About Me

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Dr. Lichtman is an executive and career coach, who has created behavioral, changes in the hundreds of leaders with whom she has worked. As a trained therapist, with a profit and loss business background, she has the added benefit of understanding the individual, and the interplay between emotional intelligence and success in the business environment. By building on positive attributes, Dr. Lichtman has been able to reduce the time needed to create sustainable changes.

Monday, October 1, 2012

What's Wrong with Introverts? Nothing



In this age of constant and continuous communication from TV commentators, it is interesting how surprised they are that people in power are introverts. They are talking about the two folks running for the highest office in the land and comparing them to Bill Clinton, a true extrovert.
The assumption is that if you are a leader, you must be extroverted. That it takes a bubbly personality who enjoys the constant interaction with people to make a leader successful.  That being aloof, internally focused and more comfortable being alone will result in failure, or at least, less success.

So what does that do for the individuals who are introverted and have some difficulty being the social butterfly.This would include many people in the technology ,finance and engineering world, as well as scientists, doctors and many people in the C suite.In fact, introverts are everywhere in every occupation, yes even sales, and they not only succeed but often become the leader of the organization.

As an executive coach, I work with many individuals who are by nature introverts. (Including CIO and CTOs) As leaders , they are very successful who lead with confidence, determination and superb business acumen. These introverted leaders know that to be even more successful, they need to understand themselves and the external world better.They need to increase their social  and interpersonal skills so that their employees feel valued and listened to. To communicate a shared vision to an organization, the introverted leader must first learn how to communicate successfully and then to get others to executive upon that strategy, leaders must make others feel listened to and valued. 

To an extravert ,engaging a team and building consensus  seems so simple (like saying good morning or making eye contact) Yet for many introverted leaders, knowing what they should do and being comfortable doing it, are very separate and difficult things.
As a coach I work on all the aspects of Emotional intelligence. The technology individuals I coach are already successful They have a coach to help them become more outgoing. Knowing how to read a room, what it takes to engage an individual or group, and how to empathize with others, leads to better employee performance and an atmosphere of trust and success. These individuals are still introverted, it is their behavior that has changed.

To paraphrase Daniel Goleman from his seminal work on "What Makes a Leader"in the  Harvard Business Review,2004. People who can self regulate and self correct their emotional impulses are often seen as cold fish. For some reasons there is a belief that emotional outbursts and fiery temperaments are charismatic and evoke leadership. In fact, it is that exact behavior that often produces negative results. Successful leaders know who they are and have control of their emotions.

Yes you can change your behavior. You can still be who you are (authentic) and yet include behaviors that seem out of your comfort zone. You can be an introvert who ,in specific situations, behaves like an extrovert. Being self aware and learning what it takes to succeed, results in appropriate and successful behavior. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses as a leader allows you to hire in areas that compliment your style. Understanding interpersonal and social interactions, can be taught. It is the willingness to learn that is unique. The introverted leader who is eager and willing to learn how to be more socially adept, will be more successful. 
It takes self awareness and hard work but it can be done.  

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Innovative Instruction for IT Auditors



As an executive coach skilled in navigating the business environment, the worlds of academics and of IT are somewhat foreign territory. What do my areas of expertise – soft skill training and interpersonal communication -- have to do with highly skilled technology and finance students? Turns out, they are a perfect match.
At Temple University’s Fox School Department of Management Information Systems (MIS), administrators hold the innovative idea that increasing social awareness, the ability to self-regulate impulses and enhancing communication skills, will produce better IT auditors. As a result, I am currently teaching a class in a newly formed IT Auditing Masters program.
Typically, I work with organizations that want to increase the success of their executives, and in turn, business revenue.  This usually involves developing emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills among business leaders.

The Magic of IT
I have always admired IT departments and tech businesses that are crammed with technical geniuses who, seem to make the impossible, not only possible, but actually quite ordinary.  Achievements like tablets or smart phones that play music, show movies and act as a TV, camera, encyclopedia, classroom, radio and a video camera, are truly magical. And now I am getting a closer look at these magicians.

I have learned that the Fox School of Business’s new MS program in IT Auditing and Cyber Security -- one of only three such programs in the country -- is based on ISACA, a global association of information systems professionals. Students are trained to complete the Certified Information System Auditor (CISA) exam at the end of their studies.
Based in Philadelphia, the Fox School of Business in general, and my class specifically, is an amazing place filled with students from all over the world who come here to study and learn. One of my goals was to culturally prepare and acclimate students for the business world, including the interpersonal skills an auditor needs to be successful. The classes include individual personality assessments and real-world feedback from the head of audit of a major financial institution about what makes a successful auditor. We also practice interviewing skills, what good negotiation looks like, and discuss how emotional intelligence plays a major role in working with clients and stakeholders.

Learning Subtle Skills
Obviously, the first measure of success as an IT auditor requires excellence in the technical side of the job. But to get business constituents who are being audited to change their behavior, involves much more subtle communication and negotiation. How we say what we say, how much we listen to the verbal and the nonverbal language around us, and how comfortable we are asking and disseminating difficult information, often determines the outcome of any meeting—and any career.
 
Students learn that an IT audit meeting, which often involves much nuance and potentially negative consequences, is difficult under any circumstances. Therefore, knowing how and what to communicate, adding value to the conversation, and trying to be as objective as possible, will also determine the success of the IT auditors’ outcomes.

Teaching this wonderful, dedicated group of students is a unique and fulfilling experience and it proves that executive or business skills coaching is valuable in every setting.