Twice in the last three days, clients have brought up the aggravation of having to manage organizational politics to get things done. Like it or not, working with and through others is a fact of our matrixed world. “Politics” has come to have such a negative connotation, and I find that people shy away from getting involved. A better path: use the four simple steps below to navigate…

Walking on the beach when the tide is out is a beautiful experience. One afternoon, I noticed a tiny somewhat uniquely shaped bulge in the exposed sand. I gently dug around to discover it was a starfish that had been beached by the receding waters. Knowing that starfish cannot survive outside the water, I carefully picked up the sand and the starfish and brought it out to a deeper part of the ocean…

I have been so fortunate to have great mentors throughout my career. If you don’t have a mentor, I encourage you to find one. Potential mentors are plentiful! Leaders want to help others succeed. So get clear on what’s important to you and ask someone. You and your mentor will both be rewarded and enriched by the relationship.

So much is written about Personal Brand, and the importance of Personal Brand. Do you know what your brand is? Are you clear on the top three attributes people identify with you? Are those the attributes you want?

I recently listened to a TED Talk by Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Dean of Freshman at Stanford University. In the context of parenting, she talks about how we are raising our children as bonsai trees: carefully groomed, perfectly manicured, ever-presentable and close to perfect specimens.

There are so many reasons that we work: to grow and develop, to learn, to add value, and of course to make money! Throughout your career, you will spend tens of thousands of hours working…so it’s important to love what you do! Here are a few of my top reasons:

As I write this article, I am seated in a big comfy chair with some amazing Oscar Peterson jazz in the background, which just always seems to make the morning go more smoothly. It got me thinking – with so much at work that seems beyond our control – how very important it is to create the right environment to produce our optimal work.

Invariably, on the days that I set out to be my most productive – the days I plan to shutter myself inside and get things done – whether its project work or blog-writing, something seems to go awry. In fact, as I sit to write now, well – life is happening in the background. Complete with all its noise, chaos, motion and emotion.

Whaaaat? You’re going to try to tell me that a man whose made a fortune singing about beaches, pirates and margaritas has more to offer? Well…yes. Maybe it’s just because I miss summer. Maybe it’s because I’ve been in too many intense meetings and need a break – but – whatever the impetus, I thought you’d enjoy a few pearls of Buffet wisdom: