As mentioned in my other blog postings, I am not much for social media. You may have already read my thoughts about Facebook and how liberating it has been not being a part of that world anymore. I am not part of Twitter or Instagram; however, I am an avid user of Linkedin. Does that make me a hypocrite? It depends on who you ask. As long as Linkedin remains on the professional platform from which it started, I have found it to be a wonderful medium for the working professional. Every morning, I peruse postings, many of which are articles/blogs that are business-related in nature and many that invoke a thoughtful discourse on self-awareness and improvement in business and in life. I often find inspiration for my ‘Thoughts of the Day’ that I post on my Outlook Lync account with my work colleagues.
Today I found a posting from a Linkedin editor that surveyed LinkedIn “Influencers” (mostly top CEOs, Executives, Entrepreneurs, Thought Leaders, etc.) on what they found to be the best advice they ever received. The article is filled with contributions from household names like Martha Stewart and Richard Branson to fairly new names like Angie Hicks (the Founder of Angie’s List). I enjoyed how many of the life lessons and advice of the world’s top executives and business leaders stem from something their parents said when they were children or in moments of failure rather than success. The article garnered a lot of comments from other LinkedIn members, each sharing the best advice they ever received and it got me thinking of what I would contribute.
The first piece of advice I remember ever getting (and one that I am now instilling in my 2 year old daughter) was from my mother. It is, “Someone may not remember your name, but they will remember your manners.” To me, it is the same thing as saying that you only have one chance to make a lasting impression on someone. Someone will always remember how you made them feel beyond remembering what it is that you said. Another one that I live by, and may have mentioned in another blog posting, is “Never take a ‘No’ from someone who doesn’t have the power to say ‘Yes’.” Again, these were wise words from my mother and a motto that I leaned on when I desperately wanted to study abroad in Paris the summer of my sophomore year in college. My French teacher, at the time, told me that she felt I was not at the proficiency I needed to be in the language to excel in the program. I could have let that be that, but instead I went to whoever was the final decision-maker for study-abroad and pled my case. I was able to convince all parties involved that I deserved to go and it ended up being one of the best summers of my life. It may have ignited my affinity for debate that led to going to law school. Who knows.
Ultimately, I hope this blog allows you to reflect on some of the best advice you have received over the years and what has helped you in your professional and personal life. Feel free to share these with us as we enjoy hearing from you. You never know, your modicum of advice may just affect someone else in a positive way!