This Manager Began a New Leadership Role Right After Having Her 2nd Child Heres How

This Manager Began a New Leadership Role Right After Having herbei 2nd Child Heres How Dayna Johnson has some simple leadership advice we shouldallbe following I trust people on a team until they give me reason leid to. Quite often, I find that this approach results in them trusting you mora quickly as well, she says.And as a Business Development Manager in General Electric Powers Accelerated Leadership Program, Johnsons been told shes particularly good at inspiring teams. Perhaps thats no surprise, considering the trust and support shes been afforded at GE, where she began a new leadership role immediately after returning from maternity leave with her second child.In fact, one of the things Johnson loves fruchtwein about her job is that shes surrounded by inspiring, supportive colleagues I think GE has amazing people, she says. I very rarely run across someone at GE who does not want to help me with whatever dicke bretter bohren mssen Im working on. Its inspiring to wake up and go to work with the smartest, fruchtwein dedicated people aroundGE is Hiring Browse Opportunities.Johnson recently spoke to Fairygodboss about the morning habits that help her get her day going, the career move shes most proud of, and her No. 1 tip for job seekers.How long have you been in yur current role, and what were you doing previously?DJ I have been in this role since July, when I started the second year rotation for the Accelerated Leadership Program. I started the program last July (immediately after coming back from maternity leave with my second baby), and I spent my first year working as a Global Sales Leader for our Aeroderivatives Services business. Before that, I was a proposal manager, working on proposals for large substation projects.Whats the first (and/or last) thing you do at work every day?DJ Even though Im a creature of habit, I struggle with getting my day going. First things first, I always fill my water bottle. Once Ive got that done, I feel like I can tackle my email. And the last thing I do before going home is always to check traffic. Living in the Chicago suburbs, it can be quite unpredictable Im OK knowing theres traffic, but its the unexpected delays that frustrate me.Whats the most unique or interesting aspect of your job?DJ I get to talk to people. Alotof people. As an engineer, the stereotype is that we dont like to be social but I love meeting new people and learning their backgrounds. I also love solving problems, and I get to be involved early enough in the sales process to help customers solve their problems. Its everything that an extrovert engineer could hope forWhats something you think most people (perhaps even current employees) dont know about GE that you think they should?DJ A few years ago, GE increased its paid parental leave. Now, both men and women get 6 weeks of paid parental leave. I think this is AMAZINGWhats something youre especially goodat atwork?DJ Ive been told Im good at inspiring teams. If theres a miss ion a team needs to accomplish, Im willing to roll my sleeves up with the team and get the job done. I also have a philosophy where I trust people on a team until they give me reason not to (if at all). Quite often, I find that this approach results in them trusting you more quickly as well.What about outside of work?DJ Outside of work, I really enjoy (and am good at) home improvement projects. I love working with my hands, and I especially love flooring projects.What are you trying to improve on?DJ Ive been actively working on conflict resolution skills. I find that when I get passionately engaged in something, I get more defensive. While its great to be passionate, I need to make koranvers I can still keep my feelings in check.Whats your favorite mistake?DJ All of them that I can learn from Is it truly a mistake if you are able to grow from it? Ive had many (many) mistakes over the course of my career all sorts of things, from screwing up a calculation to making mistakes that wer e much harder to correct. Out of all of those mistakes, though, were lessons how to perform the correct calculation, how to repair a broken relationship in the office, how to make the situation right with the customer.Whats the one career move youve made that youre most proud of?DJ There are a lot of these, thankfully However, this one in particular ties my Society of Women Engineers career to my professional career. Ive spent the last year or so serving on the SWE Board of Directors. It has been an amazing opportunity for me to share my leadership abilities and continue to grow as a professional and a person while simultaneously supporting diversity and inclusion.What do you love most about your job or your company?DJ I think GE has amazing people. I very rarely run across someone at GE who does not want to help me with whatever problem Im working on. Its inspiring to wake up and go to work with the smartest, most dedicated people aroundWhat are you currently reading/watching/list ening to?DJ I have two small children, so anything I watch is animated (much to my dismay). However, Im currently working on finding the right balance between reading for improvement and reading for fun. Im a big fan of reading at night before bed to unwind, but right now I make sure I read one chapter of something to help my development before I turn to something more fun (Im a big cozy mystery fan). For development, Im currently reading Your Oxygen Mask First 17 Habits to Help High Achievers Survive Thrive in Leadership Life by Kevin Lawrence.Whats your 1 piece of advice for women who are looking for jobs right now?DJ Trust your gut. If you leave an interview and something about the role didnt feel right, theres probably a reason. We are rather intuitive creatures, and when Ive left an interview feeling like something wasnt right, its because it wasnt. However, this does not mean to not trust yourself. Go for the big roles the roles that will stretch you and challenge youWho is /was the most influential person in your life and why?DJ I try to have a bit of a different philosophy. I dont think I can pinpoint a single person that has been the most influential, but I have many, many people who have been incredibly influential. Among those, Im especially grateful for the people who encouraged me to pursue engineering from an early age all the way through high school. Without them, I dont think Id be where I am today.Whats the most memorable piece of career advice youve received?DJ Someone once framed career advice in the words of everyones favorite blue tang just keep swimming. I think, especially as women, we tend to dwell on our mistakes and overanalyze everything. Put that behind you and keep moving forward. When work (or life) gets really hard, focus on whats directly in front of you. Keep moving towards that goal. Try not to think about the miles of ocean in front of you, but just the next milestone. And stop looking over your shoulder at what happened behind youWhat was the best quality of the best boss youve ever had?DJ I sometimes struggle to just call it a day when Ive had enough of work. However, I had a boss that would repeatedly tell me, if he knew my workload was temporarily light, to get out of the office and go home. Especially around holidays or slow times, he would help me with work-life integration. He also helped the entire team make sure vacation was as relaxing as possible and worked to take care of any issues that came up while we were out.--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with GE. Find a job there today