Crawford Leadership Strategies, LLC.

Crawford Leadership Strategies, LLC. Joyel Crawford is the CEO and Fairygodmentor®️ of Crawford Leadership Strategies grows leaders for a living.

If you are serious about your career
If you are driven
If you want to take your career to the next level
If you want to find meaningful work in your life
If you are open to investing in your success

Then-We need to work together! I am a mentor, career strategist, experienced leader who’s been there done that and wants to help you reach your highest potential.

09/07/2026

Dear Fairygodmentor®,
I work remotely, and I’m struggling to build a strong relationship with my manager. I’m never sure how often to update them, what information they want, or whether my work is visible.
I’ve heard that I should “manage up,” but that sounds political and manipulative. What does managing up actually look like when I just want us to work better together?

-Trying to Manage Up

Dear Trying to Manage Up,
Managing up is not manipulation. It’s making the working relationship between you and your manager more successful.

And in remote or hybrid workplaces, you cannot afford to leave that relationship to guesswork.

I can't stress the importance of having regular one-on-one conversations with your manager. Whenever I had a new manager, I set up the cadence of regular meetings so we could set expectations, improve communication and strengthen your business relationship. Pro tip- this is also a great way to minimize micromanaging because you're keeping them apprised of what you're up to.

Ask your manager four things:
• What matters most right now?
• How do you prefer to communicate?
• Where do you need more visibility from me?
• What does a strong update look like to you?

Then create a simple rhythm.

Send a concise update that connects your progress, priorities, and roadblocks to what the business needs.

And if your manager keeps avoiding these meetings? (Yeah, it has happened to me a couple of times)
It's time to be professionally persistent.
Kindly remind them that the goal of these meetings is to collaborate effectively for the organization's benefit.

You’re not managing your manager’s personality. You’re reducing confusion, building trust, and helping both of you work more effectively.

🧚🏾‍♂️Your Fairygodmentor® Friday Move:
This week, agree on one communication habit that will make your manager's relationship easier.
🤔What’s one expectation you need to clarify with your manager? Tell me in the comments!
You got this!

📧Want Fairygodmentor® Fridays in your Inbox? Subscribe here: https://us.bigin.online/org931663705/forms/newform

📸Image by Mohamed_hassan from Pixabay

👩🏾‍🦲🧑🏻‍🦲👨‍🦲September is Alopecia Awareness Month!Walk For Alopecia supports the mission of to drive research to find a...
09/02/2026

👩🏾‍🦲🧑🏻‍🦲👨‍🦲September is Alopecia Awareness Month!

Walk For Alopecia supports the mission of to drive research to find a cure and accessible treatments for alopecia areata, support those impacted, and educate the public about the disease. Register today or donate at https://naaf.donordrive.com/participant/8576

08/31/2026

🧚🏾‍♂️ Fairygodmentor® Friday ✨

The worst time to prep for workplace change? After the announcement drops. 😬

You can't predict the future — but you CAN stay ready for it. 💪

Here are your 4 career assets to focus on:
🗣️ Your voice
🎯 Your skills
✨ Your brand
🤝 Your relationships

Real talk — ask yourself:

Can you clearly explain the value you bring?
Are your skills keeping up with where your industry is headed?
Does your brand reflect the work you WANT next?
Are you nurturing relationships before you need a favor?

💡 Pro tip: do a quarterly career check-in
📝 Update your résumé + LinkedIn
📊 Document your wins
👀 Watch the market
💬 Keep your network warm

This week's mission: update ONE career asset before the weekend. You've got this!

Preparation won't erase uncertainty, but it WILL give you options — and options = power. 🔑

👇🏾 Which career asset needs your attention right now? Drop it in the comments!

📬 Want more career magic in your inbox? Subscribe to my newsletter (link in bio or tap here): https://us.bigin.online/org931663705/forms/newform

📸Image by G_r_a_f_i_c from Pixabay

08/26/2026

Doing your boss’s job without your boss’s title?

That stretch assignment might be a great career opportunity.

Or it might just be **career debt.** 👀

Here’s the difference:

A **career investment** gives you new skills, visibility, relationships, measurable wins, and stories you can use to position yourself for what’s next.

**Career debt?**

You invest the time.
Your company collects the interest.
You get tired.
And nothing changes.

If you’ve been taking on responsibilities above your pay grade, don’t make your case by saying:

“I’ve been working really hard.”

Show the evidence.

What did you lead?
What improved because you were there?
What decisions did you make?
What results can you quantify?

Then have the conversation about where this experience is leading.

**Facts, not feelings.**

Because there’s another distinction we need to make:

Being indispensable can get you **more work.**

Becoming irreplaceable can get you **more opportunities.**

🎶 Be like Beyoncé. Be *Irreplaceable.*

My latest **Ask Your Fairygodmentor®** column for BLACK ENTERPRISE is live. Read it here:
https://www.blackenterprise.com/leadership-career-promotion/

08/24/2026

Who says your name when you’re not in the room?

A mentor can help you prepare for the opportunity.

A sponsor uses their influence to help you get it.

But sponsorship rarely begins with asking a powerful stranger, “Will you be my sponsor?” It grows through strong performance, meaningful visibility, trust, and clarity about where you want to go.

Your move this week: Identify one potential advocate and create a useful touchpoint. Share an insight. Offer support. Update them on a meaningful result.

Don’t ask for sponsorship yet.

Give them a reason to remember your name.

For HR and talent leaders: Who in your organization is being mentored and developed, but still doesn’t have anyone advocating for them when opportunities arise?

📧Want Fairygodmentor Fridays in your Inbox? Sign up here: https://us.bigin.online/org931663705/forms/newform

📸 Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

📻I can't wait to hit the airwaves today on The Jam! Looking forward to chatting with Marcus Allen and Dr. James Smith, J...
08/17/2026

📻I can't wait to hit the airwaves today on The Jam!
Looking forward to chatting with Marcus Allen and Dr. James Smith, Jr. CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)! 👇🏾

🎙️ TODAY ON THE JAM

We’re sitting down with Joyel Crawford, MBA, CPCC, MJSC, PHR — award-winning executive coach, leadership strategist, TEDx speaker, author and founder of Crawford Leadership Strategies.

Joyel has helped more than 15,000 leaders turn ambition into action. Today, we’ll talk about leadership, navigating change, honoring grief in the workplace and her forthcoming book, “It’s Their Loss: Honoring Grief at Work and Leading Through What Breaks Us Open.”

Join Dr. James Smith, Jr. CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) and me for a real conversation about what leadership requires when life and work get complicated.

📅 Today — Monday, August 17
⏰ 2–3 PM ET
📻 WWDB AM 860

Follow our guest:

08/17/2026

Were you taught that if you keep your head down, work hard, and deliver results, the right people will eventually notice?

Well, here’s the problem:

Good work doesn’t always speak for itself.

In a crowded workplace, it often whispers.

Visibility isn’t bragging or showing off. It’s giving decision-makers the information they need to understand your value and help you grow.

So, build your Career Campaign.

First, know your platform. What do you stand for, and where do you want to go next?

Next, find your supporters. Who understands your goals and can say your name when opportunities arise?

Then, create your slogan. How would you describe the value you bring in one or two sentences?

Finally, bring the proof. Don’t just list what you did. Explain what changed because you were there.

Your work is not a secret worth keeping.

What’s your Career Campaign slogan? Share it in the comments.

You got this!

Many talented people were taught that if they kept their heads down, worked hard, and delivered results, the right people would eventually notice.

But good work doesn’t always speak for itself.

In a crowded workplace, it often whispers.

Visibility isn’t bragging. It’s giving decision-makers the information they need to understand your value and help you grow.

It may be time to build your Career Campaign:

🧚🏾‍♂️ Your platform: What do you stand for, and where do you want to go next?

🧚🏾‍♂️ Your supporters: Who understands your goals and can say your name when opportunities arise?

🧚🏾‍♂️ Your slogan: How would you describe the value you bring in one or two sentences?

🧚🏾‍♂️ Your proof: What improved, changed, or became possible because you were there?

Stop hoping your work will speak for itself.

Give it a microphone.

What’s your Career Campaign slogan? Share it in the comments!

💻 Want to Subscribe?! Click here: https://us.bigin.online/org931663705/forms/newform


📸Image by Peter Wiberg from Pixabay

Your organization ran the engagement survey.You launched the leadership development program.You added wellness initiativ...
08/14/2026

Your organization ran the engagement survey.

You launched the leadership development program.

You added wellness initiatives.

You may have even increased retention bonuses.

And your best people are still burned out, disengaged—or heading for the door.

So, what’s missing?

The problem isn’t necessarily that those solutions don’t work.

It’s that no single initiative can compensate for what employees experience from their leaders every day.

A wellness program cannot fix an impossible workload.

A retention bonus cannot make someone feel valued.

An engagement survey cannot rebuild trust if employees never see action afterward.

And leadership training cannot change workplace behavior if leaders aren’t expected, supported, and held accountable to apply what they learned.

Whew!

Organizations don’t need another disconnected initiative. They need alignment between what they promise employees and what leaders actually practice.

That means helping leaders:

Clarify priorities before everything becomes urgent
Recognize and develop talent before people feel invisible
Address difficult issues before trust disappears
Lead people through change—not simply announce it
Turn feedback into visible action

Because hiring talented people is only the beginning.

How you lead them determines whether they grow, contribute, and stay.

🤔What has your organization tried that looked good on paper but failed to change the employee experience? Tell me in the comments.

08/10/2026

Sometimes your career doesn’t come to a dramatic stop.

It simply gets…quiet.

The invitations slow down.

The stretch assignments go to someone else.

The feedback becomes vague or disappears altogether.

Meanwhile, you’re still working hard and staying busy. But here’s the truth:

Being busy is not the same as being developed.

Before you work twice as hard trying to prove your value, pause and ask yourself:

When was the last time someone talked to me about my future?

Am I receiving work that increases my visibility, influence, or skills?

Have I clearly communicated how I want to grow?

Then ask your manager directly:

“How do you see my role evolving over the next six to twelve months?”

You’re not asking for validation.

You’re gathering information.

Listen closely to whether you receive clarity, actionable feedback, and meaningful support or more fog.

Your career isn’t stuck.

It’s giving you data.

🧚🏾‍♂️ Your Fairygodmentor® Friday Move: Ask one decision-maker a direct question about your future and pay attention to what they say and what they avoid saying.

Have you ever realized you were being quietly sidelined? What gave it away?

Want more practical workplace advice delivered directly to your inbox? Subscribe to Fairygodmentor® Fridays:
https://us.bigin.online/org931663705/forms/newform



📸Image by phmaxiestevez from Pixabay

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