The power of a question you ask
In this episode of the Leadership Sovereignty Podcast, Ralph Owens and Terry Baylor engage with Shachella James, exploring the importance of curiosity in leadership and career development. They discuss the SPICE framework, which emphasizes sponsorship, performance, image, curiosity, and exposure as key elements for success. The conversation highlights how asking the right questions can foster inclusion, build confidence, and drive organizational transformation. Shachella shares her personal journey and insights on how curiosity has been a catalyst for her career advancement and the importance of engaging others through meaningful dialogue.
Key Takeaways
- Curiosity is essential for effective leadership.
- Building confidence involves engaging others in conversation.
- The SPICE framework includes sponsorship, performance, image, curiosity, and exposure.
- Asking the right questions can lead to better outcomes.
- Curiosity helps in navigating career challenges and opportunities.
- Effective communication fosters inclusion and collaboration.
- Performance and credibility are foundational for career success.
- Curiosity can drive organizational transformation.
- Questions should be strategic and meaningful.
- Engaging with others through questions enhances relationships.
- (00:00) - Power of the Question
- (01:06) - Finding Your Voice in the Room
- (03:49) - Replacing “I Don’t Know”
- (04:10) - What Sparked Her Path
- (05:46) - From PIE to SPICE
- (07:18) - Curiosity as the Differentiator
- (09:23) - Why Organizations Stagnate
- (11:36) - The Power of the Prompt
- (12:36) - Curiosity That Opens Doors
- (14:30) - Curiosity and Career Promotability
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Click here to watch a video of this episode.00:00 - Power of the Question
01:06 - Finding Your Voice in the Room
03:49 - Replacing “I Don’t Know”
04:10 - What Sparked Her Path
05:46 - From PIE to SPICE
07:18 - Curiosity as the Differentiator
09:23 - Why Organizations Stagnate
11:36 - The Power of the Prompt
12:36 - Curiosity That Opens Doors
14:30 - Curiosity and Career Promotability
Shachella James
Vice President, Enterprise Systems
Shachella James is an award-winning technology professional with well over a decade of professional experience across multiple industries, consulting services, manufacturing banking, telecommunications, and now utilities. She is responsible for information and operational technologies, and enterprise architecture. Her expertise also spans strategic and capital planning, cloud services, data center operations and infrastructure operations. She is keen on workforce management and serving up the talent pipeline for the future.