Meet Amy P. Kelly

We were lucky to catch up with Amy P. Kelly recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amy P., first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome effects all of us. It has been someone I’ve dealt with personally and worked with many people as they worked through the challenge of imposter syndrome. One of the areas that impacted me was feeling like I was not wanted or qualified as a female. I’ve been the only woman on some of the executive teams I’ve been a part of. I’ve had impostor syndrome about my knowledge, skills, and abilities, too. In many cases, I’ve been the person on a team who initially knew the least about the industry my company or client served. Imposter syndrome also came up when I received promotions. I’ve been grateful to have the opportunity for promotions where I did not have the complete array of professional experiences to fit the role. By growing into executive roles through personal mindset development, mentorship, and specific learning plans, I’ve been able to deal with the doubt and fear that comes when you step out and step up to make a bigger impact. I still deal with imposter syndrome and have an approach to work through, develop through, and walk through the challenge of this pervasive issue. Being transparent, working hard, having a plan, and finding trusted mentors continues to help me with through imposter syndrome when the voices of insecurity come into my mind.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a wife of 23+ years and mother of four. My twins Natalie and Patrick are in their third year of college, and my two other sons Daniel and Samuel are in high school. Through the years, my children know have gone on business trips with me and come along to work. My husband and I believe that these learning opportunities help them see how our family supports each other and others in the world around us. Integrating all aspects of life into a rewarding, fulfilling, and service focused personal and professional contribution at home, at work, and in community is the heart of my life.

I love business and the people who make it all happen. My career has been in training and development, as well as driving successful culture and employment brands for high-growth teams, and companies. As someone who owned a business that went bankrupt back in the 2007 economic downturn, to participating as part of executive teams successfully selling large enterprise technology distributors, I’ve had the opportunity to learn how to create and navigate the change required for personal and organizational growth. It has been an honor to pass on what I’ve learned and continue to hone my skillset in this area.

It all comes back to believing in people and organizations and helping them grow. My faith has been a foundational component of the journey to aid in successful growth. While this was not something I built into business or development plans overtly in my corporate work, it is a part of the core of my approach to serving leaders and teams. In the bible there is a woman in Proverbs 31 who is my main role model. She is buying and selling land and working hard on behalf of her husband and family while bringing value and goodness to her community. It all works together. I have a phrase “Work IS personal” that sums up my approach to helping people and companies grow. We are not at work just to pursue our own goals and objectives AND people spend the majority of their hours in the professional endeavors. It IS personal, and supporting growth needs to take the whole person into account to be maximally successful in activating potential.

I work with author and speaker Jon Gordon after using his book The Energy Bus in an initiative at one of my previous corporations. After that experience, Jon asked me to co-author The Energy Bus Field Guide to support teams and organizations bringing this work to other companies. This was my first book through Wiley publishing.

After being a part of two different company sales, I got to start working full-time as an author, speaker, and trainer – continuing to do this work with teams and organizations all over the world. I also wrote a book during the pandemic that integrates the “Work IS Personal” approach. The book is called G.L.U.E. A Leadership Development Strategy to Bond and Unite. This story addresses conflict in business relationships and how to build stronger relationships after their has been a break -OR -avoiding the breaks and fissures that occur as businesses and relationships grow. It is an ongoing passion to explore and overcome the mindsets and perspectives that can start conflict while connecting strategies to avoid and/or overcome disagreement and conflict when it occurs.

Over the past 8 years, I’ve been doing individual, team, and organizational development through The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, and The Energy Bus. I also facilitate for the ATD (Global Association for Talent Development) in the areas of Change Management, Improving Human Performance (HPI), and Consulting Skills. Everything I do is about believing in people and helping them grow.

This is a big year, because I have two books coming out:
1. You Grow Girl – Plant and Pursue the Power of You (March)
AND
2. Difficult Conversations Don’t Have to Be Difficult (June) with Wiley publishing.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Humility, Kindness, and Intrapreneurship are three areas that continue to be hallmarks of how I endeavor to help people and companies. Realizing that I DO NOT need to know everything to continue to help people unlock their personal and professional potential and map it to the organization’s goals. I approach things that what we are doing IS personal. Of course, we bring (and need to bring) our professionalism to everything we do to help others and create harmony and growth. AND, being humble, sharing kindness, and problem-solving AS IF it is my own business and resources we are using for the growth is important. I’ve gotten amazing and beautiful support for others as I’ve helped others grow. What I mean is – those things I mentioned allow me to serve others in their growth, and GUESS WHAT??? We grow when we help others grow. It has made me a strong and more valuable asset to all I serve.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents loved me, and they supported a growth mindset. If you tried something you won by learning. I was not a natural at ANYTHING. My parents provided the opportunity to play sports, to take dance, and to try different activities. Their love and support afforded me the security to take their belief in me and learn how to believe in myself. I did not know how important that was at the time, but I know now and get to see how encouragement, belief, and support impact everyone. Adults and children cannot grow optimally without these factors. We all know when someone doesn’t believe in us, and it feels horrible. The opposite is exhilarating and a blessing. It provides the freedom to try new things and grow.

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