Your job as a leader isn’t just about making the business more money.
You need to look beyond the organization to see how the work you are doing is impacting society, local communities, and even the world.
What can you do to make sure that you will add value to any organization you are a part of, regardless of what the future might bring?
Help make other people more successful!
Well…sort of.
Jim and David may not have thought about being CEOs growing up and in their early careers, but it goes to show that no matter what your past looks like, you can achieve greatness. Every leader has their own unique path to greatness, every individual has their own unique path, to unlock the potential of who they are. We all deal with our own challenges and obstacles, but it is important to remember that your past does not dictate where you can go and what you can achieve.
A cup of coffee changed my life forever. Sounds crazy right?
It was 2016 and I had just graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a dual B.A. in business management economics and psychology.
I was VERY excited to join the corporate world.
My plan was simple. Get a good job, work hard, go back to school to get my MBA, and then climb the corporate ladder to be an executive at a company like Coca-Cola or IBM.
Simple right? Nothing went according to plan.
Over the past few months there has been a lot of turbulence in the workforce with people leaving their organizations both voluntarily and involuntarily.
Now could be an opportune time to consider reinventing yourself and exploring other opportunities. In fact, I’ve received countless emails and comments about this which is why my wife and I started our Be Your Own Boss Podcast!
Let’s say you decided it’s time for a change and are ready to switch jobs. What should you do now?
Switching jobs isn’t something that should be taken lightly, but if for example you find yourself in a toxic work environment where you can’t advance, it may be time to move on.
Tim Ryan, U.S. Chair and Senior Partner at PwC, knows a thing or two about resilience and pushing himself to grow and improve.
Aside from his successful accounting career, Tim is also an accomplished athlete. He has pushed himself to the limit by running more than 25 marathons and maintains a rigorous fitness routine that includes 150 pushups and 1,200 sit-ups a day.
Steve Bilt is the CEO of Smile Brands, a company with 5,000 employees that provides business support services to over 425 dental offices. Smile Brands has been on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list three times and Steve is one of the top CEOs on Glassdoor.
A lot has been said about Satya Nadella’s turnaround of Microsoft, transforming it from a company many people viewed as outdated to one of the most valuable companies in the world with a strong culture. It could be the employee perks, new technology, or new customers, but what it really comes down to is this: Satya puts his people first. As I spoke with top CEOs from around the world for my new book, The Future Leader, Satya Nadella’s name constantly came up as a leader these CEOs admire. And for good reason: Satya is humble and people-focused and has a staggering 98% approval rating. By putting people first, he led an amazing turnaround at Microsoft and continues to guide it towards the future.
What is corporate culture?
Some people say it’s what happens when “the manager leaves the room.”
I prefer to think of corporate culture as the side effects of working for your organization.
Have you ever watched a show on TV only to be rudely interrupted by a commercial pitching you some kind of a prescription drug?
I always love when they get to the side effects which include things like: nausea, weight gain, hair loss, bleeding from the eyes, and in some cases death.
Should leaders focus more on value or volume? Quantity or quality? According to former Newmont Mining CEO Gary Goldberg, the answer is value.
Gary Goldberg led Newmont Mining’s 28,000 employees for seven years before stepping down in 2020. During his tenure, he turned the company’s performance around by focusing on value over volume. Instead of mining as much gold as possible, Gary led Newmont to mine the most valuable gold. The same principle applies to leadership. By focusing on delivering value for their organizations instead of focusing merely on volume or profits, leaders can create long-term success for their companies and employees.