Building Successful Careers

STANFORD CLASS WSP 229             Ten Steps to a Successful Career (WSP 229) Your career development has become your own responsibility in this ever-changing talent market. Global corporations are no longer providing in-depth career development programs. Instead, they are recruiting talent from each other. In this workshop, you will learn how to build a successful career across multiple companies and industries, achieving your goals and advancing your position in this supercompetitive global talent war. This workshop will provide you with ten systematic steps extracted from great leaders in the industry. These actionable steps will assist in refining your career vision—building realistic goals, then developing feasible plans and executing them flawlessly. We will also discuss how to create an effective professional brand and network, how to collaborate and influence, as well as how to build and lead a successful team. These ten steps will help you to develop a heightened bu

Great Fall at Florence Looking at two big scars on my right elbow and left knee, I smile.  A beautiful picture of of the Arno river floats in front my eyes. I fell in love with Florence many moons ago when I was in college. This summer, I finally saw the handsome David in the Accademia Galleria (Galleria dell'Accademia) and the beautiful Cathedral, while eating delicious pizza, chocolates and Gelato, talking to artists by the side of the street. I tried to record every second and capture every beautiful scene.  I certainly fell in love with the Arno River and more so with the Ponte Vecchio bridge.  I walked with one eye closed and the other looking at the Ponte Vecchio bridge through the viewfinder of my camera.  I fell forward toward the thick river wall. To protect my face and my favorite camera, I elbowed the rough brick wall and fell left sideways. I do not remember how painful it was.  I only remember the beautiful Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge, just as a mothe

Myths of the Promotion - 10 Steps to a Successful Career                    by Elizabeth Xu, Ph.D. and Pat Zimmerman Amazon book link Myths of the Promotion provides you with ten systematic steps extracted from great leaders in the industry and authors’ real corporate executive experiences. The virtual position concept is original and paradigm changing for professionals to advance their career from individual contributors to mid-level managers and then to executive positions. Myths of the Promotion will completely change your mindset and your understanding of career advancement.  These ten actionable steps will assist you in refining your career vision, building realistic goals, developing feasible plans and executing them flawlessly. Also discussed is how to create an effective professional brand and network, how to collaborate and influence others as well as how to build and lead a successful team. These ten steps will help you to develop a hei

Six Essential Leadership Skills There are 6 categories of skills that make or break a leader: Strategic Formulation Customer Orientation Business Strategy Implementation Being a Team Player Leadership Personal Traits Understanding these skills will help you to recognize your opportunities. Elizabeth Xu, sample content from the to be published book.