Lessons From The Top: Unleashing Your Roar with Michael C. Hyter

Roar with Lakecia Gunter

“It's our actions that we take to achieve the outcomes we want that matters.”

-Michael C. Hyter

How many times in your life and career have you waited to be noticed? You know you’re more than qualified for that promotion, but somehow you keep getting overlooked. Maybe this scenario has some of you thinking back to your school days of being a wallflower at the homecoming dance, hoping someone sees you standing there. If only they noticed you.

Being a wallflower is one thing when you’re a teenager, but in the corporate world, going unnoticed is the last thing anyone wants. If the idea of a promotion is nipping at your heels and the desire to accelerate your career is a driving force in your life, then it’s time for you to get noticed.

Getting noticed means embracing efficacy. Efficacy is what puts you in the driver's seat of your career ambitions. Rather than a dependency on luck or timing, it’s a commitment towards being. It’s the recognition that you have been put in your position for a reason, and the belief that you add value to your organization. The confidence that blooms from this mindset creates momentum, and that force compels you to believe in your own worth.

Confidence allows us to do radical things. We’re more open to taking chances and exposing ourselves to risk. If there’s someone at the top of your company who has the job you’d like to see yourself in one day, efficacy is what empowers you to introduce yourself and talk to that person about your career goals. It’s the difference between waiting to get noticed versus creating awareness of your potential among those in places of power. You become the driving force in creating the relationships that you need to be effective. Efficacy is a “high belief impact system” that has transformative potential.

My guest today is Michael C. Hyter, the Chief Diversity Officer for Korn Ferry. Michael is an accomplished senior executive leadership consultant who specializes in the development of enterprise leaders and their next-generation successors. He joined the team at Korn Ferry in 2012 as a Senior Partner and Managing Director after the acquisition of Global Novations, where he served as President and Managing Partner.

Today he is a renowned expert in thought leadership, and I’m fortunate to call him a mentor and a friend. Michael has authored several books, his most recent titled The Power of Choice: Embracing Efficacy to Drive Your Career, and prior to that he published The Power of Inclusion: Unlock the Potential and Productivity in Your Workforce. Michael was recognized by Savoy magazine in 2016 and 2018 as one of the most influential blacks in corporate America.

In this episode, we’ll break down what efficacy means and how you can achieve it to advance your career and get noticed. We’ll also talk about how inclusion plays a pivotal role by opening doors to opportunities that are only available when you’re on the radar of decision-makers. When you have clarity of purpose and you’re able to embrace these tools simultaneously, the possibilities are limitless. Today you’ll learn how you can take the reins of your career and point your future in the direction you want to go!

Some Questions I Ask:

• Who were some of your biggest influences growing up? (4:48)
• When did you discover your ROAR? (9:20)
• Was it difficult to forgo a large salary for your first job out of college in favor of your passion? (15:29)
• You’ve had the chance to retire, but what motivates you to stay in the game? (17:52)
• How have you overcome attacks on your confidence in your career? (22:11)
• What advice can you share to help people navigate their progression up the ladder? (28:00)
• How would you describe efficacy? (33:46)
• How do we need to show up in order to have an influential role in our organizations? (39:33)
• What legacy do you want to leave? (47:49)

What You’ll Learn About in This Episode:

• The lasting impact a first job can have on your self-confidence (5:39)
• One generation paying it forward (9:30)
• Why it should never be about the money (12:18)
• The ripple effect of inclusion (22:57)
• The muscle you should be exercising to get ahead (28:12)
• Redirecting negativity towards a higher purpose (30:32)
• Efficacy as a belief system (34:06)
• The difference between luck and effort (36:49)
• Clarity as a catalyst for success (40:01)
• A key finding among black CEO’s that has propelled their rise to the top (43:23)

Connect with Michael C. Hyter:

• LinkedIn
• Website

Books:

• The Power of Choice: Embracing Efficacy to Drive Career Success by Michael C. Hyter
• The Power of Inclusion: Unlock the Potential and Productivity in Your Workforce by Michael C. Hyter
• Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

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