532 535 Items for download and counting!

When I take a break from reading, listening or watching one of the incredible items from Your Success Club, I like to check in and have a look at the content count. It's just amazing how quickly the number of items increase, and that means more content for everyone!

I'm not sure how long it would take for a person to go through every single item available on site, but I'm sure that it'll be never ending so long as new content is still being released! Thankfully we only need to look for the items which we find interesting or useful =)

Be sure to check back regularly because I can assure you that there will be new content every few weeks!

Until the next issue,

Selina Lai

PS. Don't forget to check out the Success Tip below!

PSS. For those who don't yet know, we've uploaded a video which takes you through the search and download process on the Guided Tour page. Because the video dimensions are too wide to embed in the newsletter, Click here to watch the Guided Tour.

Today's success tip comes from Avril Henry.

In 2006, Avril won the prestigious Lifetime Achievement in Human Resources Award at the Australian HR Awards. She has been a finalist in the Best HR Director and Sydney Business Review Businesswoman of the Year awards, and nominated for Telstra Business Woman of the Year on four occasions. She now works in Sydney and owns AH Revelations. Avril continues to help and inspire 100's of business owners every year.

Can you tell us about your early career and the lessons you learnt along the way?

My early career was in the finance industry, working as an accountant in structured finance and then in investment banking. I was young, female, blonde and very enthusiastic. I believed I would be judged on my performance and merit, and was hugely disappointed and surprised when I discovered this was not the case.

My first experience with discrimination at work was when two male colleagues were paid more than I was (and one was given a company car), despite the fact that I was already a qualified accountant and they had not yet finished their accounting studies. I was told it was because one of them was married and therefore needed to be paid more! I told my boss that if I didn't get a pay increase to the same level as my male peers and a company car, then I would resign! I got the salary increase and the company car.

From this experience I learnt two things:

1. If you want something badly enough, then ask for it (but make sure you have a sound business case) - I presented a written business case to my boss requesting a salary increase and a company car after I researched what other accountants were being paid in similar industries, coupled with the inside information supplied by my peers.


2. You need to take calculated risks regularly - it was a risk to tell my boss that I was willing to resign, however I was prepared to take that risk and follow through on my ultimatum if I needed to. Taking risks can lead to failure, but it is how you deal with failure that is important. If you see it as a learning opportunity then you will grow and develop as a person. I believe the only difference between successful people and less successful people is that successful people have failed more often, but managed to transform the experience into a lesson. I love the quote by Honda, after failing 167 times before producing the first Honda motorcycle prototype - 'Success is 99 per cent failure!'

I have also learnt many other lessons throughout my career:

It is important to have mentors throughout your career - find people who you can trust and who you can ask for advice and guidance when the going gets tough. Mentors are more likely to be honest with you and give you constructive feedback. I have often discussed major career decisions with my mentors before making a change. 

Seek opportunities to continually build your skill-set and competencies - if you can do this you will be more employable and valuable as an employee, manager and leader. The more diverse your experience and skill-set is, the more innovative you will be when analysing and solving problems.

Always invest in yourself - you should never hesitate when spending money on developing your professional and personal capacity. I live by the philosophy that if you are not growing as a person, you are simply stagnating!

Be true to yourself - my maternal grandmother taught me, 'Always be true to yourself and know that you can look at yourself in the mirror and not be ashamed of what you see'. Throughout my career I have constantly subscribed to the philosophy, 'To thine own self be true'.

Surround yourself with good people - in the latter part of my corporate career I have learnt that it is critically important to surround yourself with good people who have different skills to your own, different ways of thinking and working, and who will challenge you as a leader.

I have always believed that diversity is a strength rather than a weakness, and good leaders value diversity rather than uniformity.


This website contains even more great tips from Avril Henry.



CLICK HERE TO READ MORE NOW

The past couple of months have been very interesting, there were more issues with the economy and many more companies suffering the credit crunch.

It's incredible how during all the economic turmoil, the world managed to see a start of a new era. During all the economic doom and gloom, America elected their 44th President, their first black President! I don't think the previous 43 Presidents would have thought (back during their presidential term) that America was ready for a black President, let alone being up against a black candidate.

It's amazing how America managed to entangled themselves into an economic disaster, and at the same time, remarkably change their mindsets by putting the old slavery days and discriminatory days behind them. The breakthrough came when the majority of the American people voted for Barack Obama as their next Presidnet! This is great news for everybody, because if Obama can step up in times of great adversity and break through, then we should be able to do anything we put our minds to!

There is a saying I heard many years ago that goes something like this: 

There are only two types of people in this world:

• People with excuses, and
  
• People with results
  

Don't make anything your excuse! Only settle for results!

Everybody will have setbacks during their lives, just remember we only hear successful stories of people who have broken through during their time of adversity and produced phenomenal results which the world now see as 'successful'.

What is your excuse?

Until next time,

Yong-Long