Kristiana Osborne

Invest in people, not just performance. This advice changed how I view leadership, especially in sales. Too often, especially in sales, can start to feel like numbers rather than individuals. Leading a team of early career professionals, I've learned that entry level roles can sometimes be overlooked or even undervalued, yet they are critical to a company's long term success. How you support and develop these individuals often determines not only their performance, but whether they choose to grow within the organization at all. As a leader, you're often their first real impression of the company, and in my case, of corporate life itself. Investing in their growth, confidence, and sense of belonging has a lasting impact, not just on them, but on the future of the organization.

Be proactive about your growth and don't wait for opportunities to find you. Early in my career, I learned that no one simply hands you the next step. You are your strongest advocate. Ask for feedback often, get clarity on what 'great' looks like and don't be afraid to ask for what's next, even if you don't feel completely ready. Most people don't start out in their dream role, and that's ok. Treat every position as a learning opportunity and a foundation you can build from. Use your voice to advocate for yourself. Especially as young woman, confidence can feel like something you're supposed to earn over time, but it's something you can practice and implement from day one. Believe your perspective and ideas have value and take ownership of your career path.

For early career professionals, I think the biggest challenge is that they start something where they're not sure if that's where they're supposed to be. Everyone is trying to figure that out in their first few years, sometimes post-college or when they're trying something new for the first time. The uncertainty of whether this is something they're going to be good at, and whether it's something they're going to want to be in long-term, is really what they're grappling with. Being able to help them answer those questions and find where they truly fit into the workplace is extremely important.

In my role, the most important values to me are identifying where people fit in and what their strengths are, especially since I manage entry-level employees in their first introduction to corporate life. I focus on building confidence and developing people professionally because I believe leaders can shape how someone moves throughout the rest of their career. Your first impression of corporate life can be scary, and if it's a bad first impression, it can totally change the trajectory of where that person is going. I take a lot of responsibility for how they're planning out their future careers. I also really value their mental health and well-being because we spend the most time with them, sometimes more than they even spend with their own families. We're with them all day, every single day, all week, so that's a huge consideration for me in terms of their first step into this world and what's going to happen next for them.