MaRS

Destined to work in a place like this? Photo: proteinbiochemist

If, like me, you find something instinctively captivating about topics such as human cognition, or biochemical pathways or subatomic particles, chances are you’ve taken the long, arduous, academic path of becoming a scientist. Congratulations. I guess that means you’re either a researcher or a teacher… or does it?

What if what you want in your job doesn’t involve slaving away at a lab bench or scribbling on a blackboard. Do you have an exit strategy? Are there really alternate career paths that are right for you?

Are you where you want to be?

It’s a question business leaders often struggle to define: what really is success? The great humanitarian Albert Schweitzer defined it best when he said that success is not the key to happiness, but
“happiness is the key to success.” He added. “If you love what you’re doing, you will be successful.”

But for business leaders, this question takes many different forms. One of the most prominent ones is :

“Am I where I want to be?”

Finding the Fab Four within your own organization is easier than you think…

With the Beatles Rock Band video game firmly ensconced in the world’s living rooms, their CDs remastered and plans for John Lennon’s 70th birthday celebration growing worldwide, John, Paul, George and Ringo are more prominent and successful than ever.

An important reason the Beatles were so adored and attracted worldwide attention long after breaking up is that they represent four distinct human archetypes that have significant relevance to work teams. They can provide practical insight into leading organizations.

Workplace trust: It's just getting worse

Beyond the bottom line, one of the biggest casualties of the global recession is workplace trust. True or false?

Sounds true but, according to management research from City University London, workplace trust was already deeply damaged before the recent meltdown exposed the stench of various executive practices and brought down financial titans.

Everyone needs a good coach

I am truly inspired by those Chicago Blackhawks. One of the inspiring things about the Hawks is their bench strength. So far, the second, third and fourth lines have been carrying the day, outperforming expectations. Given that a team has a good chance of winning the whole thing, the bench has clearly done its job!

For early stage companies it is often a challenge of having just enough players on the ice to cover each position – let alone having enough talent on the bench to substitute in. For established companies, the problem is one of building from the pool of talent that you already have and boosting your strength from within.