutinize your presentation and speech – and this may be exactly what you want.”
So if you want to lead a highly visible project, start by creating a series of smaller successes. This way, you can build up a track record, build your confidence, build others’ confidence that you can deliver, and gradually expand your leadership capabilities.
“Leadership is not about making a big splash. It’s a sustained commitment over time,” says Simosko.
Read more from Nina Simosko in her article, Saying Yes to High Visibility Projects – 5 Steps to Success.
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.

By Jo Miller
Taking on a challenging “stretch” assignment is a great way to break out of a career rut, develop a broader set of professional skills or establish new leadership credentials. But before taking on a big, risky, highly visible assignment, says Nina Simosko, consider starting with a smaller success.
“We all like to make a ‘splash'”, says Simosko, CEO of NTTi3, “but taking on a large challenge also comes with risk and additional pressure.”
“Volunteering to present at the national sales kickoff, for example, will put you squarely in the line of sight of your organization’s leadership. They will know your name, voice and the way you move on stage. They will scrutinize your presentation and speech – and this may be exactly what you want.”
So if you want to lead a highly visible project, start by creating a series of smaller successes. This way, you can build up a track record, build your confidence, build others’ confidence that you can deliver, and gradually expand your leadership capabilities.
“Leadership is not about making a big splash. It’s a sustained commitment over time,” says Simosko.
Read more from Nina Simosko in her article, Saying Yes to High Visibility Projects – 5 Steps to Success.

Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.