When the year changes, I am motivated to revisit both my personal and professional goals. ACN members are a group eager to learn and improve their skills; I am continually inspired after connecting with you. Here, I share a few ways you can push yourself professionally this year.
- Create a plan for continual learning. Write down one skill you want to develop each month, and find a corresponding LinkedIn course — or ACN educational opportunity — to complete. Schedule it into your work week or free time, and set reminders so you don’t forget.
- Strengthen your personal brand. As one approach, you can frequently update your LinkedIn profile (when was the last time you renewed your headshot?), engage with others in your field and reshare ACN posts and Connections articles you found helpful. Take it a step further and write your own thought leadership posts directly on LinkedIn. Bonus if you publish your perspectives and advice via an industry publication (such as Connections).
Networking is another element important to building your brand. Participate in industry webinars, conferences, and forums — all available at ACN.
- Focus on emotional intelligence. Technical skills are incredibly helpful for those in the insurance industry. Emotional intelligence can amplify them. Seek out resources that will help you develop your empathy, active listening and conflict resolution skills. Consider finding a mentor, coaching others and participating in a team-building hobby outside of work to hone your leadership abilities.
- Seek out and listen to workplace feedback. Are you positioned to take on a new role at work this year? Or have you been in a leadership position for a while, but are unsure how you are performing? Most organizations have a regular way to track progress, but consider creating a form peers, managers or subordinates can fill out with feedback on your performance or advice on growth. Self-assessment tools can also be used to identify areas for leadership improvement.
Once you receive feedback, it can be tough to accept, especially if it is negative. However, even if it’s just one comment, it is worth considering. Use this feedback as a roadmap for growth — e.g., if a comment suggests you are not great at listening, find a corresponding course that can help you grow these skills.
- Enhance your digital fluency. New tools are continually rolling out and becoming commonplace. One that easily comes to mind is artificial intelligence tools like large language models. Interacting with these tools is the simplest way to grow familiar and confident with them; test out different companies’ offerings to see which one you like best. Depending on the tool, there may be integrations that are not immediately obvious, so taking time for a course could be worth it for improving workflow.
Another element of digital fluency to look at in 2025 is data literacy. Are you showcasing your role’s return on investment through data analytics and reporting (check out my 2020 podcast episode on this topic)? This is a valuable skill to have in your back pocket, even if it’s not typically part of your job function.
Take the time to invest in your professional growth in 2025. If you incorporate any of these approaches, tell me about it next time we connect. Until then, have a wonderful start to your year.
Brian Langerman
ACN CEO