What do you do if your boss's brand strategy expertise can boost your skills?

Leverage your boss's expertise by: Proactive learning: Seek opportunities to work on projects together. Open communication: Express interest in learning their approach. Shadowing: Observe their decision-making process. Knowledge sharing: Ask for feedback on your work. Mentorship: Request formal or informal mentorship.

If you think your boss's expertise in brand strategy can help you grow, start by having an open conversation with them. Let them know you’re genuinely interested in learning more and how their guidance can make a difference. Ask if they’d be willing to mentor you or offer advice on specific areas you want to develop. Suggest a plan for how you might work together, such as observing their approach or tackling projects that could benefit from their insights. Please show your appreciation for their support and keep them in the loop about how their advice is helping you progress. This approach enables you to learn and builds a more robust, collaborative relationship with your boss.

I've been fortunate to have some really good bosses. One such a great boss and friend was Sanjiv, my immediate superior when I worked in the middle east. How to translate creative ideas into business for client and self - This was an ability he taught me well. I would discuss my creative ideas and he would demonstrate and guide me into crafting and converting them into value for clients and our agency. While the environment and mediums may have changed, the fundamentals of this powerful lesson I use every single day in my life. It's win-win for all.

The worst thing you can do is never ask questions. A good boss isn't a boss at all, but is a leader. They are someone who should mentor, advise, and encourage. Don't be afraid to ask questions, admit to what you don't know - seek out mentorship and support and explain why you want to grow in the area and what you hope to learn.

Seek opportunities to collaborate closely with your boss on projects. Ask for mentorship and schedule regular one-on-one meetings to discuss strategies and gain insights. Be proactive in seeking feedback and learning from their approach. Volunteer for tasks that allow you to observe their decision-making process. Attend workshops or training sessions together if possible. Reflect on their techniques and apply what you learn to your own work. By leveraging your boss’s expertise, you can significantly enhance your brand strategy skills.

Become a fly on the wall. Ask your boss if you can sit in on meetings, be a part of the planning process, and ask their thought process. When you get so good at something it becomes just instinct and you rarely ever write it down or truly explain to others what the thought process is. Asking to be a part of it, or asking about it can help get that knowledge out of your bosses head and into yours.

As you observe your boss and become a part of their thought process, you have an opportunity to be a collaborator. The goal is to become a trusted part of the process so your boss can share tasks with you, assign projects, and work together more.

Reflecting is critical to learning. Stepping back to reflect enables you to understand the situation in the best way possible rather than automatically resorting to your default tendencies. By reflecting honestly, you better understand yourself and the situation. You become aware of how you tend to respond, your biases, and how they may have affected your decision-making in brand strategy. The key is to use this as an incentive to reflect regularly. The best way to reflect is to keep a daily journal. Using a journal allows you to set aside time from responding to evaluating if you're responding the best way. It helps you become emotionally detached and see the situation more objectively, which is crucial for brand strategy.

You might eventually find yourself in a position where you can be a mentor to someone. The key here is to be proactive. When you approached your boss for mentorship, you were being proactive and advocating for yourself. You have a chance to break that cycle and seek out employees you wish to mentor, and help them learn and grow in their roles.