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How I learned I was arrogant and how that impeded my ability to sell

Posted by Arjun Moorthy

Oct 13, 2012 5:42:00 AM

I have always thought of myself as a humble person and, indeed, have never been accused of being otherwise at any place of work in my 15 year tenure.  I've even written a blog post on the importance of projecting confidence, implicitly coaching myself to do the same and stop being so docile.  But recently I realized that I was actually quite arrogant and this single weakness was probably most hampering my sales training.

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Topics: career advice, mentoring

Why the US will prevail over China for decades to come

Posted by Arjun Moorthy

Dec 17, 2011 4:13:00 PM

When I was a kid I remember occasionally hearing my parents say that I could be anything that I wanted and that I could change the world.  I thought that was cool, perhaps something all parents said because it's the thing to say, but never believe it for a second.  I didn’t even know what I wanted to be much less what I wanted to change the world to.

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Topics: career advice, mentoring, Education

Professional coaching - a must no matter how experienced you are

Posted by Arjun Moorthy

Nov 19, 2011 5:57:00 AM

A recent article by one of my favourite New Yorker writers, Atul Gawande, talked about the benefits of having a professional coach.  The article essentially says that no matter how senior or experienced you are in your job you can benefit from a coach, even one who might be less experienced than you.  After a few months of stumbling along in my new role of business development - a nebulous term that can mean anything from driving sales via distribution agreements, building marketing relationships or arranging for technology licensing - I decided I needed a coach as I didn't have a sales or marketing background.

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Topics: mentoring, training

Bad news – you’re not indispensible as you thought

Posted by Arjun Moorthy

Jun 4, 2011 6:14:00 AM

One of the most surprising, if pathetically humbling, realizations I’ve had is that every time I’ve left a company it continued to run just fine without me.  Indeed, the very day I announced my resignation at my last three jobs and provided two weeks’ notice, I’ve always noticed an immediate drop in email correspondence and an implicit meeting cadence as though I am no longer working there.

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Topics: career advice, mentoring

Career Advice I Wish I Knew Earlier 

Hello.  I started this blog to distribute some of the best career advice I have been given over the many jobs I've had.  I've been fortunate to work for and with some great bosses like Brian Halligan, Francis DeSouzaNancy Kamei, and Rick Roberge, and some unique companies, like The Boston Consulting Group, that invest heavily in making each employee a success even after leaving the firm.

The advice and training I received here stands in contrast to my experiences with some not-so-great bosses and companies I've also worked for.  I'm continualy amazed at how valuable good advice has been in my career so I hope to pass on the good advice, and insights from mistakes I've made, via this blog. 

Thanks in advance for your comments, particularly when you can improve upon the ideas posted.

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