The evolution of an innovator
Innovators don’t accept things as they are. For them, there’s always a better way of doing something. They’re not afraid to reject traditional approaches to work. When they know something isn’t a good fit, they may reinvent themselves a few times, as they home in on what they really want to be doing. Take Letitia...
Bach’s compromise
Compromises can make great work possible. I know that sounds counterintuitive. But it seems to have worked for Johann Sebastian Bach, who could not rely solely on composing to keep himself afloat. At one point, he had to choose between a court appointment and a post as a church organist and music master. Each had...
How to nurture creativity
Creativity thrives on kindness and self care. According to career and success coach Tama Kieves, that’s one of the biggest things she personally had to learn after ditching her job as a lawyer. She was a Type A, ambitious, and driven linear thinker. When she first left law, she figured she would just pump out...
Letting go of what holds us back
An energy within each of us is looking for a way to express itself. So says John Murphy, author of Zentrepreneur and a business consultant based in Grand Rapids, Mich. Yet some people think that Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or Thomas Edison or their favorite change agents are real entrepreneurs, but that they are...
Linear success vs. inspired success
The times. . . they are a changin’. So many invested in corporate America. They figured if they just put in a good 30 years, they would be safe, solid, and vested. They would have all they needed. But then the layoffs struck. And broken promises fluttered to the ground. People realized that there is...
On the power of books
You can never overestimate the power of books to help you find your calling. Books helped Walter “Skoog” Fordham find the work he loves. Diversity is his passion. His niche is an unusual one. He facilitates diversity training, team building, groups, and employee relations interventions for nonprofits. Some highlights of his work in diversity training...
How to reboot
People are increasingly questioning their life choices. Workers wonder whether they’re killing themselves doing work they don’t really want. Shouldn’t they be doing something more meaningful? Priya Parker, founder and researcher at Thrive Labs, a company that helps millennials identify their real purpose in life, has noticed that many of her clients let fear guide...
When doors open
“When the door cracks open, kick it in.” Whether you’re just starting out or pursuing your fifth, tenth, or fifteenth job, that’s a good rule of thumb. I heard that comment at a conference put on by the Association of Health Care Journalists this spring. At the session, which was on freelancing, writer David Dobbs...
Most adults want a different career
It’s time for a wake-up call. More than half (55 percent) of working adults want to change careers. Nearly 1 in 4 of them say they are extremely or very interested in switching careers. Just 14 percent of American workers are happily ensconced in their dream careers. These findings come from a recent University of...
How to rebound
Some people bounce back from failure or setbacks better than others. When you’re still reeling from being laid off or feeling dull and burnt out from clinging to a job that is no longer a good fit, what can you do to get your mojo back? In Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success,...
Who wants to be a gladiator in a suit?
I recently discovered Scandal, the TV show featuring Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope, a fixer for the elite. Pope specializes in damage control, mending public images and keeping secrets from leaking out. In the first episode, one of her employees asks a young lawyer whether she wants to be a gladiator in a suit. She...
How Sally Jewell’s zigzags helped her scale many peaks
When President Obama tapped Sally Jewell to be secretary of the Department of the Interior, she was CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI). Her zigzag career made her an especially attractive candidate for the position, which involves an $11 billion budget, 70,000 employees and stewardship of one-fifth of the nation’s lands, according to The New...