Lead the People

Senior Director of Talent, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, small business owner, wife, mom, and farmer...any of these can be used to introduce Amber, who likes to keep her plate full! Amber began her career 18 years ago as a project manager for an Executive Coaching firm and quickly decided she was more interested in the talent side of the business than project management. Since then she has grown from Coordinator to Senior Director of Talent, and recently completed her Doctorate of Psychology degree. She and her husband operate a successful dog care business in MA, and she is an adjunct professor at Southern New Hampshire University. In the middle of all of this she had a surprise baby boy who she dedicates all of her spare time to, getting him used to the farm life with goat, horses, chickens, cats and dogs.

Top 3 Takeaways

  1. Take charge. You are accountable for your own career trajectory. Don’t look for others to lift you up, rather do the hard work of calling your shot.
  2. Make the connection. Too often we have business conversations or people conversations. Recognize that these are inextricably linked and when we do right by our people, we boost our business.
  3. Be an influencer. One of the most challenging yet rewarding types of leadership is influential leadership. Tap into your powers of vision, persuasion, and motivation to draw out others’ enthusiasm and action.

From the Source

“You don't always need to go external to find talent. You might have it sitting with you already. Maybe it's just not in the right spot or not the right fit.”

“The one big thing that I learned from you was that my career was up to me. It wasn't just going to land in my lap. I needed to intentionally make whatever I wanted to happen, happen.”

“Talent could be sitting in our organization and we don't know it if we're not having those conversations.”

“Talent is so broad, but we can't lose focus on the details and how important the talent is. It's not just a cliche or a fad word. Our talent, they're humans. They’re people. We don't have businesses without our people.”

“It’s all about influence and how you share what you do have and what you do know and how you influence those around you.”

“It's helping organizations understand what motivates your employees and not just for the sake of knowing that, but for making the connection between understanding how your employees are engaged or motivated literally impacts your bottom line.”

“I think without a focus on the whole change management aspect and how that impacts employees and how do you best manage that, we are going to continue to see massive struggles with hiring, with keeping our employees.”

“Employees need to be able to trust their leaders and that they're keeping them apprised of organizational changes, organizational decisions, team decisions, things that impact their role and their job and how they fit into the company.”

“People don't leave companies. They leave people.”

Connect with Amber

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-amber-cerone-psyd-5a60659/

The Barker House: ​​https://barkerhousedogs.com

What is Lead the People?

Lead The People is your guide to unlocking your true potential as an authentic leader. Hosted by Dr. Matt Poepsel—The Godfather of Talent Optimization—this podcast dives deep into the art and science of what it takes to lead at the next level. With insightful conversations and practical strategies, each episode equips executives, strategic HR pros, and aspiring leaders with the tools it takes to boost performance, inspire teams, and drive meaningful impact. Whether exploring the latest workplace trends or tackling real-world leadership challenges, Lead The People offers an enlightened approach to leadership. Embark on a rewarding journey to become the leader your people deserve—the leader you were meant to be.