The traditional view of career development as a ladder—defined by promotions, title changes, and moves—has never been a model that reflects the reality of the educational arena. Yet, this limited perspective continues to shape expectations, leaving educators and staff feeling disengaged, school leaders struggling to support growth, and districts at risk of losing talent. It’s time to rethink career development, moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to embrace a more dynamic, meaningful, and sustainable model.
The good news? Growth isn’t just about climbing a hierarchy—it’s about deepening expertise, expanding impact, and increasing engagement. This keynote introduces a research-based, easy-to-apply framework that redefines career development through seven powerful dimensions that offer relevant, practical ways for school leaders to foster the growth of their staff—without waiting for those all-too-infrequent promotions or title changes.
Through this interactive experience, school administrators and leaders will broaden their perspective on career development and gain tools to cultivate meaningful growth opportunities within their teams, helping educators and staff stay engaged, energized, and committed.
Key Takeaways
After attending this session, school leaders will be able to:
- Identify the disconnect between traditional career development models and today’s realities in education.
- Assess their own career growth priorities using a multidimensional framework.
- Recognize seven pathways for development beyond promotions or positional changes.
- Consider creative, cost-effective ways to help educators and staff develop in ways that matter most to them.
- Engage effectively with staff who are primarily focused on advancement, guiding them toward additional growth opportunities.
This session will equip school leaders with the mindset and strategies to support career growth in a way that strengthens schools, retains top talent, and fuels the passion that drives student success.
BiographyJulie Winkle Giulioni is a champion for workplace growth and development. She believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their potential. And she supports organizations and leaders who want to make that happen with keynote speeches, consulting and training.
Julie is the co-author of the international bestseller, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Organizations Need and Employees Still Want, translated into seven languages and coming out in its third edition in September. Her most recent book, Promotions Are So Yesterday: Redefine Career Development. Help Employees Thrive, has been recognized with Nautilus and Axiom Business Book Awards.
She is a regular columnist for Training Industry Magazine and SmartBrief and contributes articles on leadership, career development, and workplace trends to numerous publications including Fast Company and The Economist.
Named by Inc. Magazine as a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, Julie’s in-person and virtual keynotes and presentations offer fresh, inspiring, yet actionable strategies for leaders who are interested in their own growth as well as supporting the growth of others.
Her firm, DesignArounds, creates and offers training to organizations worldwide and has earned praise and awards from Human Resource Executive Magazine’s Top Ten Training Products, New York Film Festival, Brandon Hall, and Global HR Excellence Council.
Julie and her husband live in her 100+ year-old house in South Pasadena, California where they raised their children and where she was an elected school board member and president.
