What makes a perfect candidate or even company? You know the one where when you meet them or visit their offices, where you just know they're something special? Is there a blueprint for how to be such a unicorn?

Today, William Vanderbloemen shares the 12 teachable traits you can master to be a unicorn candidate or company leader and we deep dive into four specific ones: Authenticity, Self-Awareness, Curiosity, and Connection - what those look like in action, and the data shows that anyone can master these skills with practice and intention, even if you think you're not good at them.  We discuss why these skills are anything but soft, and can actually catapult you to success. And William reveals the single biggest trait that helps you separate yourself from the crowd.

To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com

Key Takeaways:

• Every one of the 12 habits of unicorns can be learned. While some may seem more innate than others or may show up differently for different people, they are something everyone can learn.
• In uncertain times, the people asking questions will be able to adapt quicker than those who are not.
• We live in the best time ever to work on self-awareness. You can work on your own stuff, on any level, and it is no longer considered quackery as it used to be.

"After studying 30,000 face-to-face interviews, we discovered that what really separates somebody from the crowd is how they treat other human beings." —  William Vanderbloemen

Episode References: 

• The Empathy Edge podcast: April Hot Take: Why Empathy Starts with Self-Awareness
• Book: Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest: amazon.com/Be-Unicorn-Data-Driven-Separate-Leaders/dp/1400247101
• More book info and resources: www.TheUnicornBook.com
• Assessment model: www.VanderIndex.com

From Our Partner:

SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.

Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.

About William Vanderbloemen, Founder & CEO, Vanderbloemen Search Group

William Vanderbloemen has been leading the Vanderbloemen Search Group for 15 years, where they are regularly retained to identify the best talent for teams, manage succession planning, and consult on all issues regarding teams. This year, Vanderbloemen will complete their 3,000th executive search. Prior to founding Vanderbloemen Search Group, William studied executive search under a mentor with 25+ years of executive search at the highest level. His learning taught him the very best corporate practices, including the search strategies used by the internationally known firm Russell Reynolds. Prior to that, William served as a Senior Pastor at one of the largest Presbyterian Churches in the United States.

Connect with William:

Vanderbloemen Search Group: vanderbloemen.com

X: x.com/wvanderbloemen

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/williamvanderbloemen

Facebook: facebook.com/vanderbloemen

Instagram: instagram.com/wvanderbloemen

Connect with Maria: 

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

X: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

Threads: @redslicemaria

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