Femeconomy interview
I was recently interviewed for Femeconomy and this article originally appeared on their blog.
Dr. Monique Beedles has just launched her latest book, Leadership Assets: Empower your Career from the Workshop to the Boardroom. It is for Asset Management professionals, outlining a whole of life plan for a career in asset management. An internationally recognised thought leader in Asset Management, Dr. Beedles has drawn on over 20 years experience as an advisor to Boards and Senior Executives to share her knowledge of what it takes to be a successful leader in the field of asset management.
As a relatively new professional discipline, Asset Management does not have a linear career trajectory, so Dr. Beedles has developed a framework that incorporates 9 Essential Leadership Assets, providing aspiring leaders in Asset Management with the roadmap to fulfil their potential.
WHY DID YOU WRITE LEADERSHIP ASSETS?
Asset Management is still emerging as a professional discipline in its own right. As such, career paths aren’t well established or clearly defined. Asset management is multidisciplinary. So, asset management professionals come from a wide variety of technical and professional backgrounds and their isn’t a single course or degree that you can do to become an asset manager.
I’ve written Leadership Assets for asset management professionals who want to realise their leadership potential and for leaders who want to empower their teams. It provides a framework for developing your career through a series of stages over your lifetime. While formal training tends to emphasise technical skills and knowledge, asset managers also need business skills and if they aspire to more senior roles their people skills become very important. This book is like a whole-of-life plan for an asset manager’s career, guiding them through the skills they need to develop to be successful.
WHAT ARE THE 9 ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP ASSETS?
The nine Leadership Assets fall into three groups – Tech Smarts, Biz Smarts and Street Smarts, covering the technical, business and human skills needed at every stage of your career.
The Tech Smarts are: Curiosity, which is required to identify problems, Proficiency which involves analysing evidence once a problem is identified and then Ingenuity, which is how we create solutions.
The Biz Smarts are: Mastery, this includes identifying markets for your technical solutions, Tenacity, required to continually analyse risks in a dynamic environment and Creativity – in asset management creating value is a core principle.
The Street Smarts are: Humility to focus on the needs of your customers and other stakeholders, rather than purely your own needs, Empathy to create and nurture meaningful connections and Integrity, which is essential to create meaning for the communities you lead.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR COACHING PROGRAM FOR ASSET MANAGERS WANTING TO DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES.
I provide coaching programs to help leaders integrate the full suite of skills they need to realise their potential. Formal training will tend to focus on technical and, to some extent, business skills. Learning on the job is also essential in terms of developing that experience. Leaders come to me for coaching when they are looking to level-up in their role or to take the next-step in their careers.
I support them to fine tune their goals, put practical plans in place and focus on areas that they want to develop. I act as a sounding board for the challenges that come with growth and performing at a high level. I provide private coaching programs for individuals and also training and group coaching programs for teams.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS TAKING THE NEXT STEP IN THEIR CAREER?
It’s never too early to find a mentor. Seek out those people you admire and who you believe model excellent leadership behaviours. Be curious about their career paths and how they’ve got to where they are today. Don’t wait until you get a promotion or start managing people to develop these skills and those all-important networks.
WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR FUTURE FEMALE LEADERS?
Take responsibility for your own professional development. If your company is willing to support you, that’s great, but don’t rely on them as your only source of development opportunities. Get involved in industry groups and professional bodies. Be willing to have open conversations with your boss about what your ambitions are and the skills you’re seeking to develop. Take charge of your career and define your own success.
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Dr. Monique Beedles is a Femeconomy Platinum Member. Learn more about joining Femeconomy here.
