Career advice  

For me, the loudest and most important voice has always been my dad. Starting early, he pushed and pulled me—pushing me to do and be my best and pulling me along as his shadow to see how all of this work stuffed "worked" and experience first-hand what greatness looked like.

In the world where it’s not enough to be right, the politics of people, places, and things are an inevitable reality that we can get smarter about and capitalize on to drive our success and happiness.

While you’re more than likely to encounter several jerks throughout your career journey, don’t immediately discount them—they might be the only ones who can give you the right kind of push when you need one.

Let’s say you have a great idea—what’s the best way to bring it to life? You will undoubtedly face obstacles and challenges but if you play it right, you can and will win.

A few months ago, my company’s CEO encouraged us to write down our goals on three dimensions: Personal, Professional, and Team. I loved the process so much, I needed to share it with you.

Figuring out how to create an extraordinary experience for your audience can be a key success factor throughout your career. So how do you go about achieving something magical that brings an idea to life and accomplishes your goals? What are the key ingredients of any great experience and who is needed to help you build it?

Ever heard the Mark Twain quote, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter”? One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the need to edit yourself. Here’s how to do it in a way that will elevate your communication style and make sure your target audience is always delighted and never bored.

What’s the best way to maximize the value of “You, Inc.”? How can you make the most of time beyond 9-5 to bolster your broader career profile? We break down the steps to making your personal brand concrete and bringing it to life in a way that’s perfectly genuine to you.

Public speaking can be one big awesome opportunity, but what if you fear it like the flu? I sympathize because public speaking has always been my nemesis but with focus and practice, I’ve improved over time.

You might dream about starting and running your own business. I did in my late 20s and with that achieved an extraordinary career-building experience—even though it was a massive failure. I hope my story about how it all went down provides some perspective on how this might all work in the event that you want to pursue your own endeavor.

The ability to be decisive and make sound decisions is quite possibly the most important prerequisite to achieving success at work. So how can you be judicious and wise and independent in figuring this out? What should you focus on and what should you let go? Check out our worksheets and systems for becoming a better decision maker.

Figuring out how to give and receive tough love—otherwise known as frank feedback about something that’s standing in the way of someone achieving their goals and aspirations—is a key part of any successful career. Here’s a personal story about the big impact a little tough love can have, going to the heart of the matter quickly, and helping someone get on the right track to success and happiness.

Some of this advice might be part of your everyday mindset already, but much will likely be surprising and even thought-provoking. Taken together, we’ve had women both young and old tell us how much they’ve valued this empowering and actionable collection of mantras and behaviors. We hope you’ll check out this Women at Work staple compiled by founder Christina Van Houten.