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Written By Rich For You.
Great Business Lessons From The Movies – Working Girl.
Do you know how to radically elevate your career or business? Here's how.
Let's zip back to 1988 and watch one of my favorite Harrison Ford movies . . . Working Girl! Yes, I know, Working Girl. I love this movie — it's a romantic comedy directed by Mike Nichols. It tells the inspiring story of Tess, a secretary, played by Melanie Griffith, who works in the mergers and acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank.
When her boss, Sigourney Weaver, breaks her leg skiing, Tess uses her absence and connections, including Weaver's boyfriend, Harrison Ford, to put forward her idea for a merger deal.
I can't believe it's 26 years old. So let's go to the business lessons:
Image Gets Your Foot In The Door.
Tess is a secretary — and back in 1988, there was a distinctive separation how secretaries and executives dressed. So she changes her whole wardrobe to fit in with the big guns.
What do you wear every day? First (and subsequent) impressions play a huge part with everyone you meet and interact with. Where do you dress with your peers? Do you wear t-shirts and shorts? Jeans?
If you want to play with the big boys and girls, you need to dress like them. Pay attention to what they wear — compliment their shirt, jacket, blouse and find out where they shop. Imitation is the sincerest form of getting ahead.
If you don't know what to wear, go here — Boys click here — Girls click here.
Who You Know Is As Important As What You Know.
Tess instantly realizes and proceeds to introduce herself to higher ranking people to get ahead.
Who do you hang around with? Who do you talk to? How's it working for you so far?
If you want to get ahead, move up and play with the adults, you need to begin to connect with other groups of influential people. Read this.
Getting Ahead Involves Taking Risks.
Throughout the movie, Tess takes calculated chances to get ahead, She absconds with her boss' wardrobe, crashes weddings, and barges into meetings.
I'm not saying for you to do that (it's a movie) — but you should step out on the ledge every so often to not only see the view, but to also move your career ahead — turbo style.
Get invited to that meeting, reach out to the dream client you always wanted to work with, ask for the business instead of shutting up. Take a chance every day.
You'll Never Know Where A Great Idea Might Come From.
Tess gets her brainstorm from reading her daily newspaper's gossip column and puts two-and-two together. It ultimately brings together two media titans and gives her a new job.
How do you get your ideas? When was the last time you pitched a new idea to your boss or client? A new product, offering or service?
You need to take a chance sometimes and tell other people — important people — influential people — your ideas. Read this.
Be Ready, In Case Opportunity Knocks.
As the scouts always say - Be Prepared.
Get your ideas in order. Get your style in order. Get your connections in order. Start taking risks. Because in the near future, someone will be knocking at your door.
Are you ready to answer it? To let them into your business? To sell them on an idea?
You only have one chance — time to make sure you can make it happen. Like this.
Do you like Working Girl? What other lessons did you get from it?
POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW
P.S. Which rule resonated clearly with your career? Which one made you think twice? Let's talk. I've worked with a number of clients — and we developed a successful strategy to grow your career exponentially. If you’re not a client . . . pick up the phone and call me — I offer only one complimentary session each week.
Do You Have The Girlfriend Effect?
What's the Girlfriend Effect? Remember in high school, if a boy didn't have a girlfriend, it was pretty darn near impossible for him to attract one? But if the boy did have a girlfriend, all her friends seemed to flock over to him and be instantly interested in him?
Remember in high school, if a boy didn't have a girlfriend, it was pretty darn near impossible for him to attract one? But if the boy did have a girlfriend, all her friends seemed to flock over to him and be instantly interested in him?
Well, the girlfriend effect is alive and well in business today and it starts with the atmosphere you create.
It's how you act, your confidence, your self-esteem, the way you react in situations, the way you carry yourself.
If you own or run your own business or if you are an executive in a corporation, you understand the power of first impressions, charisma, and confident behavior.
If you don't have it, you need to get it. When I work with my clients, I frequently say that you need to always have your "hot shit" persona on. Because if you don't think you are important, influential, and experienced, no one will. It all starts with you.
Here are some incredible books that you can grab to build your confidence, charisma, and image:
- Executive Charisma: Six Steps to Mastering the Art of Leadership By D.A. Benton. A proven six-step process for acquiring the style, flair, and credibility needed to make it to the top. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, managers who do not exude an all encompassing self-confidence, style, poise, and energy, in short, “executive presence,” are highly unlikely to make it to the corner office.
- The Secret Language of Success: Using Body Language to Get What You Want By David Lewis. The jewel of my library. Have you ever felt that you could walk into a room without being noticed and leave and not be missed? Your inability to make your presence felt has probably made you frustrated on more than one occasion. This book teaches you the secret language of silent speech and body language.
- How to Win Friends & Influence People By Dale Carnegie. This is the bible — buy it and live it. This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated.