Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times...and Beyond answers the question on everyone's mind today: what does it take to successfully navigate your career in challenging times when jobs are tight, competition is fierce, markets are changing and technology is redefining how we work and network? Whether you are in the middle of your career or just starting out we all have at least one thing in common - we want to have a long and fulfilling career. Some of us might be waiting for things to return to "normal" but who knows what the new "normal" will be? As citizens of the world we are all finding out how closely our fortunes are tied together. The rules in the business world transform daily and sometimes it is hard to keep up with the pace of change. Taking the Leap can help you achieve your goals by focusing you on three critical areas: Personal Leadership, Change Management and Communication. Dr. Beth Banks Cohn and Ms. Roz Usheroff blend their complementary expertise - Cohn in change management and leadership development and Usheroff in communication and executive branding - to bring you career-boosting strategies along with activities and case examples that will benefit you at any stage of your career. As you read this book you will learn the essentials on: How to brand yourself with tips and hands-on exercises so you can define, claim and improve your professional image How to be a more influential leader and the ten traits that will get you there How to thrive through a career change; and how to manage others through change including ten keys to change management and the ten myths of change leadership How to "read" your workplace landscape and use office politics to your advantage How to avoid common communication traps between genders, generations and cultures How to master virtual communication and long-distance work relationships How to leverage and improve your professional network. As you develop skills in these areas you will truly find yourself "taking the leap" in your career because you will be far ahead of any of your colleagues, not just in demonstrating leadership but in managing your career strategically. This may seem more important in challenging times such as these but in truth it is essential to manage your career strategically all of the time. Gone are the days when someone else might manage your career for you, choosing your next assignment or position. Also gone are the days where you could just go from one job to another with no thought of a pattern. Paying attention to your career no matter what your aspirations will help keep you working when others might not be. No job is "fireproof, "but this book shows you how to be the type of employee who is valued far above others. Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times...and Beyond is a book meant to be used over and over again throughout your career."