"My Way" is a song written by Paul Anka and popularized by Frank Sinatra. The song’s lyrics tell the story of a man who is nearing death. “I’ve lived a life that’s full….I’ve traveled each and every highway…I did it my way,” are but a few of the key phrases. “My Way” has been particularly inspirational to me. Early in my career, I had a dream of a life, and a career path that I was passionate about and wanted to pursue…and, as the song goes, “I’ve had my share of losing.” There were times when I felt that I would never achieve my goals.

Recently, my fortune changed, and, thanks to persistence, integrity and the support of many people, I did achieve my lifetime career goal. As many of you know, I have been a long-time volunteer with the IEEE. Engaging in these important, volunteer professional activities has played a pivotal role in my career success. An IEEE colleague important to me was a key reference in the job selection process, and I will be eternally grateful to him for his support.

There are many other factors that contributed to the realization of my dream. Space does not permit listing them all, but a few key factors include:

• Understand yourself. Determine what is important to you. What do you want your legacy to be? What are your values in life, and how will you align your actions and behavior with those values? Seek out role models, friends and mentors whose values are congruent with your own. Learn from others’ experiences and from history.

• It’s your career — create your own future. You alone have control over your destiny. Luck has little to do with success — hard work does. Today, career planning is not linked to job security. Nuture and grow skills that are universal, multidisciplinary and transferable to any employer.

• Practice self-discipline. Prioritize your activities and financial expenditures during your young adult years, delaying short-term hedonistic pleasures. Rather, invest your money and time where it will have the greatest long-term return.

• Always treat others with respect. Once spoken or written, words cannot be taken back, and words spoken in haste can return to haunt you many years later. Never burn your bridges, no matter how angry you might feel.

• Eat nutritious foods, taking time for relaxation, sleep and exercise. Almost everyone has found that a well-utilized break brings about rejuvenation and changes that are for the better. Sometimes, it’s better to leave or get fired before you die on the job.
  

Another important influence on my life and career has been my participation in Outward Bound Programs [www.outwardbound.net]. Outward Bound's internationally recognized "core values" are courage, trust, integrity, compassion and cooperation. Its motto, “To Serve, To Strive and Not To Yield,” has guided my life, and lessons learned from the experiences permeate every aspect of my being.

Keep focused on the long term and, yes, your dreams will come true…mine did.

Other Bytes

Here are some of the things going on in and around the engineering community:

• How do you reach your fulfillment? Robert Kaplan believes that “fulfillment does not come from clearing hurdles others set for you; it comes from clearing those you set yourself” [“Reaching Your Potential”. Harvard Business Review. 86(7/8):45-49. July-August, 2008. www.hbr.org]. With today’s busy and competitive workplace many feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled. The author examines why this happens and offers guidance on how to break through it and achieve your full potential. You need to look at how you define success and then find your own path to get there. As the author concludes; “….those that identify their dreams, develop the skills to realize them, and demonstrate courage will find fulfillment – even if they hit bumps along the way.”

• Continuing on with the topic of fulfilling your potential Graham Jones, who is a sports psychologist and executive coach, shares his experiences in “How the Best of the Best Get Better and Better” [Harvard Business Review. (86(6):123-127. June, 2008. www.hbr.org]. According to the author the key to elite performance is mental toughness. People who can manage pressure, tackle goals and are self-driven achieve success. They rebound from defeat and do not get distracted by others. Most importantly they also recognize the importance of celebrating their success.

• Experienced business people share skills that they consider to be essential for any leader in “20 Skills Every Boss Should Know” [Alberta Venture. 12(4):49-58. April, 2008. www.albertaventure.com] Well-written and concise tidbits of advice summarized by Malwina Gudowska that you will find valuable, not just as a leader but in everyday interactions in the workplace as an employee.

• The ability to take advantage of a turbulent business climate is the theme of: “Futurizing Business Education” [The Futurist. (42(4):38-42. July-August, 2008. www.wfs.org]. Paul Bracken provides you with advice to help guide you through turbulent times. He believes that foresight, agility and good problem framing can be taught and that scenarios are a good technique to use to develop these abilities.

• Indra Nooyi who became CEO of PepsiCo in 2006 believes that employees play a key role for organizational success. Often named as a powerful business leader; Nooyi was interviewed by Tony Bingham and Pat Galagan who reported on her leadership philosophy in “Doing Good While Doing Well” [T & D Magazine. 62(6):32-34. June, 2008. www.astd.org]. She believes that the skills of competence, taking a stand, communication, coaching and having a moral compass are the hallmarks of a good leader.

• Gary Neilson, Karla Martin and Elizabeth Powers believe that the best way to execute strategy is to clarify decision rights and improve the flow of information throughout the organization. By doing so the right structures and motivators will emerge [“The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution”. Harvard Business Review. 86(6); 61-70. June, 2008. www.hbr.org]. The authors collected data from more than 125,000 employees from 1,000 organizations in more than 50 countries. From the data they determined the top 17 traits exhibited by organizations that are most effective at executing strategy. The most common attribute is that their employees are clear about what decisions and actions they are responsible for.

• By igniting your team’s innovative spark, new ideas will emerge. In “Get Creative” [Entrepreneur. 36(7): 63-67. July, 2008. www.entrepreneur.com] Kristin Ohlson provides unique examples of innovative success and describes the factors igniting the creativity. Hiring for attitude is paramount. You want people who will keep trying to innovate even if they fail. A link is provided to site that will provide you with more tips from the innovators on how to foster your own creative ideas.

 

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