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How Great Leaders Inspire Action
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the YouTube video link that my daughter recently forwarded to me (“we watched this in class today and I thought you might like it”). Well, it turned out to be great. So great that it is worth sharing. It is...
What To Do When Asked To Lead A Gender Initiative
Sometimes, it is not clear whether a company is referring to a women’s initiative such as forming a women’s network, or whether it is part of a broader gender balancing program aimed at balancing the ratio of men and women throughout the...
Surviving As An Analyst
Making a success of your first job as an analyst is an important career milestone. I remember looking up at the 53-story office building from the sidewalk on my first day of work. It was scary, exciting, and pretty intimidating. Twenty-four...
Gaming The Year-End Appraisal Process
You’ve worked hard all year, now it all comes down to the official assessment - the year-end appraisal. If only you could be in the room to represent yourself, if only you could be in control. For two decades, this was my refrain after getting...
Compensation: How To Get Paid What You Deserve
Compensation is a tricky topic in banking these days. It is unpopular (and many have argued even unjust) for bankers to be paid large sums given all that has gone on. On the other hand, people doing an honest day’s work cannot be expected to...
How To Make It To Managing Director – Part II
This is a continuation of my earlier article on how to make it to the top of the tree in an investment bank. As I stated previously, making Managing Director is an art, not a science. But there are some things that will help you along the way....
How To Make It To Managing Director – Part I
Making Managing Director is in part an art, and definitely not a science. There is no set formula for achieving this status, and each firm will have its own dynamics in terms of when someone becomes eligible, what it takes, and indeed what it...
What If You Get Passed Over For Managing Director Promotion?
There is no guarantee that having embarked on the journey toward “MD-ship” that one will make it. That having been said, sometimes you just have to be patient. If you are given bad news, then the key is to understand why and what it takes to...
How To Cope When You're Not Promoted To Vice President
It doesn’t feel very good to find out you didn’t get promoted, whatever the seniority level. It’s natural to wonder, “Is this a sign? Am I remedial? Do I have what it takes? Is it me or is it them?” If this happens to you at an early stage,...
Facing Up To Face Time
One of my favourite quotes is film director Woody Allen’s line, “80% of success is showing up.” But once you show up, how long do you need to stick around when it comes to your workplace? The perennial question of “face time” (i.e., extra time...
6 Ways To Assess Executive Job Opportunities and Education Programs
Should you always go for the best? Whether we are talking about going back to school or a looking for a new executive job, the question is, “Should you always go for the highest ranking university or the most prestigious corporation?” Back in...
Who Has Got It Right: Those Who Fear China or Those Who Embrace China?
Today I had the privilege of meeting with some very impressive scientists who are focused on improving the lives of people across the globe. They tell me that China, and not the US, is one of the few nations that truly “get it” as far as their...
Influence: Leaders Are Not Colorfast
The people we surround ourselves with have a big influence on how we think and behave, as well as how we are perceived. That’s why parents care that their kids are not running with the “wrong crowd”. The same holds true for the people you...
New Year Resolutions versus “Swing Thoughts”
Instead of New Year resolutions, I have decided to go with the suggestion made by Chris Brogan in his end of year blog to identify three words to live by during the next year, or in his words, “my guiding pillars for what I will focus on in the...
Would You Take This Dream Job?
The following situation (or something substantially similar) actually exists in real life. How close is this to your dream job, or is it pretty much the opposite? The Job: Congratulations. You have been chosen to start work at our...
Leadership In Adversity
Life is complicated. Things don’t always go the way we expect, much less the way we want. Yet, it is often adversity that brings out our best leadership qualities.
5 Ideas For Keeping Your Composure
Keeping your composure when you feel safe is easy. The question is how to regain and retain it when you are no longer in your comfort zone, when you feel out of your element. Add pressure to any situation (speed it up, raise the stakes,...
Winning, Losing and The Case For Composure
Sports tournaments make for some interesting lessons on leadership and performance, and these apply equally to business and life overall. Last week, I had the chance to observe first hand the dynamics of winning and losing at the Women’s U18...