Discussion on:

Seven steps to building a fulfilling executive career

"Exercise at least 4 or 5 times a week. Eat healthy, low-fat and low-carb meals focused on protein. Meditate daily, even just for 15 minutes of ???mind rest??? every morning before you start the day." On Job Seeker's Allowance?

How do you expect to be at the top of your game if your mind and body aren't at their best? Personally I exercise 6 times a week and eat healthy every day. The real question is, regardless of whether you want a fulfilling executive career or not...why wouldn't you take this advice? What's more important than your health?

I like this post. Mostly because it starts with networking instead of the resume tips. Even the end is a suggestion at keeping your life sane even if you are in job hunting mode and have monetary worries.

To be honest; I don't give a !@#$ about making friends with people I don't like or respect just to get to the promised land. I realize that giving without reciprocation has it's place when helping people. It's excellent in a team environment and it's also great to offer your energies to your family or society as a whole in hopes to uplift someone(s). It's just NOT in my character to be friends or offer valuable time/energy to someone who I deem as an abuser to my previous offerings. You learn quick when to cut a "mutha" off. Although it's a harder road to walk; it makes me feel solid in that I didn't have to compromise or yield to a questionable situation. The work that I do/did helped get me there. In a way I guess I'm a sucker to those who see an easier route? All I know is that this way makes me feel best and that's the most important.

It's not about making friends with people you don't like, it's about common curtsies and saying thank you. It's about recognizing we are all human and can in some small way support each other and most importantly help each other grow.

It's not about an easy road. In fact, it's harder to find common ground and work with someone you don't respect to move beyond that and get the work done and both grow in the process.

I like to joke that I've to train up my supervisors before they become good ones.

I like how you think. Thanks for the advice and sorry to being such a negative Nelly. I guess concentrating on an objective and seeing it to completion even if you have to have the help of people you don't like them should be the main goal then? A nice way to take your mind off of the bad and stay on the good. I think I've got it. Thank you.

I'm surprised at the amount and content of the "negative" responses to Mr. Ellermeyer's posting. He makes very valid points and I challenge those who responded negatively to inventory their own experience AND success marketing themselves as executives in transition, unless mediocrity truly is your life's goal.

This is actually a very solid and thought through advise. Notice the title "...steps to building ... executive career". These steps are intended not for those who are satisfied to merely land a job but for the ones who want to excel onto a career path which will require multiple jumps from a position to position (weather in the same company or across companies)

I think this is very good advice. But if I hire the person who is good but how about its technical knowledge. I very well know its weakness than its strength. As normally first we point to weakness.
Any sucess is depend on network and knowledge also

Low fat? which fats? Why low card? Your body needs carbs.

The best answer to a healthy diet is to eat balanced (find it) and eat basic. Your central nervous system and brain need glucose, which is basically carbohydrates. Too much protein is detrimental. Balanced means a complete diet, getting just what you need.

"Eat healthy, low-fat and low-carb meals focused on protein." is confusing advice. Most of what people consider protein (meat, eggs, dairy, nuts) is very high in fat, in the 40-80% range, so low-fat low-carb & protein. Besides, protein's vastly overrated in popular culture these days. Our bodies need complete amino acids over time, not in every meal. Protein has the aminos, but at a considerable digestive cost. High protein associates with a raft of ills like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, colon cancer--studies have shown you can even activate cancer cells with too much protein (see The China Study by T. Colin Campbell). Eating healthy means eating low on the food chain, as least-processed as possible.

It's amazing how IT people focus on the process - is the diet right, why 8 to 10 emails a day, why not 7 to 9 etc. The "goal" of the article is to be results driven, the exact diet formulation is not important. In other words to make the switch from techie to professional, put the C back in ICT... communication. Ge the ideas from the article and forget the specifics, you will walk away with a gem!

These advices are universal for all fields of career - be honest, in shape and organized!