I’ve had the great pleasure of mentoring many young women throughout my career and when I’m pressed for the best piece of advice, I often quote Michelangelo: “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but rather that it is too low and we reach it.” My advice is simple, “aim high.”
Whether you’re motivated by the true spirit of competition or are simply motivated by beating your personal best, always aim high and push yourself beyond your limits and you’ll achieve success. At the same time, be sure to drive for success with great integrity and personal conviction. I’ve found that leading with integrity carries me through the day and lets me sleep well at night.
When it comes to leadership, I look to the “Rule of 10”:
Build on character and integrity. Tell the truth, and don’t stretch, distort, or come in late with it. Live up to your word and be genuine. Value people.
Serve your team and treat people as partners. Don’t let an organization chart get in the way. Raise your game.
Define a new game and expect everyone to play. Hire people who are smarter than you are. Embrace change. Make change a top priority.
Challenge definitions and welcome new mindsets. Make optimism a priority. Spread it around the organization.Make it the catalyst for bold moves.
Take Risks, you are likely to accomplish more. Don’t punish failure, learn from it. Be a great communicator. Communicate early and often; always listen.
Be clear and consistent. Be human and humorous. Seek out humor and set the tone for others. Strive for balance. Perform. Believe that execution is everything. Measure everything that’s important.
Dare to dream big.
Imagine the possible and imagine the impossible.
Leadership is personal; its meaning will vary from individual to individual. Always be on the lookout for great leaders. Seek out others who inspire you and embrace those leadership attributes…make them your own.
A simple question to ask yourself: How do you know if you are a leader?…Turn around and see if anyone is following you.
