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Janet Kim

I leverage 18+ years in Stanford tech to help emerging leaders like you think strategically, build influence, and execute with confidence, so you’re seen, heard and valued where it matters most.

Featured Post

When Staying Excellent Starts to Cost You

02.05.2026Leadership & Career Decisions — with strategic visibility in mind. Hey Reader, Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, make clear leadership and career decisions, and build strategic visibility — so they’re seen, heard, and valued where it matters most. 1. The Leadership Situation (the real moment) There’s a phase many high performers hit quietly. You’re good at what you do. People rely on you. Your reputation is solid. And yet, something feels...

January 29, 2026 Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize their work, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Today At A Glance ✔ Reinvention isn’t about age — it’s about timing and judgment ✔ Readiness often follows action, not the other way around ✔ Experience doesn’t close doors; it sharpens which ones matter When Experience Changes the Question Last month, I turned 60. Not with a sense of completion. With a clearer...

January 22, 2026 Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize their work, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Image Credit: Kobi Omenaka Today at a glance ✔ Confidence often hides years of quiet survival ✔ Privilege and struggle are both layered — including your own ✔ Strong leaders account for differences they never had to overcome The assumption I carried I used to think people hesitated for no reason. Just speak up....

January 15, 2026 Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize their work, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Photo: Alex Friedman Today at a glance Loyalty can quietly turn into consent when judgment is deferred Staying “inside the structure” can feel responsible — until it becomes costly The hardest leadership lessons often feel reasonable while they’re happening When loyalty feels like the right thing to do There’s a...

January 8, 2026 Why I Went Quiet Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize effectively, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Why I Went Quiet Hello friends and colleagues, Some of you may have noticed I went quiet. I paused the newsletter in October because I was heads down preparing for my TED Talk. It was the final stretch of a goal I wanted to finish without distraction. Now that it's behind me, and with a fresh...

October 9, 2025 Build a Legacy Others Can Build Upon: The Dior Blueprint for Lasting Leadership Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize effectively, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Today at a glance: Dior led for just 10 years. His name still defines excellence nearly 80 years later. He didn’t build a brand. He built a foundation others could stand on. True leadership legacy isn’t about being irreplaceable — it’s...

October 2, 2025 The Leadership Skill Nobody Talks about: Strategic Distance Hello Reader Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize effectively, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Today at a glance: The leadership skill nobody talks about: strategic distance” How relationships can quietly drain your influence Practical ways to set boundaries without burning bridges Not every connection builds you. Some quietly break...

September 25, 2025 Don’t Mistake Burnout for Dedication. Hello Reader Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize effectively, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Today at a glance: The subtle signals your top talent is slipping away A quick 5-part audit to test how you’re leading them Three actions to protect—not lose—your best people The Silent Burnout Problem They’re burning out— and you’re calling it “dedication.”...

September 18, 2025 It's Never Too Late to Begin Again Hello Reader Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize effectively, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Today at a glance: Why not knowing your path is more normal than we admit How I went from frozen to consistent on LinkedIn in under 6 months 5 insights nearly 60 years (and many pivots) taught me about growth I’m almost 60 — and just figured out what I want to be...

September 10, 2025 You’re Not Replaceable at Home Hello Reader Welcome to Level Up Weekly, where I help emerging leaders think strategically, organize effectively, and execute with clarity—so they can be seen, heard, and valued. Image by Dora Vanourek Today at a glance: The costly weekend I’ll never get back 6 mindset shifts to protect what matters most How to stop tying your worth to your output A TRUTH I LEARNED WHEN MY SISTER LEFT At work, you’re replaceable. At home, you’re not. That...