Soft Skills - Ask a Wharton MBA
Develop Soft Skills – Work Smart & Live More
“To get to the next level in your career, you need to be more strategic.” Have you heard this feedback before? If so, read on. It’s one of the most common pieces of feedback given to upcoming professionals as well as the least explained.
“Strategy” is one of the most overused words in the business world. Many professionals use it purely to sound smart but actually have no idea what it means. Here are some good definitions of “strategy.” ...
Today, we went to our kids’ elementary school’s “Back to School” night. As I was leaving, Isabel’s English teacher stopped me to gush about Isabel. Apparently, she took upon herself last month to
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85% of workers worldwide admit to hating their jobs when surveyed anonymously, according to a Gallup poll released in late 2017. Yet, many of us tend to stay in our jobs and careers, thinking it’s too late to make a change. I am here to tell you – it’s never too late! Dare to be happy and bold. You can change your career at any age.
Here to inspire us on this topic is our newest Executive Author – Stephanie Hellman. Stephanie is an inspiring, authentic leader with 20+ years of experience working for Fortune 50 companies, including Wells Fargo, Citibank, and American Express. In late 2017, she made a courageous decision to leave her corporate career to find fulfillment and a more meaningful way to contribute to this world. Her stories are an inspiration to me and I think will be to us all.
I am pleased to share my first interview with Stephanie on
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Happy New Year! Welcome to 2018… I hope you had a chance to spend time with family and friends. During the holidays, I have been obsessed with this book. I have been listening to it while running, driving, and before I go to bed. It’s the only business book I have ever finished to the last page in the last 10 years.
Whether you already has an MBA or want one, read this book. I am not paid to endorse it. I am simply inspired by what it shares. “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek is filled with real life case studies and talks about
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My husband sent me this video last week and I was blown away by its message. It Is < 5 minutes, but carries a powerful reminder for us all – the power of our words and why we should speak wisely. Here is the video and what it meant for me. I look forward to hearing your reactions.
It’s ironic. We often focus so much on wanting to be heard that we forget we are already heard by many today. Below is what this video meant for me.
Reminder 1: Speak wisely to my kids – be patient and be there. I have two girls – 6 and 9 years olds. I am blessed that they still think mommy is awesome. I love my kids but I know I can be more patient with them. This video reminds me that a hard day at work is no excuse to yell at my kids even if they are fighting yet again. They are so impressionable at this age. It is my responsibility to nurture their growth with care as well as set a good example.
What was shared in the video about Nassar is so sad. Many of us may not be that heartless, like his father, but lesser actions can still have a big impact on our kids. There are two things I always tell my kids
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When I was nominated for a leadership training at work, I was honored but skeptical I would learn anything substantial. I am glad however to be proven wrong. In the last five months, I have learned more about my leadership style and leadership brand than I had ever expected. Even better, I am already applying what I learned at work and seeing results. Here are the three unexpected leadership lessons I learned about how to become an extraordinary leader.
Lesson #1: Extraordinary leadership is about strengthening our strengths vs. fixing weaknesses
Growing up Asian, I always thought to become extraordinary I must eliminate all weaknesses – i.e. score 100 on tests, get all As, and be a perfectionist at work. In the last 20 years of work, I learned to stop being a perfectionist. However, I still heavily focus on learning what I am not good at as a leader and put a lot of energy into fixing those.
It was refreshing to learn at this training from Zenger Folkman that becoming an extraordinary leader is about strengthening my strengths vs fixing weaknesses. There is no perfect leader. Steve Jobs is a great example of this – a dynamic, visionary leader and a terrible people manager. The whole concept actually makes a lot of sense, as no one really can be good at every aspect of leadership. Just like a company must focus on its core strength vs trying to be all things to all people, a leader also needs to follow the same concept. It’s better for me to pick a few leadership qualities that I am already strong at and make that stand out above all else. That’s what will differentiate me as a leader.
This leadership lesson is quite freeing for me. I realized I don’t have to change who I am or overwhelmed myself with “fixing everything.” All I have to do is tweak a few things in my leadership style to make it even better. For example, I am already a high achiever and gets results wherever I work. I also collaborate well with teams and partners. What I need to tweak is my communication style in some difficult situations. I know how to do this in some circumstances but not all. Selecting this as something to focus on is both achievable and will make a significant difference in my leadership effectiveness
Lesson #2: It’s okay for an extraordinary leader to announce ourselves and show vulnerability
I learned this from one of the leadership speakers at our training. I really appreciated her direct communication style, confidence, and simple wisdom. She shared that it’s okay to announce yourself to your team and partners. For example,
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