I was once told, “The first thing you sell is yourself.” That advice has stuck with me and will most likely always be etched in my memory. Successful C-Suiters have all had the same moment—the moment when a word of advice struck a nerve within their soul.
So, in D CEO’s August issue we asked Chris Crosby of Compass Data Centers, Sue Ansel of Gables Residential, and Shridhar Mittal of Zimperium to share what words of advice they’ve been given that has helped shape their careers or the best advice they have to offer to help others shape their career. Here is what they had to say.
Chris Crosby
CEO, Compass DataCenters
“Without true diversity of personality and thought on your executive team, your company cannot grow as fast as it potentially could. Forceful teams have a formal culture, clear vision, and strong diversity. This simple truth is incredibly hard to execute and takes real discipline. A diverse team reaches goals faster through the elimination of blind spots and the creativity of diversity.”
Sue Ansel
President and CEO, Gables Residential
“The advice that has had the greatest impact on my career was to learn everything you can about your company’s operations, even if it is outside of your current scope. Doing so helped me become more valuable to my organization and more marketable if ever needed. It put me in a position to take on more significant roles in the company, as I was a well-rounded and well-grounded candidate.”
Shridhar Mittal
CEO, Zimperium
“Be sure you’re a part of a company or product that has a good value proposition or that satisfies a real need—not just a perceived need. Even the biggest marketing push won’t help your company if it doesn’t have enough competitive differentiation. If the product doesn’t work for the customer base or doesn’t uphold its quality, sales and marketing can’t help there either.”
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