Be true to yourself. For a corporate executive to deliver her best, she needs to be able to bring out her personal power, drive, energy and authenticity, and have the courage to be the best, authentic version of herself. This often means releasing ourselves from the cultural conditioning that expects us to be sweet girls who do not speak up, or that punishes us for being second-rate mothers that work too-long hours. Rather, you should express your courage, your inspiration, and your creativity to deliver your best—and allow the feeling of self respect to emerge, leading you to relish the entire experience, without apology.
Be intuitive. We are often encouraged to be logical, sequential, analytical and objective. In other words, to work with half of our pistons; the left brain. But we know that some of the most successful in our field also make room for right brain traits. Intuition does not ignore good judgment.
Create an active network. Creating relationships with people who can support your growth and who can contribute meaningfully to your journey, and doing the same in return, is not only necessary, it will enrich your career experience. An open and honest dialogue will do more for furthering our ideas and projects than pushing to have our way.
Performance, performance, performance. This is the golden rule of career advancement. Remember as you look at your options, that you hold the winning card, there is no such thing as a job description—just many ways of fulfilling it.
Balance your life. Just as a powerful engine needs high octane fuel, your spirit needs a source of energy. And that resides outside of work. Your hobbies, your passion, your friends and your family will provide that energy that keeps you going.
Deliver through people’s growth. This is perhaps the most compelling principle for me today. I feel strongly that accomplishments take place as a result of delivering technology through people. How can we possibly expect innovation to happen without the growth and development of the people delivering it? If there is something that I have learned throughout the years, something that I am truly passionate about, it is the growth of those who work alongside me, their growth as professionals, the advancement of their careers, and their growth as human beings.
