In the realm of business literature, few books possess the power to inspire and impart invaluable wisdom quite like "Winners Dream" by Bill McDermott. I am not saying this because he is technically my boss given that I work at ServiceNow but because I read the signed copy I got directly from Bill almost in one go. 

Not only was it very engaging, but it was full of interesting stories about Bill's humble beginnings all the way to the top of corporate success. These stories is what made the book such a captivating read, making you want to find out what happens next quickly. I especially resonated with Bill's determination to go after what he wants - determined is definitely one of my key traits as well.

As I was reading the book, I thought there were so many helpful nuggets and learnings that I wanted to share these with you, alongside my favourite quotes. 

In essence, my biggest takeaway is that to be successful in life and to lead a fulfilling life, you need to be crystal clear on the goals and priorities that really matter to you and pour your soul and hard work into achieving them. The journey is the dream rather than the outcome itself. 

Top Learnings from Winners Dream

Where could your business be going wrong? This is a question that most businesses ask themselves regularly, and yet coming up with the answer can be really difficult. It’s hard to know where things are not going so well, and how you can get your business back on track.

Today, we will look at a list of things that could potentially be going wrong in your business and help you identify what positive changes you can start making going forward. This is not meant to be used as a diagnostic tool, it’s just supposed to give you some ideas of where to look.

Let's get started!

Top 7 Areas to Fix Today if Your Business is Going Wrong

This is a guest post by Dina Mostovaya.

The role of PR professionals has evolved significantly. Numerous global studies show that nowadays, a head of communications plays the part of a company’s business partner, becoming critical in the process of achieving the firm’s business goals.

Gone are the days when PR solely provided support; now, it is recognized that communication must have a strategic focus. The definition of public relations has expanded and now includes activities such as managing social networks, developing blogs, implementing email marketing campaigns, participating in events, and more. In essence, the goal is to use a wide range of channels to effectively convey the brand's key messages, mission, ideas, and values, all of which ultimately convert into tangible business metrics and leads.

In that context, Iliyana Stareva’s "Inbound PR" is an excellent guide on how to create content that helps generate inbound inquiries and provides data with which to measure the impact of strategic communications. I first read this book a few years ago, and still consider it one of the most useful.

I've been a Chief of Staff for close to two years but I've held similar positions in the past without the title. 

People often ask me "What is it that you actually do?"

Chief of Staff roles have become popular over the last few years, especially in tech. Many of the big companies have a Chief of Staff for all of their SVPs and above, and some even for VP and above. 

I find the Chief of Staff role quite unique depending on who the executive is that you support. I'm lucky to have an amazing leader who I work with hand in hand which allows me to learn and grow. 

But back to the question about what is it that a Chief of Staff does every day. Let me go through a day in my life, however, before I begin I have to say that the Chief of Staff job is so versatile and frankly not every day is the same because the role itself relies on the ability to pivot, adjust and be flexible pretty much all the time as there are often last-minute fires to be put down. So I will focus on explaining the key daily responsibilities. 

A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff in Tech

Many people ask me how I remain this productive in a job that's full of last-minute urgencies and constant changes?

My answer is simple, I have three non-negotiables to keep a high performance at work and in my private life and they have nothing to do with work itself. All three are about something very foundational - my body and ensuring it functions at its peak. 

I've spent years nurturing three key habits to ensure I can perform at high and quick speeds: exercise, nourishing food and sleep. These three have been and still are the best decisions I make every day. 

My 3 Non-Negotiables for Peak Performance In Work and Life