Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO - Beverly E. Jones

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Here is a summary of the praise for the book Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO by Beverly E. Jones:

• Beverly Jones is praised as an ideal career coach who is full of ideas and inspiration. She encourages and educates people to get them where they want to go in their careers.

• Jones has helped one reviewer become a better manager and person through her knowledge and expertise.

• Reading Jones’ career advice chapters is described as having a wise counselor sitting next to the reader offering the best practical advice.

• Jones is said to help clients understand that career success is about more than work - things like self-care, family, and helping others are important too.

• The book offers valuable insights and tips grounded in Jones’ decades of experience as a leadership, executive, and career coach.

• Jones teaches sound, practical career advice based on academic research.

• Each page of the book is filled with insightful advice drawn from Jones’ career in industry and supporting hundreds of coaching clients.

• The book provides 50 indispensable tips to help readers stay afloat, bounce back, and get ahead in their careers and work.

Here are the key points from the chapters:

Chapter 47 - How to Stay Steady When Change Is Constant

• Change is constant in careers today due to factors like technological changes, shifts in markets, mergers/acquisitions, etc.
• To stay steady during change, focus on your core values and priorities. Reevaluate periodically but don’t overreact to every change.
• Develop a strong network of trusted advisors and colleagues for support during transitions.
• Continually learn and gain new skills to increase your adaptability and options.

Chapter 48 - Art Can Boost Your Creativity at Work

• Taking art classes, visiting museums, playing music, etc. can boost creativity that can be applied at work. Creativity involves making connections between unlike things.
• The arts train your brain to think more divergently and solve problems in new ways. Applying artistic skills at work can help generate new ideas.

Chapter 49 - The Right Way to Move On

• Knowing when and how to end a job or career stage gracefully is an important skill. Have a plan in place before resigning.
• Maintain goodwill with references by giving proper notice and transitioning responsibilities properly. Don’t badmouth former employers.
• Use transitions strategically for new opportunities rather than just reacting to difficulties. Look at it as personal growth.

Chapter 50 - Choose to Be an Optimist

• Maintaining an optimistic attitude can help you persevere through challenges and stress in your career. Focus on opportunities rather than threats.
• Optimism is trainable and builds resilience. Look for the good in every situation and keep things in perspective. Choose to be hopeful.

Here is a summary of the provided text:

The passage describes the career journey of an individual who began as a student activist promoting women’s equality. This led to administrative roles at her university where she created the school’s first affirmative action program.

She then went to law school thinking she would have a stable legal career. After some experience at the SEC and different law firms, she realized it was difficult for women to develop client bases and advance.

She was eventually hired by one of her largest clients, a Fortune 500 company, to oversee public affairs. She enjoyed the work helping with alternative energy projects. However, a corporate merger led to her job being eliminated.

With a severance package, she decided to create a new career focused on her passion of mentoring others. She pursued coaching certification and has now spent over a decade as an executive coach, consultant and speaker working with thousands across many fields and levels.

The passage emphasizes that throughout different roles and changes, she found satisfaction in guiding younger colleagues and helping them advance in their careers. Her new career path allows her to observe others developing strategies for success and resilience through work changes.

Here are the key points about thinking like an entrepreneur:

• Entrepreneurial skills are important for success in any field, whether you start your own business or not. It’s about developing a flexible, adaptable mindset.

• Even within a large organization, thinking like an “intrapreneur” means taking initiative, innovating without being asked, and turning ideas into profitable realities.

• To act more entrepreneurially, understand the overall mission/goals of your company/organization and find ways your work can support and align with those goals.

• Take chances by proposing new ideas, not waiting to be asked. Pitch initiatives that create value. Be willing to redefine your role or change directions.

• Develop a passion for your work and a willingness to take risks. Entrepreneurs are driven to solve problems and pursue opportunities.

• Picture alternative career paths, whether reinventing your current role or potentially starting your own venture someday. This can spark new perspectives and connections.

• Adopting an entrepreneurial mindset fosters resilience, adaptability and independence - valuable qualities for navigating career changes or difficult times.

Here are a few key points about personal branding:

• Your personal brand represents how others perceive you - it’s based on their subjective impressions and experiences interacting with you. It encompasses qualities like your personality, character, skills, work ethic, values, and reputation.

• You already have a personal brand whether you intend to or not. The goal of personal branding is to understand how others see you and then thoughtfully shape that image over time through your words and actions.

• An effective personal brand is authentic and aligned with who you truly are at your core. It’s not about pretending to be something you’re not. Rather, it’s expressing your best qualities in a clear, consistent way.

• Factors that shape your personal brand include your work experience, education, social media presence, online reputation, professional network, appearance, communication style, and how you conduct yourself in different settings.

• Tweaks to your personal brand usually involve small refinements that enhance clarity about your strengths and values rather than major overhauls. The goal is sending subtle yet consistent messages about who you are and what you bring to the table.

• Developing your personal brand takes ongoing self-reflection as well as gathering objective feedback from trusted colleagues and mentors. It’s an evolving process as you learn and grow in your career.

Does this help summarize some of the main ideas around personal branding? The key is aligning how others perceive you through subtle yet consistent expressions of your authentic self over time.

• Your professional brand is how you are perceived by others based on their assessments of your work, expertise, and character. It can open or close career doors for you, and may be different from how you see yourself.

• A woman named Sally was having trouble getting promotions because her colleagues saw her as “a flake” due to her eccentric personal style and habit of talking excessively about her hobbies.

• Sally worked to rebuild her brand by: managing her appearance to look more mainstream and professional; developing expertise in a new technology and promoting her capabilities; and visualizing the kind of leader she wanted to be to improve her confidence and contributions.

• These efforts changed perceptions of Sally so that she was seen as more mature, innovative, and as potential leader. She was given higher level projects.

• To build a strong positive brand, you can research how others currently see you, project a polished professional image, promote your work and skills, build an online presence, and shape how you are viewed as a leader with qualities like growth mindset, collaboration, positivity and taking responsibility. Developing your leadership brand lays the groundwork for future opportunities.

Here are the key points involving different views and skill sets:

• Involving people with different views and skill sets means bringing together individuals with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and areas of expertise. This helps teams be more innovative, tackle complex problems from multiple angles, and better serve a variety of needs.

• Involving different views prevents “groupthink” where everyone thinks the same way. Diverse views promote discussion of varied ideas and challenges assumptions from more than one perspective.

• Different skill sets allow teams to draw on diverse areas of expertise. For example, involving people with technical skills, marketing expertise, financial knowledge, and others ensures the team isn’t limited in its capabilities.

• Effectively managing a diverse group requires fostering an inclusive environment where all views feel respected and heard. It may also require compromise as differing views are reconciled. The end result should be stronger, more holistic solutions.

• Overall, diversity of views and skills enables more informed, thoughtful decisions that draw on the full range of available knowledge, experiences and problem-solving approaches. It helps teams avoid blind spots and overlooked considerations.

The passage discusses ways to increase self-discipline by getting out of one’s own way and breaking free from compulsive negative thought patterns. It recommends simply observing recurring negative thoughts without reacting, reframing them with more positive alternatives, naming the thought patterns to get distance from them, and visualizing who the internal narrator is to weaken its power. The key message is that much of building resilience and feeling more comfortable with manageable risk comes from becoming aware of one’s internal dialogue and recognizing that negative thoughts don’t need to be listened to or believed. Practicing observing one’s thoughts rather than ening to that tedious noise can help people become more in touch with a deeper, more connected self.

• The author argues that the term “networking” often has a negative connotation of being disingenuous or superficial, but that it really means building and maintaining meaningful relationships over time.

• Our “network” can be thought of as concentric circles of relationships, from close friends and family to more distant acquaintances and community members. Each circle plays an important role.

• Networks provide social and career support like advice, celebrations, and opportunities. They are valuable resources for one’s entire life and career, not just for times of crisis or job searching.

• We should view our networks as living things that require ongoing care and cultivation with people in all circles, not just when we need something from them. Regularly connecting with others through organizations, activities, and deeper conversations can strengthen these important relationships over the long run.

• Waiting until a time of need to start building relationships is difficult, while those who proactively develop their networks even when not searching for a new job find it more enjoyable and beneficial. Maintaining connections should be a normal part of one’s life.

• Paul was well prepared to look for a new job because he had spent years developing and maintaining a large network of professional contacts.

• There are two important aspects of network maintenance: 1) Continually expanding your network by meeting new people and making small connections. It’s not enough to just hand out business cards, you need to engage people in conversation. 2) Staying connected to people already in your network through regular communication like lunches, mentorship, and helping others.

• Paul exemplified this second aspect by being helpful to others in his network through mentoring younger colleagues, reaching out to people who felt excluded, and maintaining regular contact with friends who got too busy. This meant that when Paul needed help with his job search, he had a large network of contacts willing to support him.

• Building and nurturing relationships is a gradual process that should be woven into regular interactions, not something done in a rush. With consistent network maintenance over time, you are less likely to find yourself without support in difficult career moments.

• Give sincere thanks and show appreciation for compliments and praise. Even if you feel undeserving, it’s important to acknowledge others’ kind words politely.

• You can share credit with others when appropriate, but don’t deny your own contributions either. Spreading praise to teammates reflects well.

• Return the compliment if possible to prolong the positive interaction, but only if you are genuinely sincere.

• Keep compliment exchanges brief to avoid potential awkwardness. You can wrap it up gracefully by making a light, self-deprecating remark.

• To overcome feelings of being an “imposter” when receiving praise, set specific goals, ask for detailed feedback, and calm negative self-talk by replacing it with positive self-talk.

• Focusing criticism on work rather than people, and framing negatives positively, promotes a constructive dialogue. About 80% of feedback should be positive for optimal productivity.

• Making a conscious effort to thank and praise others regularly through habits like carrying coins can boost positivity in your workplace over time. Both you and your colleagues will benefit.

• Eddie Haskell was an archetype character on the TV show Leave It to Beaver known for being oily, conniving, and a two-faced sycophant always scheming to further his own goals.

• Many professionals, especially straightforward “straight shooters”, shy away from opportunities to build relationships and pursue goals out of a fear of looking like a brown-noser or sucking up, like Eddie Haskell.

• Trish was a talented financial employee who wanted to transfer to a new division but was reluctant to cultivate a relationship with the senior colleague Al who could help, because he seemed arrogant and she didn’t want to have to “kowtow” to him.

• The author suggests Trish identify Al’s strengths and areas of expertise to find opportunities where his advice could genuinely help her projects. She does this and Al becomes her mentor, helping her get the transfer.

• Modest but self-aware people often have a disproportionate fear of appearing like bootlickers when offering praise or building relationships, even when it could benefit their goals. This reluctance can sometimes hold them back.

To improve your executive presence and career opportunities, you can gamify developing leadership skills and maintaining an impressive profile. Keep track of your goals and progress, such as organizing your time better, sharpening presentation skills, or gaining confidence. Note achievements and collect praise to summarize your value. By viewing career growth as a long-term game and regularly reflecting on future goals, you can stay motivated to strengthen weak areas and achieve more. Regular monitoring helps prioritize developing a strong leadership aura through your demeanor, organization, communication style and other factors within your control.

• Lydia, an accomplished economist, struggled with anxiety and lack of confidence that impacted her leadership presence.

• She worked on improving her presence through practices like positive self-talk, affirmations, and power posing before important meetings. These helped her feel more confident and sure of herself.

• She also started yoga again to help relax her tense body language. Within a few months, her boss noticed a transformation in how decisive and certain she appeared.

• Building presence takes work on physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual levels through self-reflection and awareness. Small adjustments can make a meaningful impact.

• When contemplating a career shift, start with gradual changes like removing “one grain of sugar” at a time. This approach called the “Sugar Grain Principle” allows for progress without feeling deprived.

• The “Sugar Grain Process” involves developing a vision for your desired career, then taking small daily actions to work toward that vision incrementally over time. Even tiny steps lead to bigger changes if sustained consistently.

The email discusses using the “Sugar Grain Process” to help someone named Susan find a different type of job while remaining in the same broad career field. The key points are:

1. Susan wants a change after working in her current environment for many years, seeking different responsibilities and more pay.

2. The Sugar Grain Process involves defining goals and then committing to small, regular actions (called “Sugar Grains”) to make progress toward those goals.

3. For Susan, this would mean writing a detailed wish list, identifying goal categories, and committing to a set number of Sugar Grains per week to support each category.

4. Example Sugar Grains for Susan’s job search category could include networking lunches, resume work, and online research. Other categories might address health/fitness or social life.

5. Regularly doing varied small actions over time can help Susan learn new skills, broaden her network, and uncover new opportunities, eventually leading to a different job within her field.

6. Keeping records of completed Sugar Grains helps ensure progress and provides insights to inspire new actions. Having an accountability partner can also help stay motivated.

The key takeaway is that committing to small, regular actions in defined areas can help Susan achieve her goal of changing jobs through a gradual, long-term process of skill-building and opportunity exploration.

• Varied teams with diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences are more likely to come up with creative solutions than homogeneous teams. Diversity can spur creativity when members get along.

• However, fitting in on a mixed team can be challenging. One barrier is having a conversational style that others find annoying, such as excessive complaining about aches/pains (older workers) or using upwards inflection like questions (younger workers).

• The article introduces a “Code Blue” game older workers play to gently remind each other to avoid tedious conversation topics like health complaints. It suggests being aware of one’s own speech habits to ensure clear communication.

• Effective calendar management is important for productivity and focus. Keeping a time log revealed how one executive overscheduled herself and got sidetracked frequently. She learned to treat her calendar proactively to honor commitments and focus on priorities. Strategies like blocking time and limiting interruptions helped gain control.

Here is a summary of the key points about how Gina developed a better system for prioritizing her work priorities:

• Gina struggled initially to define her highest priorities and would often react to urgent but less important tasks.

• She started spending an hour each week reviewing her calendar and tasks to better define her priorities.

• She created a “career vision” statement listing her key values and goals to serve as a guide.

• She categorized tasks into four tiers based on importance to her boss/company goals and direct reports.

• She implemented a “List of 3” tasks to complete each day to stay focused on the most critical items.

• Gina blocked out mornings, when she’s most productive, for her top priorities like the List of 3 and Tier 1 tasks.

• She scheduled afternoons for lower priority routine tasks when her focus is less sharp.

• She evaluated tasks for the “biggest bang for your buck” - tasks that resolve issues efficiently.

• Gina also removed low priority “clutter” from her calendar and tasks to avoid distractions.

• Regularly evaluating and refining her priority system helped Gina maintain focus on what’s most critical.

Here are some key points about leading upward and managing one’s boss effectively:

• Set goals that serve the organization’s interests, not just your own interests. Focus on providing helpful guidance and support rather than trying to manipulate situations.

• Understand your boss’s priorities, goals, responsibilities, and perspective to better support them. Develop expertise in areas that are useful and valuable to the organization.

• Gracefully share credit for successes with others, but also take responsibility when problems arise. Don’t indulge in spreading blame.

• Report information factually without drama, exaggeration, or negativity. Ensure your boss can rely on you for honesty.

• Communicate recommendations and proposals strategically by understanding your boss’s preferences and limiting the number of items discussed in a given conversation.

• Be a good listener to understand what your boss wants and ensure meetings are productive uses of their limited time. Remain organized so as not to waste their time.

• Lead upward with humility, integrity and a focus on serving the organization’s interests rather than your own interests or ego. Influence through competence and wisdom rather than manipulation.

The overall message is that leading upward is about mentoring and supporting one’s boss effectively through competence, strategic communication and a selfless focus on organizational success. It requires understanding what they need and prefer rather than trying to promote oneself.

The passage provides guidance on using the word “sorry” effectively in a work environment. It says to say sorry sincerely when you have done something wrong to take accountability. You should describe how you truly feel remorseful to sound sincere. Saying sorry can help reset the situation and allow people to move on.

The passage also says it can be appropriate to say sorry even when not at fault, to show compassion for others in unfortunate situations beyond your control. However, don’t say sorry insincerely, as that may come across as an insult. Also avoid saying “I’m sorry, but…” when not truly at fault, as the “but” undermines the apology. When giving critical feedback, being direct is better than saying sorry to soften the message if the remorse is genuine. Overall, using sorry strategically and sincerely can help you communicate tactfully at work.

The article discusses creating mentoring relationships that are mutually beneficial for both parties, rather than just benefiting the mentee. It acknowledges that mentoring involves building a human relationship, which requires effort from both sides.

For the relationship to thrive, both the mentor and mentee need to receive value from it. Initially the mentee benefits more from advice and support, but over time the mentor also gains rewards. These can include feeling helpful, gaining a new perspective from the mentee’s questions, and developing a trusted relationship where both can seek advice.

The author provides examples from her own mentoring experiences. She initially took on mentees just wanting to support them, but found she received great value in return through their long-term friendship, challenges to grow, opportunities provided, and support at her own life events.

The article provides strategies for both mentees seeking mentors and for strengthening existing mentoring relationships. It emphasizes identifying potential mentors through casual connections first and focusing the relationship on mutual learning and support, rather than just one partner benefiting. Developing this type of true two-way relationship leads to the most rewarding mentoring experiences.

Here are the key points from the passages:

• It’s better to build your mentoring network gradually from people you already have a connection to, like past colleagues or alumni, rather than cold contacting strangers. Start by asking for small advice to build the relationship.

• When seeking mentors, make specific requests for help rather than vague requests to serve as a mentor. Do the necessary background work so mentors can easily support you.

• Be open to honest feedback from mentors, even if it’s critical, and don’t respond defensively.

• Mentoring works best as a two-way relationship where both parties contribute and benefit. Look for ways to provide value back to your mentor.

• You can gain experience in mentoring by starting small, like helping younger alumni or nonprofit members.

• Reciprocal mentoring, where both parties teach and learn from each other regardless of age or experience level, can be very effective. Identify specific needs and goals for the relationship.

• How you handle frustration at work can impact your career. It’s better to let go of anger and resentment, take feedback constructively, and look for new opportunities like additional training, than to sulk and complain which damages relationships.

Here are the key points from the passage:

• Successful entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs tend to understand the power of their networks.

• Networks can be thought of as having four concentric circles, from a core group to broader communities.

• Communities are important parts of one’s broader networks. A community has members linked by common values/interests and a sense of belonging/purpose.

• Examples of communities include neighbors, people with similar backgrounds/interests, professionals in one’s field, and members of clubs/associations.

• Though you may not know everyone, communities contain many potential contacts. Approaching others as part of the same community can help create mutually beneficial connections.

• Building and leveraging communities can help generate opportunities, support, advice and validation that aid career progression in similar ways to entrepreneurial networks.

So in summary, the passage encourages career management with an entrepreneurial mindset by recognizing the value of communities within one’s broader professional networks, and working to build and make the most of community connections. Communities provide resources that can help drive career success.

• Staying connected to communities can benefit your career and health in many ways. Supportive communities can help manage stress and promote healthy behaviors.

• Your emotions and habits can be influenced by the people in your broader networks, not just close contacts. Positive communities may help you stay positive as you take on challenges.

• Successful entrepreneurs like Molly Peterson actively engage with their business, customer, and social communities. These communities provide inspiration, knowledge, clients, and support.

• Despite her busy schedule running a photography business and farm, Molly invests in her local community through nonprofit work, events, and finding creative solutions like delivering farm goods to gyms in Washington D.C.

• Getting involved in existing communities or discovering new ones is important for building a resilient career. Strategies include identifying relevant groups, becoming active through volunteering or leadership, caring about shared issues, mentoring others, donating, and even starting a new community group.

Kerry Hannon is a noted career and workplace expert who has explored topics like finding work you love and navigating midcareer transitions through her writing, speaking, and interviews.

While Kerry initially focused on dramatic career changes, she found that a total shift may not always be practical. In her 2015 book “Love Your Job”, Kerry explored how people can find more fun and meaning at their current job through small adjustments.

Some key points:

• Kerry struck out on her own as a freelancer over 14 years ago after a career in traditional print journalism. She has become a prolific author, speaker, media guest and runs her own successful media business.

• Through her work, Kerry has helped many writers and shared stories of people reinventing their work lives. She advocates following your heart to find fulfilling work.

• While many dream of a big career change, Kerry found that may not always be practical. Her 2015 book focused on small tweaks people can make to their current job to find it more satisfying.

• As an expert for the book, I enjoyed brainstorming with Kerry and learning from her diverse experiences and stories about today’s changing workplace.

The summary outlines Kerry Hannon’s background and focuses on her shifting perspective from advocating dramatic career changes to helping people find more fulfillment through smaller adjustments to their current job.

Here are the key points from the passage:

• The passage describes a situation where a new hire named Jason struggled at his job because he lacked basic modern skills like email and word processing. His only skill was writing longhand documents.

• It argues that in today’s business world, understanding and having basic competency with social media is a core communication skill, just as essential as skills like email were in the past.

• It advises that all professionals should have a social media strategy, even if they only use it minimally. This is important for developing their personal brand and professional network.

• It provides tips for establishing a basic social media presence, including creating a LinkedIn profile, using Twitter to stay informed on industry news and trends, and following employers/competitors to understand how they use social media.

• The core message is that while not everyone needs an extensive social media presence, having some understanding and basic participation is now a professional requirement, and refusing to engage at all could negatively impact one’s career opportunities and brand.

• Chronic stress poses serious health risks like physical aches and pains, sleep difficulties, cognitive problems, emotional issues like depression. Stress can make disease worse and contribute to weight gain.

• While some stressors may be outside one’s control, there are many effective techniques for managing the symptoms of stress. These include exercise, social support, spending time in nature, creative outlets, journaling, maintaining perspective, simplifying one’s life, helping others, and meditation.

• Regular exercise, spending time with others, and activities like nature walks, hobbies, writing can help reduce physical symptoms and improve mood. Having a support system is important.

• Looking at problems from a broader perspective, prioritizing what really matters, and simplifying responsibilities can lessen the perceived impact of stressors.

• Helping other people through volunteer work or just socializing releases oxytocin which counteracts the damaging effects of stress hormones.

• Meditation through focusing on one’s breath or a word or phrase has physiological benefits and can promote calmness. Consistently using stress management techniques empowers one to take control of stress levels.

• Effective communication is vital for building a strong team. Team members should communicate frequently, both for work-related matters and casual social conversations.

• The team leader should actively circulate and ensure all members have opportunities to provide input. Communication should flow directly between all members, not just top-down from the leader.

• While communication is important, teams also need structure. Defining the team’s purpose and membership provides clarity.

• Modeling respect and positivity helps create a healthy culture where all contributions are valued. Look for ways to help each member shine by recognizing their strengths.

• Shared leadership can be beneficial even if there is a designated leader. All members should take responsibility for the team’s success.

• Addressing the fundamental human need to belong and be appreciated reinforces a sense of community within the team.

• Celebrating progress, no matter how small, keeps team energy and motivation high.

• Establishing some common norms and processes provides useful structure, even for loosely led teams. Frequent communication and a sense of community and progress are keys to fostering great teams.

• When conducting team meetings, members should agree on elements such as scheduling, attendance requirements, promptness, participation in discussions, cell phone usage policies, tracking and following up on action items.

• There is no single formula for a great team, but a good starting point is considering a configuration that suits the tasks, allows for regular discussion, acknowledges contributions, and encourages camaraderie.

• Celebrating wins and accomplishments, both big and small, can enhance workplace culture and motivation. Leaders should look for opportunities to positively reinforce good work.

• Effective times to provide feedback or celebrate include immediately after a task is completed or key milestones are reached, rather than only during annual reviews.

• Some ways leaders can celebrate include surprising the team with treats, expressing gratitude publicly, allowing flexibility in work hours after major efforts, noting individuals’ contributions, and building in regular appreciation rituals into meetings.

• Regular acknowledgment of achievements keeps attention focused on goals and values, and reminds people they work for a great organization. The style of celebration should match the scale of accomplishments.

• Measuring progress toward your goals makes them more powerful and helps ensure you achieve them. Quantifying goals creates awareness, motivates continued effort, helps build self-control, and can replace micromanagement.

• When establishing metrics, break large goals into smaller, measurable pieces. Consider which factors actually impact progress and are worth tracking.

• Experiment with different types of metrics, including:

1. Measuring actual completion of the overall goal/mission through numerical targets.

2. Counting important activities under your control that contribute to the goal, even if the final outcome depends on other factors too. Track things like time spent, tasks completed, resources used, etc.

3. Recording qualitative feedback and soft data to gauge progress in a multifaceted way, through client feedback, self-assessments, reviews from others, etc.

• Developing the right metrics requires reflection on what will provide the most useful and meaningful information to evaluate efforts, keep momentum, and course-correct if needed. Quantifying goals helps stay accountable and focused.

Here are the key points from the passage:

• Lisa was exhausted after organizing a big company conference and product launch. All her energy had gone into the project for weeks with long hours and no breaks.

• She felt a sense of loss now that the exciting project was over. Routine tasks piled up and felt dull in comparison.

• Lisa experienced depression and was worried something was wrong with her. This is normal and called “Big Project Letdown” as brain chemistry changes after a big effort.

• To avoid or recover from letdown, Lisa now manages expectations about commitments after projects end. She takes regular breaks during long projects to avoid burnout.

• Planning future interesting projects and fun events to look forward to helps Lisa feel less bleak after a large project concludes. Having something to anticipate boosts her mood.

The key takeaway is that feeling low after a big push is normal due to changes in brain chemistry. Managing expectations, taking breaks during projects, and lining up future activities can help avoid or recover from “Big Project Letdown.” Planning ahead is important for maintaining motivation and mood.

• Leading a group without formal authority, such as a committee or task force, can be challenging like herding cats.

• Sherry Little is skilled at leading collaborative efforts through her experience in government and founding a public-private partnerships company.

• She shared four tips for effective leadership without authority:

  1. Start strong by organizing the first meeting well and clarifying the mission.

  2. Allocate specific tasks to everyone to keep them engaged.

  3. Track action items and assignments in writing to ensure accountability.

  4. Explain decisions by considering all views and articulating the reasoning. This builds respect and buy-in.

• Strong organization and recognizing each member’s needs and wants are both important for collaborative leadership.

• The “Herding Cats Triangle” model can help strategize how to address tasks, relationships, and process to lead the group successfully. Effective leadership requires balancing all three sides of the triangle.

Here are three key questions to lead a group effectively:

1. What’s the mission? It’s important for all members to understand why the group exists and how its goals support the larger organizational vision. Clearly defining the group’s purpose and responsibilities helps ensure activities remain aligned.

2. Who are the stakeholders and what do they need? Learn about group members and who/what sectors they represent. Understanding members’ interests and needs facilitates cooperation and compromise. Consider needs of outside stakeholders too, as they impact progress.

3. Are meeting logistics effective? Productive meetings are crucial. Ensure ability to distribute agendas/minutes and track assignments. Using structured meeting techniques keeps the group moving forward.

The leader must be organized while recognizing participation is voluntary, requiring attention to each member and their unique motivations. Regularly addressing these three questions provides focus and direction to move the group cooperatively toward its goals.

Here are some key points about why women may not be advancing to the top of hierarchies at the same pace as men:

• The workplace culture was originally established by early male professionals, and breaking into male-dominated fields was challenging for early women. That initial culture still has some influence today.

• Early female pioneers faced hazing, double standards, and it was exhausting to be “the first woman” on all-male teams. This exhaustion and scar tissue from past battles can still negatively impact even highly accomplished women today.

• Some women may have developed less ambitious career aspirations or a reluctance to stand out due to past mockery, intimidation or pressures as some of the first women in their fields.

• Unconscious biases and outdated assumptions about women’s roles can still influence perceptions and opportunities. For example, women may be steered toward less prestigious roles like intern or mentorship programs rather than leadership pipelines.

• The “old girls’ network” is not as well established as the “old boys’ network” in many professions, putting women at a disadvantage for sponsorship, mentorship and opportunities.

• Subtle forms of discrimination like second-guessing women’s ideas or crediting their successes to others can hold women back from advancing over time compared to male peers.

So in summary, residual effects of past challenges integrating women into careers, along with ongoing unconscious biases, can collectively slow women’s progression into top leadership roles relative to their male colleagues. Breaking through long-established cultures and mindsets takes consistent, long-term effort.

The passage discusses how engaging with art can boost creativity at work. Art historian and curator Merry Foresta believes studying art can develop critical thinking skills. She argues for creating a “Creative Culture” at workplaces that encourages, supports and nurtures creative ideas. Exposure to art through field trips or office art installations can foster innovation by helping people see new perspectives, ask questions, and think outside the box. Emerging concepts like “slow looking” at art aim to promote deeper engagement and connection making. The passage advocates incorporating art experiences as a way to stay energized and original in one’s work.

• The passage describes how the author fell into a low point and pessimism during law school, worried that they wouldn’t be able to find a good job after graduating.

• When their brother needed emergency surgery for a tumor on his spine, it turned out to just be a harmless cyst. But this scare pulled the author out of their self-pity and refocused them on the bigger picture.

• Their depression and worries lifted after this, even though their circumstances were unchanged. This made them realize that if an external event could shift their perspective, they should be able to do it intentionally.

• They experimented with ways to hold their pessimism in check, like focusing on the bigger picture and counteracting negative self-talk. Taking an optimistic outlook seemed to help their career progress smoothly.

• Years later, they came across the book “Learned Optimism” by Martin Seligman, which helped them understand they were on the right track in learning to choose optimism. Seligman is a leading psychologist known for pioneering positive psychology.

• The passage discusses studying “well-being” and ways that normal people can choose to be happier and more fulfilled in life. It reinforces the author’s belief that optimism is a choice and we don’t have to be controlled by innate pessimism.

• Some key techniques mentioned for choosing optimism include catching negative thoughts, arguing back against them by disputing their accuracy, finding alternative explanations, making lists of positive reframings, appreciating good things, doing good deeds for others, avoiding negativity from others, smiling more, spending time in nature, and getting help through therapy if needed.

• The passage emphasizes that you can simply choose optimism each day by deciding to face challenges with a positive attitude. With repeated attempts at choosing optimism over time, your brain will change to make it easier.

• Optimism is presented as having benefits like career success, better social life, overcoming stress, health, and avoiding depression. Pessimism can undermine achievement and well-being. However, some pessimism has value in certain tasks like risk assessment.

• In summary, the passage discusses developing optimism as a choice through cognitive techniques and daily decisions, in order to gain happier and more fulfilling life outcomes compared to being controlled by innate pessimism.

Here is a summary of the key sources:

• Colvin (2008) argues that talent is overrated and hard work and deliberate practice are more important factors in success.

• Covey (2006) discusses developing effectiveness and greatness through habits.

• Coyle (2012) provides tips for improving skills through deliberate practice.

• Cuddy (2015) talks about how body language shapes perceptions of competence and confidence.

• Dalai Lama and Cutler (1998) discuss developing happiness through living meaningfully.

• Davidson and Begley (2012) examine how emotions are represented in the brain and how patterns can change.

• Dean (2013) provides strategies for forming and breaking habits for change.

• Drucker (1969, 1974) discusses management tasks and responsibilities as well as changes in society.

• Duhigg (2012) examines how habits work and how to change them.

• Dyer (2009) addresses breaking lifelong self-defeating thinking habits.

• Gallwey et al. (2009) applies inner game principles to managing stress.

• Gerber (1995, 2005) discusses reasons small businesses fail and strategies for success.

• Goleman books discuss emotional intelligence theory and applications.

• Goulston (2010) provides advice on listening to influence others.

-Various other sources discuss careers, leadership, habits, communication, stress, and more. Let me know if you need any of the sources summarized individually.

Here is a summary of the key concepts from the list provided:

• Developing emotional intelligence, leadership skills, and executive presence. Cultivating traits like positivity, resilience, empathy and self-awareness.

• Building relationships through networking, mentoring others, and building connections across differences. Developing personal branding and an online presence.

• Managing stress, priorities, schedules and habits through tools like mindfulness, meditation, exercise and maintaining work-life balance. Addressing challenges like distractions, overwhelm and rejection.

• Improving communication skills like active listening and public speaking. Considering one’s communication preferences and adapting to different personality types and generations.

• Achieving goals through structured planning like vision statements, goal-setting, and progress tracking. Managing expectations, both with others and oneself. Bouncing back from setbacks.

• Leading effectively through principles like unselfish goals, sharing credit, honesty, humility. Skills like managing up, leading without authority, handling difficult people or colleagues.

• Upholding professional standards through punctuality, courtesy, respect, positive attitude. Adapting manners, dress and speech appropriately across contexts.

• Ongoing development through self-reflection, classes, mentoring or being mentored, career reinvention, and learning from both successes and failures. Maintaining optimism and adaptability throughout one’s career.