How To Make a Leader cover image

How To Make a Leader

How to attract, retain and engage talent with Harvard's Gorick Ng

Jan 9, 2025
39:56

How do you turn early talent into future leaders?

Harvard career advisor and WSJ best-selling author Gorick Ng shares the “unspoken rules” of professional growth and talent development. From career navigation to building a diverse leadership pipeline, he shares real-world insights garnered from thousands of interviews with professionals and his advisory work with Fortune500 companies. 


Whether you’re working with early, mid-level or senior employees, Gorick offers actionable strategies to level the playing field and maximize potential in your workforce.


You’ll learn:

  • The “three Cs” framework for career success
  • How to align onboarding with retention and engagement goals
  • Practical steps to diversify your leadership pipeline
  • The five traits of successful leaders
  • The #1 piece of career advice (from a career advisor)

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introducing Gorick Ng

(01:25) Gorick’s personal journey and first-generation college experience

(04:14) The important but unspoken rules of career navigation

(05:07) A real-world story about visibility and career advancement

(07:26) The “Three Cs” framework for professional success

(09:48) Systemic barriers to career growth and access to tools

(11:46) Preparing early-career professionals before day one

(13:26) The role of peer mentors in effective onboarding

(16:28) Creating psychological safety for early-stage professionals

(20:44) How to engage mid-level managers to balance growth and burnout

(24:58) Building lateral career movement opportunities within organizations

(27:10) The power of recognition and feedback in employee engagement

(29:38) Developing leadership pipelines with rotational programs

(33:52) Expanding diversity in leadership through actionable steps

(35:03) The value of vulnerability in leadership storytelling

(37:25) Leadership traits and the balance between managing and leading

(38:11) Gorick’s most memorable piece of career advice


To learn more about Gorick and his work, check out his Linkedin profile and his website. If you’d like to purchase his book, The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting your Career Off Right, you can check out this link

Interested in attending an interview live? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events


Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

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