The purpose of “Supercharge Your Career in Today’s Tough Market” is to create a platform that brings together CUNY students and alumni as well as well as the general public who are stalled, uncertain about, or in need of the skills involved in finding then applying and interviewing for a job in their chosen career.

Class size is limited in order to create a highly interactive environment.  There were 13 students in the first summer program who bonded very quickly since they had one thing in common:  how to present their best selves to potential employers.  Each person was supportive of the other, offering suggestions, words of inspiration, and leads to job opportunities.

Selected from participants after five weeks of meetings include:

I feel very self-confident and ready to apply what I learned.

You helped me see how I can position my skills to advance my career.

I’m going to go on informational interviews so that I can practice my interview story.

The profile of this group included a former Wall Streeter who has been out of work for almost two years, a woman who had worked for a company for over 20 years until the firm succumbed to the recession, an administrator with many years experience who was ready to find a job that held more meaning for her, a graduate student going for her M.B.A. who wanted a job, another M.B.A. student who wanted to apply for an internship, and a junior in college who wanted to get a head start on his career search.

Everyone participated, bringing in resumes for me to review, drafting and practicing elevator speeches for the networking meetings and professional association events they were going to attend, and role-playing interviews that included the tough questions.

It was a pleasure teaching this class and leading individuals to their common goal:  a way to contribute and earn rewards for their intelligence, skills, and natural talents.

I wish them my former students all the best in their searches.  If you are interested in finding out more about supercharging your career, please contact Linda Moore at 646-312-3620 or Linda.Moore@baruch.cuny.edu.

Spring 2010---A Management Approach to Organizational Behavior

When I look at the picture, I see my spring 2010 class of “A Management Approach to Organizational Behavior”—a class that whether they liked it or not, moved out of their comfort zones to meet and excel at challenging course expectations.

When I look at the picture, I see a microcosm of Baruch College, the nation’s most ethnically diverse campus of over 15,500 students who speak 110 languages and come from 160 countries.

When I look at the picture, I see decision makers who will climb the corporate—or small business—ladders to achieve the success that they so much want to attain.

When I look at the picture, I see the future, a future that includes other students in classes like mine who will take what they have learned in college and use it to be effective and efficient managers and leaders.

When I look at this picture on my computer or now posted on my blog, I smile.  These “students” are part of today’s workforce.  While working to be a leader, they are making a difference in people’s lives as a manager, an intern, a small business owner, an executive at their parents’ company, a receptionist at a medical office, a technology lab assistant.  They are working to be managers and leaders, and in that process using directly or indirectly the knowledge that they gained in my class.

When I look at this picture, I see these and other individuals who in coming years will be making decisions about the future of America.  I like to think that the curriculum of the class that they took with me will help them make those decisions.  That required essays to examine their organizational behavior; identify and understand the bully or the procrastinator or the older worker in the workplace; acquire a realistic perspective on women in leadership from guest speakers and conference panelists; and compare a founding father with a technology pioneer helped to put innovation and risk-taking into a meaningful and historical context.

Part of my students’ final written assignment was to write about workplace 2020—what they will be doing, how they will be working, where they will be doing that work, etc.  Their essays included finding work-life balance and needing to be continuous learners.  One student, the only one in a class where everyone included technology as part of their future, mentioned that soft skills—interactions with others—will also be needed.

Relationships are part of the future.  My relationship with my students was a rewarding one, one where I could see the future develop during each and every class.  I salute my class of spring 2010 and wish them great achievement.

Last year’s 5-session program on “Supercharge Your Job Search” sponsored by the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College was so well received that I was invited to present the workshop again this year.

This intensive program is for the general public in the greater New York City area as well as for students and alumni of Baruch College—or any CUNY school.  Specifically, it is targeted to those who are looking to promote their talent by mastering the skills needed for finding that new job, being noticed for advancement where they work, or transitioning to a new career.  Review of resumes, practice managing awkward interview questions, and new strategies to be noticed are included in the series.

 Those job seekers who  attended previously found great value in the program:

• Great!  After a role-playing exercise, I got instant feedback from the class and instructor on my interviewing skills.
• The class gave me the tools that I needed to start my job search.
• Sharing and doing exercises pushed me to realize the importance of networking and maintaining relationships.

 The series of five-sessions will allow each participant to identify their goals, learn effective job search skills through role-plays and interactive exercises, and gain greater confidence to demonstrate a strong workplace presence.  PLUS:  everyone will take the Strong Interest Inventory to identify possible career paths and other assessments to improve self-awareness. 

Along with being an Adjunct Instructor at Zicklin, I’m a trained executive coach who specializes in developing leaders and helping professionals identify and achieve their goals.  I’ve worked with many executives to position themselves for advancement and to develop resumes that help them make a career transition.

 There is a charge of $120 for this program which includes the Strong Interest Inventory and interpretation of other assessments.  Class size is strictly limited.

The program will start on Wednesday, June 16, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and continue each Wednesday evening at the same time through July 14.

Registration closes on Wednesday, June 9^th.

The workshop will be held in the Newman Vertical Campus, Room 9-215, of Baruch College at 24th & Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.

For further assistance and registration contact Linda Moore at (646) 312-3620 or Linda.Moore@baruch.cuny.edu.

It’s a great opportunity.  Hope you can attend!

After a brief overview of his program, Kandel introduced William D. Cohan, author of House of Cards:  A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street and a contributing writer for Fortune magazine; and Gregory Zukerman,  The Wall Street Journal reporter who writes the paper’s column “Heard on the Street” and author of The Greatest Trade Ever:  The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History.

Offering the background to the headlines, Kandel’s guests shared stories of the executives who individually and collectively ignored the indicators of a financial crisis.  According to his publisher Random House, Cohan’s book on Bear Stearns is “A blistering narrative account of the negligence and greed that pushed all of Wall Street into chaos and the country into a financial crisis.”  Zuckerman described in some detail how the risk-taking Paulson sought out and then earned billions by betting on the housing collapse others—including mortgage, real estate, and investing experts—had missed.  Since Paulson had created a market for his product by using Goldman Sachs as a salesman, the two brilliant business writers weighed in on the government investigation of Goldman.

Wikipedia’s definition of a firestorm “is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system.  It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires, forest fires, and wildfires….Firestorms can also be deliberate effects of targeted explosives.”  A conflagration is defined as “an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, property or ecology.  A conflagration can be accidentally or intentionally created (arson).”  Kandel’s choice of the word firestorm for his event seems very appropriate.

The reason I attended the program was to further my education on the culture of Wall Street, and especially, to hear Cohan speak.  His previous book, The Last Tycoons: the Secret History of Lazard Frères & Co., spins “A tale of restrained ambition, billion-dollar fortunes, Byzantine power struggles, and hidden scandal.”  Cohan’s employment as a vice president at one of the world’s preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms coincided with mine.  However, he was involved in the business transactions while I was on the sidelines watching the action from my position as a temporary secretary.  In my over five years at the firm, I worked with a majority of partners, numerous vice presidents, and many other bankers.

When Zuckerman mentioned that Paulson’s analyst in creating his deals was Paolo Pellegrini, my ears perked up since he, too, was a former Lazard banker.  However, unlike Cohan who moved from Lazard to be a managing director of telecom mergers and acquisitions at JPMorgan Chase, Pellegrini according to Zuckerman in an article (“Profiting from the Crash,” WSJ, 10/31/09) had “a career of disappointments” and that “Paulson & Co. likely was his last stop on Wall Street.”  The disappointed analyst earned an estimated $45 million in his first year at his “last stop.”

What I took away from hearing the stories and learning more about Wall Street’s demeanor and greed was nothing new.  It was the same old story:  the behavior on Wall Street won’t change.

Specifically, words that I recorded in my notebook in the darkened auditorium include these thoughts from Cohan on proposed government regulation of Wall Street: “Wall Street buys the sort of regulation they want” … “Their actions are just smart enough not to go over the edge” … “We haven’t changed how Wall Street behaves not even in a small way” … “Goldman people don’t feel comfortable voicing dissent.” … “Nobody is blowing the whistle.”

Cohan made a very interesting statement: “There is no memory on Wall St.”  The younger people on Wall Street make decisions not knowing the history of the previous crisis—like the Internet IPOs in the late 90’s or the housing downturn in the early 90’s—and don’t take time to reflect on the consequences of their behaviors.  Instead, it seems clear, Wall Street moves from one crisis to another, like an addict who seems incapable of staying away from drink, drugs, or other substances to get a high, all the while knowing but not accepting that a big downer follows.  Rather, the user, when he needs it, seeks out another source to get high.

Zuckerman stated that, “We need the best and the brightest to be in financial services.”  To me, that seemed to affirm that what was going on within Wall Street firms was okay.  And that the results, although possibly catastrophic for the majority of America and a good part of the globe, are what matters.  It matters to those who profit from the results.  Do bankers stop to think about those who are negatively impacted by the results?

Last year, I wrote a special report entitled, “Temping with Tycoons:  Lessons from My Leadership Reinvention” —an account of what I learned at Lazard about the firm’s culture, group behavior, and individual actions. Documenting what I observed and reading about the firm, I used Lazard as the business school I could afford.  And it was during those years experiencing the hubris of bankers, the carelessness of analysts, and their overall ignorance of the real world that inspired me to teach future leaders about the human side of business.  “Temping with Tycoons” is required reading at the beginning of “A Management Approach to Organizational Behavior,” a course I teach to undergraduates at the Zicklin School of Business within Baruch College, the nation’s most ethnically diverse campus.  Primarily working class and first generation, the students are able to learn about some behaviors on Wall Street. They are also often aghast and angry at what they read.

One of my students put it very simply, “Why is there such a divide?”

I don’t know exactly.  Future posts will include notes from “M.B.A. Under Siege:  Reimagining Management Education,” an all-day conference held at Fordham University where business school educators from as far away as Kazakhstan in Eurasia listened to presentations from highly regarded business school professors and participated in discussions.  Especially of interest was the role that management—or lack of it—played in the collapse of the global economy.  Watch this space for more information on the culture and management of Wall Street.

Last August, my niece and I went to see “Julie & Julia”—a delightful movie about the life of Julia Child who, in 1948 and in her mid-thirties, discovered her career as a French chef and educator then evolved into a major cookbook author and television personality and making public appearances until her death in 1992.  The character “Julie Powell” was portrayed in the movie as a young writer whose job was to answer phones for those needing help after 9/11.  She felt frustrated at work and started a blog about Julia Child.  She also decided that she was going to cook 524 recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking co-authored by Julia Child in 365 days.

This spring, this same  niece lent me her copy of My Life in France, an autobiography of Julia Child written with Alex Prud’homme.  I started reading it at a pace of about 10 pages a day.  However, when I was about 100 pages into the book last weekend, I thought, “Why am I reading this?  I don’t really like French food!  I grew up on the basics, I cook the basics and I eat out to savor complicated dishes.”  Not one to give up on a book, however, I began to think about why I should continue reading and that brought me to remembering the first time I heard about Julia Child.

When I was a junior at the University of California at Berkeley, I had a part-time job as a work-study student in the Art & Music (A&M) Department at the Main Branch of the Berkeley Public Library.  As a Librarian’s Assistant, I helped patrons locate books, albums (!), and prints of major artists.  And I was also to report the behavior of a regular visitor—one of the many “characters” who at times put mirrors on the top of their shoes and stood very close to a female patron who was wearing a skirt.

Bruce Munly was the Librarian for A&M and manager of one full-time and many part-time employees.  Other part-time people included four middle-aged (and slightly older) women married to college professors and another Berkeley undergraduate student (he later became my husband).

“What did you think of Julia?” was Mr. Munly’s ritual greeting when one of the women arrived in the department.  They then would proceed to talk about the delicacy that Julia had prepared on the latest episode of “The French Chef” on our local public broadcasting station.  It was “all about Julia” for the first ten to fifteen minutes of a woman’s shift—and would often be revisited, many times when another gourmand arrived to talk about what Julia had prepared.

An effective manager who made the most of this diverse group, Mr. Munly organized a staff dinner once or twice a year.  This potluck supper was held at his or one of the women’s homes, often one in the Berkeley Hills with a spectacular view looking out beyond the Golden Gate Bridge.  When it came time to volunteer to bring food to the dinner, Mr. Munly and the women would decide which dish they would bring—usually a “Julia” dish.  The college students and the full-time employee would bring wine, bread, and possibly dessert—first asking the “elders” for specific instructions on what to buy.

Memories of one—if not the best—workplace experience of early career came flooding back to me last weekend as I turned each page of My Life in France.  Ignoring the world outside, I gave myself the afternoon to follow Julia’s journey through her writing career which she embraced enthusiastically and spent the evening learning how she had found her way to television.  Reading her book was like eating a good meal; I finished it feeling satisfied and satiated with good memories.

Looking back at his management style, I see how Mr. Munly maximized the talent he had in his small department.  He created a congenial atmosphere—based in part on Julia’s recipes—where he engaged and motivated his team to be productive through food, a love of the arts, and a great spirit.

At the close of each episode of “The French Chef”—and at the very end of her book—Julia wishes everyone a bon appétite!

As I asked at the beginning of this post, what is your recipe to be an effective manager?  No matter your “cuisine,” or your particular management style, I wish you time to think about how you manage.  Specifically, what is the thread of the conversations you have with your staff members and how do you connect with them on a regular basis?

While you are creating and enhancing your own recipe of effective management, I wish you bon appétite!

I asked that question while subbing for an ill instructor during her two classes in, “A Management Approach to Organizational Beahvior” at Zicklin School of Business.  The chapter we were discussing was “Power and Politics” and on the first slide of the instructor’s PowerPoint was a picture of Steve Jobs and one of President Obama.  After I posed the question, I got very mixed results and push back from the students.

Vocal people in the classes said that there is no real comparison.  Jobs is a business man and Obama a politician.  The range of power and influence these leaders had was different and wasn’t equal in the students’ minds.  And I agreed with that.  I also confirmed that asking such a provocative question was a good way to break the ice with a new class.

 The students agreed to disagree on which leader was the most powerful.  Many felt Jobs was the most powerful because of his innovative ideas and the influence of the array of products he had introduced to a global market.  (Although I request that all cell phones are put on vibrate and put out of sight during class, I did see a few iPhones on desks.)

 Almost equal was the number of votes for the President because he was the first African-American to be elected to the highest office in the U.S., got health care legislation passed, was focused on reigning in Wall Street, etc.

 Then I posed another question:  who was the President of the United States 60 years ago?  Although Nixon, Carter, and Roosevelt were suggested, it was Harry S. Truman who led the country in 1950.  Not one student had heard of Truman.

 The point I was making was that legislation or being the first at something will be remembered.  For instance, John F. Kennedy is the first and only Catholic and the first Irish American president.  However, in my mind and those of about half the classes I taught, it was the products of the genius developer of technology who is the most powerful person in 2010.

 Jobs?  Obama?  Which one do you think is the most powerful leader today?  Please post your response below.

 Vicarious modeling is a process during which you can gain self-confidence while watching others perform a task similar to the one you are doing.  Through observation, you can picture yourself performing that same way.

 “Prof. Ogletree,” was the answer I gave to my students.  Although I’ve had many good professional role models in my career, Charles J. Ogletree topped my list that evening.  Today, Ogletree is the Jesse Climenko Professor of Law and the Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School.  Former instructor of President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle when they attended Harvard, Prof. Ogletree is an esteemed and prolific writer and public speaker involved in sometimes controversial and embarrassing situations.  Yet, his style of conducting a college class has remained my model for almost twenty years.

 In 1990, I transitioned my master’s degree in early childhood education into a career as an Adjunct Faculty member in the City University System.  Sometime in the 1990’s, I watched a weekly program on PBS that featured Prof. Ogletree conducting a class of what were probably his law students.  I forget the name of the program but I can’t forget his “in the face” type of approach when educating his audience.  He sat down on a desk near his students, he called on everyone, and he relentlessly challenged the answers and the assumptions they offered.

 Watching Prof. Ogletree over a long time, I vicariously became him in not just college classrooms but corporate classrooms where I would teach employees how to use technology, manage workplace relationships, or engage in innovative exercises.

 During my “performance” each evening when I’m teaching students at Zicklin, I am “in their faces,” moving around the classroom to be physically close to individuals while challenging them to provide “stretch” answers that expand their horizons.  I call on every one of my almost 30 students in each session, requiring them to state their opinion on a topic, explain a concept, or come up with another idea on how to deal with a difficult employee.  I push them out of their comfort zones and they answer back with a willingness to be in-the-moment and to perform on the classroom stage.

 While watching Prof. Ogletree on TV, I incorporated his style into my training as an educator.  I felt capable of performing the role because I earned positive feedback from my students and on faculty evaluations.

 I love teaching and I thank Prof. Ogletree’s style of teaching during his shows on PBS for the vicarious modeling he provided.

Sufia Farha, President of WIB,  and her team of dedicated, organized, and helpful students made the evening an enjoyable one for everyone.  I did not want to turn down the opportunity to be the moderator for the third year in a row but I also had a class in “Organizational Behavior” to teach during the exact time of the panel.  A resolution was to assign “Women in Leadership” as my students’ next written assignment, require my class to attend, and give these achievement oriented students the opportunity to be part of an event that evening students do not often get the chance to attend.

Leigh, Virginia McNeil Montague, Lenore Janis, Heather Maloney, Dr. Barbara Lawrence, Diane Garnick

One of my students came up to me at the close of the program and said, “I’m grateful that you required us to attend.”  Later that evening, another student wrote me an e-mail in which she said, “Thank you for inviting us to such an invigorating event.  It was way better than I thought it would be.”

Why was it ”way better”?  The inspirationalprofessional  knowledge the guests offered. 

The keynote address by Diane Garnick brought audience members—and panelists—to tears when hearing of the adversities she overcame and how she challenged herself to enter the world of finance.   One “Pearl of Wisdom” Diane shared was, ”If your palms aren’t sweating enough, your game isn’t big enough.”  Today, after sweating a lot, she is an investment strategist at Invesco, an investment management company.  To read more about Diane and her volunteer work, here’s a link to her facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diane-Garnick/188133090053?v=info 

The WIB committee had developed a series of questions for the panelists and I had the opportunity to ask these inquiries (with a little embellishment) on behalf of the young women just starting their careers.

Panelists included Heather Maloney, Executive Director, Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund; Lenore Janis, President, Professional Women in Construction National; and Virginia McNeil Montague, President of The New York Coalition of One Hundred Black Women.

Each response from the panel brought helpful insights into the lives of women who hold executive leadership positions.  One particular question from the audience brought this series of replies:  “Do whatever scares you.”  “Life is a series of trials and tests.”  “Go to the gym.”  What was the question?  I don’t remember.  What I do know is that the answers represent the ways that these women faced, managed, and overcame the obstacles in their careers.

Near the end of the question and answer period from the audience, I noted that about one-quarter to one-third of the audience were males.  Yet, not one male asked a question.  “Okay,” I said.  “It’s time for a man to ask a question.”  One of my students raised his asked and asked the panel, “What can men do to help women succeed?”  The overall answer from the panelists was, “Men need to talk to women to hear what they need.  And men need to talk to talk other men about what women need.  They also need to work with women so that they can understand and help women get the respect and acknowledgement they have earned in the workplace.”

Leigh with the wonderful Women in Business team

It was a great evening for so many reasons.  One of which is that after stepping off the dias at the end of the panel, I was invited to be the moderator for the Fifth Annual Pearls of Wisdom Women’s Leadership Conference.  I’m looking forward to the event already.

 “March is Women’s Month at Brandeis” was the headline on a brochure that caught my attention one day as I was going through the VP’s mail.  I carefully read the list of all the events being scheduled throughout the month and looked for one I could attend.  “What about a program for the women who work on campus!”  I thought after not finding even one program. “Don’t we exist?”

Leigh (l), Moderator, "9 to 5 The Brandeis Way"

 Taking the initiative, I met with a Women’s Studies professor and proposed a panel discussion called, “9 to 5 The Brandeis Way.”  We discussed my idea of having women I knew from different departments share their stories about job sharing, part-time work, and other experiences of being employed at the university.

 “If one person shows up for the program, consider yourself lucky,” the professor kindly cautioned.  Her words made me more determined to develop an audience.  I created a flyer and posted it around campus, submitted a news release to the local paper, contacted professors I knew, and tried to be positive that in addition to the panelists and my then husband, other people would attend the event.

 Seventy-five staff, students, and faculty showed up for “9 to 5 The Brandeis Way,” the first of what became a series of panel discussions on workplace issues.  The event was a success and, as my career evolved, a path I continued to travel.

 Thursday, March 18, 5:30p.m.-8:30p.m. The Fourth Annual “Pearls of Wisdom” Women’s Leadership Conference, Baruch College.

This is my third time as moderator of the panel and I’m very enthused about the executives that the “Women in Business” committee has selected. The keynote speaker is Diane Garnick, Investment Strategist, Invesco Ltd. Panelists include Heather Maloney, Executive Director, Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund; Lenore Janis, President, Professional Women in Construction National; and Virginia McNeil Montague, President of The New York Coalition of One Hundred Black Women. The event is free to students (dinner with wine included). For more information, visit Baruch’s “Women in Business” website at http://baruchwib.webs.com/ or contact Sufia Farha, President, Women in Business, at sufia.farha@gmail.com

 Tuesday, March 23, 1:00p.m.-3:30p.m. “It’s Not Over: You Still Have a Chance! Reinvention and Resilience in the Older Worker” hosted by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association-New York City Chapter (EAPA-NYC).

As Co-Chair of the EAPA-Women’s Issues Committee, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel on the multigenerational workplace last year. This year, the panel is focused on ways those 40 and over can remain positive and competitive in the job market. Lynda Johnson, my Co-Chair, will welcome the audience. The panel I’ll moderate includes Jane Cranston, Managing Director, Executive Coach NY; Doris Traub, Traub & Traub, P.C., attorney specializing in age discrimination in the workplace; and Wendy Lewis, President, Wendy Lewis & Co. Ltd, a Global Aesthetics Consultancy—an image enhancement consultant dubbed “The Knife Coach®” by the media. The fee for the event is $20 for a guest. To confirm times and get location, please contact Barbara Friesner at barbara@agewiseliving.com

“It is hard to express the wonderful effect the Saints have had on our community – it has brought us all together in the glow of their achievement, and we are awash in black and gold and ‘Who Dat’.  I am sure the intense and widespread emotional involvement is directly related to the depth of commitment we have made to the recovery and improvement of NOLA. So many things are coming back but not there yet, but here is one area where success is palpable and was a long time coming (43 years!).  And it’s wonderful Lagniappe that Drew Brees is such a fine  human being – not just a great quarterback.”  Suzy Mague, a woman I met when volunteering in NOLA after Hurricane Katrina, pinpointed what was going to help the Saints win the Super Bowl:  the collective belief in success by those in the Gulf Coast region.

Lagniappe is a term used in Louisiana which  means “”something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure.”  What the Saints gave the city of New Orleans were gifts of hope, commitment to a goal, and success against great odds to even reach the Super Bowl.  What the city of New Orleans gave back was their enthusiastic support and hope that the area’s recovery would be as successful as that of their Saints.

 The consensus was that the Colts were the better team, Peyton Manning the best quarterback ever, the defense so strong that Manning had only been sacked 10 times all season, and on and on.  My clapping and cheering for the Saints when they were behind 10-0 in the first quarter did give me pause.  Yet, as is the nature of a 60-minute game, there was still a chance.  In football, you have to play the game to the very last second even if your team is losing 54-0.  The Saints went the distance in great form.

To lead off the second half of the game, Saints’ Coach Sean Payton used a tactic that brought his team success:  a practiced  surprise.  For the first time in Super Bowl history, a team started the third quarter with an onside kick.  The Saints punter made a short kick (more than 10 yards) to the Colts, a Colts player touched then lost the ball, a Saints player recovered the ball, and the Saints earned very good field position.  The Saints had practiced this surprise over and over again during the week leading up to the big game.  The timing made history, shifted the momentum to the Saints, and helped them come away with a 31-17 victory.

Today I wish that I could call the Colts fan who told me to give up on the Saints because they didn’t have a chance.  There is always a chance, always an opportunity to succeed whether on the football field, a baseball diamond, or the workplace playing field.  Give yourself a chance by practicing a surprise that can get you noticed,  realize the potential you have as a leader and become an outstanding team player for your followers while working to be a leader.