Building Successful Careers

My mentor Harry, Former Chairman of the Board, once called me in his office, " Elizabeth, do you like ballet?" "Of course, I love ballet!" " How about hockey games?" " I only watched a few times, but they seem quite exciting." " Running business is like directing a ballet. You have planned the story line, plot and actions. You direct the show day in and day out, always making it perfect so everything seems smooth and effortless. As the director of the show, you give directions to your dancers. More importantly you provide the stage for them to perform, mentoring and coaching them to their highest potential. This is the highest level of leadership. Hockey games are surely exciting. You chase after the puck. The puck is flying everywhere. The team is reacting as quickly as possible with many random actions… that is a game, not a business. If you want to build a profitable business, you have to plan, direct, coach and mentor your people. Develo

I have talked to many friends who have lost their jobs in the recent economic downswing. Losing your job is sad in this shaky job market and I am amazed to discover what my friends are doing during their downtime. Here is a list of how some of them are putting their time to good use: 1) Start a dream business, or provide advice to others on how to start a business 2) Volunteer in their children’s activities, become a coach 3) Volunteer in non-profit organizations, help others 4) Network with a positive attitude 5) Write books and articles 6) Explore long term goals and passions, put a plan together and start to execute the plan 7) Exercise intensively 8) Offer free services to companies that eventually turned into their clients 9) Send resumes selectively and follow up diligently. By filling your life with some of the above activities, there is little time to be depressed. Accept the layoff and use your free time positively. A friend recently shared his layoff experience with me. He lo

I have been asked many times about competing with others. New graduates have asked me how to compete with experienced professionals; experienced professionals have asked how to compete with offshore cheap resources. These questions came from fear of the unknown. My answer has been, “Don't compete with others, compete with yourself." I believe that every individual is a star, made of strengths and weaknesses. If you try to compete with thousands of people equipped with thousands of different strengths, you put yourself into a meaningless panic mode, chasing someone else's tail every second. If a company is chasing every competitor, it puts itself in the same situation and loses its direction. You can only have one brand effectively. Let's fly to 1000 feet and take a five-year look forward at yourself and your competitors. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Pick one or two areas where you would like to improve. Then compete whole-heartedly in these limited areas. Wi

Attitude 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know (101 Series) by John C. Maxwell (Hardcover - Jan 3, 2003) Excellent book for leaders to motivate themselves and their teams. It helps you to anchor yourself in the fast downward situation.