CAREER ADVICE FROM BIG BOSSES
Richard Branson
`Listen more than you speak'
The Virgin Group founder says the most important
tip he ever received was from his father.
Growing up, Branson recalls being in a home
where his mother was “dreaming up new entrepreneurial schemes left, right, and
centre,“ while he and his sisters ran wild. “Amidst all the fun and chaos, dad
was always a supportive and calming influence on us all. He wasn't quiet, but
he was not often as talkative as the rest of us. It made for a wonderful
balance, and we always knew we could rely on him no matter what. Within this
discreet support lay one of his best and most simple pieces of advice for me:
Listen more than you talk.“
Suze Orman
`The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep
barking'
“I've built a successful career around giving
advice,“ writes Orman, a TV host and personal finance guru. “And that very
success has often made me a target of criticism. Not helpful, constructive
criticism, but nasty feedback entirely disconnected from facts.“
She says when she first encountered the
blowback, she was angry and perplexed. But then she learnt to be an elephant.
“A wise teacher from India shared this insight:
The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking,“ she says. “The sad fact
is that we all have to navigate our way around the dogs in our career: external
critics, competitors, horrible bosses, or colleagues who undermine. Based on my
experience, I would advise you to prepare for the yapping to increase along with
your success.“
Michael Powell
`Don't play in the baby pool'
“I heard my father [Colin Powell] say it first:
`Refuse to play in the baby pool.' ... I have no interest in playing on the
minor league field. I want to play on centre court. If you are going to win,
you are going to have to beat me there,'“ writes
Powell, the president and CEO at NCTA. This is
more than bravado, he explains. “It is a challenge to others to
treat you fairly and let them know you are wise to the inferiority game. It is
also a challenge to yourself to be excellent and not to allow others to move
you to perform off Broadway, or accept comfortable consolation prizes.“
Mary
Barra
`Talent only goes so far. Hard work does the
rest'
The best advice Barra ever received came from
her parents, who always encouraged her to work hard and pursue her early love
of math.
“This was great advice for two reasons,“ writes
the GM chief executive. “First, it led me to do something I really loved. In my
experience, in work and in life, there are lots of smart, talented people out
there.But talent alone is never enough.“
The second reason this was great advice, she
says, is that it steered her toward a career in engineering at a time when few
women were pursuing work in science, technology, engineering, or math.
“What advice would I give to someone thinking
about careers today? The same advice I got: Do what you love and work hard. And
if you love math or science, get ready to love what you do.“
Chip Bergh
`It's better to make the wrong decision than to
make no decision at all'
Bergh, the CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. and a
28-year veteran of Procter & Gamble, spent his “formative“ years as a US
Army Officer in a combat unit in Germany during the peak of the Cold War.
“In many ways, it was my military my military
experience that shaped who I am and how I think about leadership,“ he explains.
One valuable lesson he learnt? It's better to make the wrong decision than to
make no decision at all.
“Indecision can paralyse an organisation,“ he
writes. “Strong leaders are not afraid to make decisive decisions.“.
businessinsider.in
ETP19FEB15
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