As a former team leader at a Fortune 500 company, I recognized first-hand how little professional development those early on in their careers received.
My minimal first-time management training resulted in me going from a high-potential individual contributor to an anxiety-riddled manager, worried I was doing wrong by my (newly inherited) team at every turn.
My (4-hour) management training comprised of: how to structure my 1:1s (standing appointments weekly), when to give feedback (as close to the event as possible), and why delegating was important (to free me up). It missed the mark on covering the most challenging parts - the "how-to" of management: navigating friends turned direct reports, communicating for the receiver, developing others, constantly improving yourself, etc. (the list is endless).
After much investigating (OK, complaining at happy hours with friends), I realized my experience wasn't an anomaly - it was the norm; most thorough leadership development didn't start at companies until employees were executives. And most of my peers felt the same way -- overwhelmed and unprepared for success.
To put it bluntly, I spiraled when I could have been producing and lost my edge - I was burnt out, disappointed, and defeated.
After getting my Master's Degree in Learning and Organizational Change (said differently: leveraging adult learning to build human-focused workplaces and navigate workplace change) at Northwestern University, I left my company to solve the problems I encountered as a high-performer: thorough and consistent leadership development for earlier talent.
Now, I partner with companies committed to doing things differently -- who invest in their talent earlier and build the company culture with their people, not for them.
When not partnering with companies, I teach Change Management courses at the School of Social and Education Policy at Northwestern University as an Adjunct Professor and coach individual contributors, managers, and executives (Executive Leadership Coaching Certification obtained at Northwestern University). I'm an avid reader and amateur writer on all things humans at work.