Here’s a wealth of wisdom to accelerate personal growth and professional development

2QIn Getting There: A Book of Mentors, published by Abrams Image (April 14, 2015), Gillian Zoe Segal has assembled a wealth of information, insights, and counsel from the mini-memoirs of thirty prominent men and women.

Here are four who share a few “pearls” of wisdom from the “necklace” they and 26 others created:

“Reputation is very important. I ask the managers of my companies to judge every action that they take not just by legal standards (which, of course, is the first test) but also by what I call the ‘newspaper test.’ How would they feel about every given action if they knew it would show up the next day in their local paper, written by a smart but kind of unfriendly reporter and read by their families, friends, and neighbors? If it passes that test, it’s okay. If anything is close to the line, it’s out.” Warren Buffett, Investor (Page 20)

“I tell journalism students there are three main steps to take: First, figure out what gets your adrenalin going. Next, figure out a way to make a career out of your passion. And finally, outwork everyone around you. (Come in earlier, leave later, and volunteer for everything that others don’t want to do. Don’t wait to be asked to do something. Take it upon yourself and do it.) But you’re only going to be able to outwork others if you’re genuinely passionate about what you are doing. Otherwise, it’s going to feel like, ‘Why do I want to stay late when I could go out with my friends?’ When you’re much more interested in what you’re doing than going out for a drink with friends, you’ve found your bliss.” Anderson Cooper, Journalist (Page 43)

“Understanding your strengths and weaknesses can take a long time and can even be a painful process, but it’s one of the most important things to do in life. I feel fortunate to have found a career that I am passionate about and am thankful that I allowed myself to switch course and dedicate myself to this new path. But the lesson to take away from my story is not to change paths the moment you discover something’s difficult for you. [Note: Many young people have no interest in anything that isn’t “fun.”] If you give up at first blush, you’ll never succeed at anything because nothing worth doing is easy. Give whatever you do your full effort, but at the same time keep your eyes open. If you discover, even by accident, what you’re truly spectacular at and can pursue it, I recommend doing so. ” Nitin Nohria, Dean, Harvard Business School (Page 107)

“It’s essential to strike the right balance between confidence and humility. If you don’t have enough confidence in the rightness of your pursuit, you’ll give up too easily. But you must also have enough humility to recognize your own limitations and be receptive to learning from others. When I started each for America, I knew I didn’t have any experience in what I was setting out to accomplish so I had a very open mind and looked for help and advice from all quarters. You have to have an ethic of continuous improvement. It’s almost impossible to get everything perfectly right out of the gate.” Wendy Kopp, Teach for America Founder (Page 128)

If you are in need of a very special gift for a school, college, or university graduate, look no further. Here it is.

* * *

SegalBorn in Montreal, Gillian Zoe Segal has lived in Manhattan since she was eight years old. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She is also a photographer.

Posted in

Leave a Comment





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.