- Work ethic
Mary Barra rose to the top of General Motors after 33 years at the company.
Barra started at the very bottom of General Motors at age 18, when she enrolled in an engineering college sponsored by the company. There, she spent half the year inspecting parts at a Pontiac plant.
She worked her way up the ladder with smart decision-making and a willingness to give the company everything she had. Colleagues recall her being the first person in the office every morning and responding to emails after 11 p.m.
In 2013, her dedication was rewarded when she was named GM’s first ever female CEO. She took on the role in early 2014.
A strong work ethic will take you places. A job well done will give you a deep sense of satisfaction. Your willingness to do a job as best as possible will never go unnoticed. It becomes a part of how you are vis-a-vis your work and non work life.
- Creativity
Lori is a free lance artist. She paints murals in schools, most elementary schools. She designs educational murals as well as decorative murals. But the important part is, the students paint with her. Nearly 20 years ago she was inspired by a local muralist to paint a mural at her kids’ school. Once she got started, she decided to enlist the help of the 6th graders. She wanted them to know what it felt like to contribute something to their community. She thought that if that feeling was good, they would want to repeat the action as adults. She wanted the kids to grow up and be contributors to their community. 19 plus years later, parents purchase the paint to get their children into her program. All the student painters sign the finished art. That way, when they return as adults (and we all go see the elementary schools we attended) they will see the work of art with their name on it. It gives them ownership. It beautifies their school and makes the neighborhood more desirable. The art makes the school aesthetics nicer and more welcoming. She usually paints with children in grades 1-6. But she has also painted with kindergartners, middle school & high school students, as well as college students. To date she has painted 96 plus public murals. 76 of them are in schools. And she has been assisted by thousands of children. Next school year she is hoping to paint her 100th mural!
An intangible quality that has been valued throughout ages and will always be.
Creativity is simply being able to solve problems in different and original ways. Its about taking risks making mistakes and just having fun.
- Time Management
A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car.
The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.
Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
The oldest and the most timeless spell in the book. Managing your time would help you make the most of if. Make a to-do list and prioritize your tasks from urgent to important. If its urgent and important, do it now. If it doesn’t tick both boxes, drop it immediately.
