Significant Career Lesson From an Executive Director at a Non-Profit
A significant career lesson learned by the Executive Director is the importance of pausing to consider both emotional and logical responses before acting; "taking a step back and understanding the situation...and potential consequences" has proven invaluable in navigating various aspects of their professional and personal life, avoiding mistakes, and maximizing positive outcomes.
Executive/Leadership, Problem-Solving, Stress Management, Decision-Making, Strategic Thinking
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Michael Bleggi
Executive Director
Non-Profit
Duke University, 2017
UCLA Anderson MBA
Political Science, American Studies
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Strategic Management and Executive
Video Highlights
1. Take time to step back from a situation before reacting; consider both emotional and logical responses.
2. Understand the situation, your response, and potential consequences before acting.
3. This approach is valuable not only in professional roles but also in personal relationships and decision-making in general.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you've learned that has proven significant in your career?
Take a step back and see if you're reacting emotionally or logically. Sometimes emotional reactions are best, and sometimes logical reactions are best.
Give yourself the time to think. I heard from a couple of other managers and executives in their fields that they force time into their day just to think. An hour, if you can spare it, would be ideal.
Taking a step back helps you understand the situation, understand a response, and understand the potential consequences of your response. This has proven valuable not only in my role as executive director but also in pursuing my MBA and in personal relationships. Taking a step back has really helped me avoid mistakes and maximize optimal paths.
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