Only three weeks until I meet all the Dallas businesswomen who are hosting the fundraiser I'm keynoting for Empowering Women as Leaders on Sept. 15. I'm too impatient to wait, so I asked them to share their best career advice with all of us right now. Here's what they shared:DO work especially hard when you start a new job. A reputation as a hard worker will stick with you for a long time. A reputation as a slacker is almost impossible to shake, no matter what you do later.
Kay Lynn Brumbaugh
Partner, Andrews Kurth LLP
DON'T miss an opportunity to shut up, whether in doing business or career advancement. And never burn a bridge. That pithy exit line as you leave a relationship or position will come back to haunt you later in this world of shifting responsibilities, downsizing, and restructuring. No matter how appropriate or apt, hold it in; silence and the judicious and intentional use of words create space around you, and that creates power.
Elizabeth Basden
Managing Shareholder, Basden & Ivie PC
DO take responsibility for your career and professional fulfillment. It's easy to get completely immersed in doing a good job, forgetting our long-term objectives and assuming that hard work will get us where we want to be. Not so. Be purposeful, focused, and proactive. Make the time to clarify your goals and evaluate your progress regularly. If what you are doing is not advancing you toward your goals, it's time to make changes.
Amy Elizabeth Stewart
Founding shareholder, Amy Stewart PC
DO find a mentor in your field. You will find a mentor--or a mentor will find you--if you have genuine (not feigned) interest in other people and genuine (not feigned) enthusiasm for your work and if you are resourceful, responsive, and creative in your thinking.
Lea F. Courington
Partner, Curran Tomko Tarski LLP
DO find your passion. A successful individual or entrepreneur has a strong belief in her ideas and capabilities. This passion results in an intensity that, when focused, makes the passionate woman willing to do what it takes to be successful.
DO make focused progress. In order to put the passion into action, make a plan and adhere to it.
DO be persistent. Success comes from not taking no for an answer, and not getting discouraged by naysayers. You must maintain your confident position and strong belief that your ideas will work.
DO exercise patience. While your idea may be of the utmost urgency because of the passion behind it, it may not be received with that same urgency. Patience will be a virtue if you let it!
Kay Tieman
Practice Growth Director, Business Development, Higginbotham & Associates, Inc.
Don't you want to meet these wise women? You can! Join them, and me, on September 15 for the inaugural fundraiser by Empowering Women as Leaders. You will:
- network with extraordinary businesswomen
- learn my strategies for maximizing your executive presence
- raise money for women's scholarships
