Significant Career Lesson From a Senior Strategy Manager at Professional City Orchestra
Early in Kevin's career, feedback emphasized the importance of always bringing "a perspective to conversation," a skill initially challenging due to imposter syndrome but ultimately becoming essential. This developed into a habit and a leadership expectation, proving invaluable as Kevin's career progressed, requiring "confidence and conviction" to guide teams.
Communication, Leadership, Problem-Solving, Confidence, Perspective
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kevin Ma
Sr. Manager, Strategy & Special Projects
Professional City Orchestra
The University of Texas at Austin, 2014
MBA - UCLA Anderson School of Management
Business Management & Admin
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Business Strategy
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Always bring a perspective to conversations, even if you feel junior or inexperienced.
2. Develop confidence and conviction in your viewpoints; this becomes increasingly crucial in leadership roles.
3. Having a perspective to offer is expected in most professional settings and is valuable at all career stages.
Transcript
What is one lesson you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
I think for me, and this is a piece of feedback I received early in my career, it's really important to always bring a perspective to a conversation or a meeting. Early on, this was particularly difficult for me.
Often, I didn't have experience with a particular topic or didn't know how to answer a problem we were facing. I felt too junior in the room compared to more experienced individuals.
This led to imposter syndrome, a feeling of not knowing if I had a valid point of view to offer. As I progressed in my career, I realized it's become almost an expectation.
Now, every meeting I attend, regardless of the topic, I'm expected to bring a point of view or input to push things forward. Getting that feedback early on helped me develop the habit, even when stakes were lower as an individual contributor with limited responsibility.
I believe that advice applies no matter your role or industry. However, having confidence and conviction becomes more critical, I'd say necessary, as you move into leadership and build your own team. Others will rely on you for that perspective and point of view. That's probably the one that resonates with me.
Advizer Personal Links
No