MHN Executive Council: Best Career Advice You’ve Ever Received (Part 2)
More tips from our experts that have transformed how they manage.
Sometimes advice sticks with you throughout your career. Do you remember the best advice you’ve gotten in your career? The MHN Executive Council shares more of the guidance, teachings and opinions they’ve received that have helped shape where they are today. (And read Part 1 for even more suggestions.)
Be Yourself
The best advice I ever received, whether it was for my career or just my life, was to always be your authentic self. Each of us has a unique “genius”—something that we are just naturally talented with. It could be for writing, painting, dancing or just knowing how to pull a room together with a good story. Find what your genius is, or who you are authentically, and let that guide who you are in business and in life. I like to say that I didn’t change for my career, my career found its way to adapt to who I am. —Sandy Jack, Vice President of Strategic Relations, Multifamily, Vingcard/Nomadix
Don’t Overthink It
The best advice I’ve received is to make the decision and move on—don’t confuse activity with progress. Early in my career, I probably overthought too many things and waited too long for perfect information. I’ve tried to follow that advice ever since, and I’m better at it than I used to be. —Andrew Kadish, CEO/CIO, CAPREIT
Build Your Network
The best advice I’ve received is to be intentional about building and investing in your network—not just for what you can gain, but for how you can contribute. Early on, someone told me that the strongest careers are built on relationships, generosity and a focus on impact over optics.
I’ve tried to follow that by staying connected, giving back whenever I can, and looking for opportunities where I can make a meaningful difference. That mindset has not only opened doors, but it’s also shaped how I lead and how I define success in my career. —Stephanie Anderson, Senior Director, Grace Hill
Pause Before Answering
The best advice I received was this: “Your job is not to have all the answers. Your job is to build people who can find them.”
Early in my career, I thought strong leadership meant being the fastest problem-solver in the room. I gave the answers, provided the direction, jumped in to fix things and often did the work myself because I wanted it done right and done quickly.
That advice changed how I led. I had to learn to pause before solving, ask better questions and let people work through decisions instead of rescuing them from the learning process. It was not always easy, but growth does not happen when leaders keep all the thinking at the top. I did follow the advice, but not perfectly at first. I had to practice replacing “Here’s what to do” with “What do you think the best next step is?” I had to let team members own decisions, make adjustments and build confidence through experience.
The result was stronger leaders, better decision-making and a team that did not need me in the middle of every issue. —Maria Pietroforte, President, Maria Pietroforte Consulting
Drop the Ego
I’ve been given the gift of many invaluable pieces of advice during my career. The most important was a simple directive: to lead with gratitude, not ego. Following that advice religiously has shaped my career into something I am truly proud of. Gratitude informs all of my beliefs and actions. When you lead and act with gratitude, your decisions are rooted in a genuine desire to add value to the lives of those you work with and have been empowered to influence and impact. Acting with gratitude keeps me focused on the privilege of my position and the responsibility I have to our team, our partners, and the renters we serve. —Janine Jovanovic, CEO, LeaseLock
Interested in joining the MHN Executive Council and sharing your insights? Email Jessica Fiur.
