Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Work Smarts"In this superb book, one of the very smartest and respected financial anchors in the world shares valuable insights on corporate leadership—what works and what to avoid. Clearly written, punchy and wonderfully humble, this terrific guidebook is a must-read for those looking for a new career, wishing to reinvigorate a challenged career, or build on past successes."
—Mohamed El-Erian, CEO, PIMCO; Chair, President's Global Development Council
"Betty has written a powerful, insightful book for anyone who has ever felt they needed an extra push in their careers. Packed with sharp advice, candid revelations, and funny, personal stories, Work Smarts is an essential book to have if you want to succeed."
—Suzy Welch, author of 10-10-10; former Editor, Harvard Business Review
"Betty does it again with Work Smarts, a captivating story of her experiences interviewing CEOs and government officials from around the globe. Work Smarts is an invaluable aid for professionals seeking to organize their lives and careers for success. Rich with 'Lessons in Leadership' from her illustrious journalistic career, Work Smarts is also highly motivational and informative. Thank you, Betty, for yet another exceptional learning experience!"
—Dixon Doll, cofounder, DCM Venture Capital; past Chairman, U.S. National Venture Capital Association; board member, DIRECTV
"Easy conversation is always a miracle, especially when it is between a television host and her guest. But with Betty Liu it is always fun, easy, and interesting because she is fun, easy, and interesting."
—Mort Zuckerman, Chairman, Boston Properties; Publisher, New York Daily News and U.S. News & World Report
"Betty has a phenomenal ability to coax important information out of the top people in business. She uses those skills in this great new book to get CEOs and other highly successful professionals to explain how they got to the top—not just the things they did right, but the many things they did wrong. At a time when career ladders are broken and workers are expected to manage their own lifelong paths, Work Smarts is an invaluable—and entertaining—guide."
—Dan Roth, Executive Editor, LinkedIn
Synopsis
Jobs remain the biggest concern among Americans. With a national unemployment rate of 8% and a country graduating classes of young adults facing the toughest jobs market in half a century, Americans are confronted with a host of questions about their future. That’s where Betty Liu steps in.
It used to be that people received wisdom from their elders and that wisdom worked well in advancing oneself in a largely uniform society. But times have changed and it begs the question: how do you relate to and advance in a workplace that’s made up of so many different people and so many different values? Are there certain ways of doing business that are uniform throughout? This award-winning journalist asks the tough questions of those who’ve been there and succeeded to give readers the best opportunity at job success. Interviewing the likes of Mickey Drexler, Ellen DeGeneres, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey, Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer, Elon Musk, Starbucks’ Howard Schultz, Indra Nooyi, and Sheryl Sandberg among many others, the book will include the answers to the following questions:
- How do you network?
- How do you connect to your boss?
- When is there a right time to say no?
- How do I bounce back from a firing or a layoff?
- Why is being good at your job just not enough?
Synopsis
Award-winning Bloomberg television host Betty Liu compiles the wisdom of the world's best CEOs into a fun, insightful, and practical guide for success.
Betty Liu is famous the world over for asking the tough questions of today's most successful people--and for her uncanny ability to get straight answers where others have failed. As an award-winning financial journalist and Bloomberg Television anchor, Betty has sat down with billionaires, CEOs, politicians, and celebrities to get their views from the top.
Now, in Work Smarts, Betty helps you get to the top by distilling the wisdom of some of the most prominent CEOs in the country. Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Elon Musk, Sam Zell, John Chambers, Anne Mulcahy, and many more spill the beans on what it really takes to be successful, giving practical, -from the street- advice on how to get ahead in your career.
Packed with candid, often humorous, revelations from leaders in the world of finance, technology, retail, telecom, entertainment, and more, Work Smarts delivers priceless guidance on:
- How to really network
- The importance of being likable
- What your boss is thinking when you ask for a raise
- Winning every negotiation
- Bouncing back from a firing or layoff
- Thinking like a true entrepreneur
- The secret skill every successful person needs
- Overcoming fear
- Being a standout job candidate
- Knowing what's holding you back
- Knowing what can propel you forward
- Why sometimes being good at your job just isn't enough
Combining the trademark, hands-on approach of one of today's most respected financial journalists with the wisdom of the world's most successful business leaders, Work Smarts is a gold mine of real-world insight and advice on how to get ahead in business and forge a career that maximizes all your best talents and skills.
Synopsis
Award-winning Bloomberg financial journalist Betty Liu compiles the wisdom of the world's most successful CEOs into a practical guide to successIn Work Smarts, Betty Liu asks the tough questions of those who've been there and succeeded to give readers the best opportunity at job success. Interviewing the likes of Mickey Drexler, Ellen DeGeneres, Twitter's Jack Dorsey, Yahoo's Marissa Mayer, Elon Musk, Starbucks' Howard Schultz, Indra Nooyi, and Sheryl Sandberg among many others, the book offers practical advice on such topics as networking, connecting with your boss, deciding when to say "no" to a work request, bouncing back from a firing or layoff, and why sometimes being good at your job just isn't enough.
Synopsis
Betty Liu is famous the world over for asking the tough questions of today's most successful people—and for her uncanny ability to get straight answers where others have failed. As an award-winning financial journalist and Bloomberg Television anchor, Betty has sat down with billionaires, CEOs, politicians, and celebrities to get their views from the top.
Now, in Work Smarts, Betty helps you get to the top by distilling the wisdom of some of the most prominent CEOs in the country. Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Elon Musk, Sam Zell, John Chambers, Anne Mulcahy, and many more spill the beans on what it really takes to be successful, giving practical, "from the street" advice on how to get ahead in your career.
Whether you're just starting out in your career, bouncing back from a setback, angling to move up to the C-suite, or thinking about striking out on your own to pursue your dream, Work Smarts is a powerful source of insight, ideas, and inspiration you simply cannot afford to be without.
Packed with candid, often humorous, revelations from leaders in the world of finance, technology, retail, telecom, entertainment, and more, Work Smarts delivers priceless guidance on:
- How to really network
- The importance of being likable
- What your boss is thinking when you ask for a raise
- Winning every negotiation
- Bouncing back from a firing or layoff
- Thinking like a true entrepreneur
- The secret skill every successful person needs
- Overcoming fear
- Balancing kids and career
- Being a standout job candidate
- Knowing what's holding you back
- Knowing what can propel you forward
- Why sometimes being good at your job just isn't enough
And you'll even discover what the beverage of choice is among a majority of CEOs! (Hint: It's carbonated and has zero calories.)
Combining the trademark, hands-on approach of one of today's most respected financial journalists with the wisdom of the world's most successful business leaders, Work Smarts is a gold mine of real-world insight and advice on how to get ahead in business and forge a career that maximizes all your best talents and skills.
About the Author
Betty Liu is Editor-at-Large for Bloomberg Television and the host of In the Loop with Betty Liu, a daily morning program providing the most comprehensive coverage of the headlines and major events set to shape the business day ahead. She also hosts In the Loop At the Half with Betty Liu on Bloomberg Radio, airing weekdays at noon, and is an ABC News contributor. An award-winning business journalist, Betty regularly interviews influential business, political, and media leaders such as Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim, Lloyd Blankfein, Les Moonves, Indra Nooyi, and many others. Before joining Bloomberg Television, Betty was an anchor for CNBC Asia, based in Hong Kong. Prior to that, she was the Atlanta-based correspondent for the Financial Times. Earlier in her career, Betty was the Taiwan bureau chief for Dow Jones Newswiresthe youngest ever in Asiaand a Hong Kongbased regional correspondent for the newswire. Betty is also coauthor of Age Smart: Discovering the Fountain of Youth at Midlife and Beyond, published in 2006. For more information on Betty, go to www.betty-liu.com.
Table of Contents
Introduction ix
Part One: If I Knew This Before, I'd Be a Millionaire . . .
Chapter 1: The Company of One 3
Chapter 2: Why the Q Factor Is So Important 25
Chapter 3: How to Network 35
Chapter 4: Asking for a Raise 49
Chapter 5: The Art of Negotiation 67
Part Two: The Three Fs: Fear, Finances, and Flow
Chapter 6: Fear 81
Chapter 7: Finances 95
Chapter 8: Flow 109
Part Three: Postcards from the C-Suite
Chapter 9: What It's Really Like to Be a CEO 117
Chapter 10: Sound Off: The Most Annoying . . . 145
Part Four: Things I've Learned
Chapter 11: You Can't Really Be Good at Everything . . . and That's OK! 151
Chapter 12: Five Tips for Life 159
Bibliography 175
About the Author 179
Index 181