Leadership and management are two different things. However, many of us have grown to believe that these are the same thing. In corporate organizations, failing to grasp the distinction between management and leadership is one of the key contributing factors that prevent organizations from utilizing their full potential. In this episode of Establishing Your Empire, we have a fascinating conversation with an expert business consultant who helps businesses transform and achieve seemingly impossible business results. Kimberly Wiefling, Founding Member & Global Consultant at Silicon Valley Alliances, joins us today to talk about transforming managers into leaders.

Although Kimberly’s current work is in business consulting, she comes from a background in science and engineering. Kimberly served in the United States Department of the Air Force in the late 70s and moved to corporate positions related to engineering and management. Over the years, she built a reputation for her work in leadership development, and in 2016, Kimberly founded her business, Silicon Valley Alliances.

We start our conversation with why it’s important to get clear about the distinction between leadership and management. Kimberly shares with us how she approaches educating professionals about this key distinction and the results they achieve by transforming managers into leaders. Another key point we touch on is how to figure out the true value of the services we’re providing. Kimberly shares with us some of the events and interactions that helped her figure out the right pricing for the value she creates for her clients.

Communication is a key contributing factor to success in any line of business. Kimberly dives into some of the communication tips and tricks she has learned over the years. She also dives into why we need to get ourselves out of our comfort zone in order to achieve greater results in our personal as well as professional lives. We also touch on some of the marketing strategies Kimberly utilized to make her business successful. Wrapping up the episode, we talk about some of the books that were helpful for Kimberly’s success and her advice for youngsters.

[54:22] Manager to Leader – How to build awareness around the distinction between management and leadership and how to transform managers into leaders.

[03:37] Kimberly’s Story – We talk about Kimberly’s transition from working in a corporate role to starting career coaching and ultimately building her own business.

[08:09] Pricing – Kimberly shares her thoughts on how she figured out the right pricing for her services.

[13:32] Virtual Services – Like many other businesses, Kimberly had to pivot to providing her services virtually during the pandemic. She shares what she learned from that experience and how it changed her business.

[18:38] Communication Tips & Tricks – Kimberly shares some of the things she learned throughout her keynote speaking work.

[23:48] Advice for Consulting – Kimberly’s advice for those who wish to enter the consulting business.

[30:33] Getting Out of Comfort Zone – Kimberly shares her thoughts on how we can make a habit of doing things that are out of our comfort zone and a framework that allows businesses to be more creative and innovative.

[31:58] Marketing – We dive into some of the marketing practices and strategies that made Kimberly’s business successful.

[37:02] Books & Mentors –  Kimberly talks about some of the mentors and books that helped her throughout her career.

[45:43] Advice for Youngsters – Kimberly shares her advice for young adults to build a successful and satisfying career later in life.

Resources:

Connect with Kimberly

Website: wiefling.com
Twitter: twitter.com/kwiefling
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scrappykimberlywiefling

Kimberly’s Books

Scrappy Project Management: The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls That Every Project Faces:
www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/2257130.Scrappy_Project_Management

Inspired Organizational Cultures: Discover Your DNA, Engage Your People, and Design Your Future
www.goodreads.com/book/show/52320116-inspired-organizational-cultures

Quotes

“We grow up not understanding the distinction between management and leadership.”

“I’ve got my pricing very clearly outlined, so I know what I’m worth, and it’s a really important thing to have as an entrepreneur.”

“We have to find ways to be a more well-rounded person if you really want to show up for the people in our lives in a healthy way.”

“So much it seems counterintuitive, you need to take breaks, and you need to have some fun.”

“When you feel uncomfortable, it means you’re making progress.”

Lead Cast

• Daran Herrman
• Kimberly Wiefling