Blogs

Real World Leadership I recently discovered that I own ninety percent of the 25 best leadership books of all time . But that shouldn’t surprise me, as I developed a passion for leadership in college, and I have been chasing down "the keys to successful leadership" ever since. And considering the vast number of books written on the subject of leadership, I naively entered the workforce expecting to be greeted by managers emulating the likes of Herb Kelleher or Alan Mulally . I quickly realized that my expectations didn’t align with my reality. After graduation, I joined a large private label food manufacturer as ...

Creating Your Career: Owning Your Story By S. Alyssa Preston, Ph.D. “You either walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” --Brené Brown When Dr. Brené Brown gave her TED talk on “The Power of Vulnerability,” a steady rebellion ensued. People from all walks of life and professional backgrounds began to take stock. Investment portfolios and resumes were weighed. Authenticity buoyed to the surface as a pivotal evaluative measure of a person and their relationships. Priorities were challenged. Vulnerability became chic. People came unglued. The idea of being vulnerable ...

Networking: How to socialize when you’re stuck at home The world is experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), which is keeping millions of individuals from working, attending school, eating at restaurants, attending conferences, and attending networking events. It’s enough to make anyone feel isolated, like every method of human interaction is off the table. But we’re living in a unique age where technology can bring us closer than ever before. Whether you’re under quarantine, working/studying from home, or practicing social distancing, there are some great ways to keep networking and connect with friends, family ...

8 signs it’s time for a career change Occupational burnout isn’t a new thing, but it’s been talked about a lot in recent years. In fact, the World Health Organization now recognizes it as a syndrome and calls it an “occupational phenomenon.” Everyone experiences burnout sometimes, but how can you tell if your job dissatisfaction is more than a phase? Read the list to find out. 1. You dread Mondays. In general, it’s certainly not out of the norm to dislike Mondays. But if you spend a large portion of every Sunday thinking about how you don’t want to go back to work the next morning, something is wrong. 2. You’re disengaged during ...

It’s no wonder we celebrate the start of a new year: it gives us the opportunity to become a better version of ourselves! Whether our goals are to lose weight, drink more water, exercise more, or read more books, we are all ultimately trying to improve some aspect of ourselves—and a new year is the perfect excuse to recommit to it. Beta Gamma Sigma’s CEO, Chris Carosella, is a successful businesswoman and leader—and she's also an avid reader. We sat down with Chris to talk about what career books helped her learn more about herself, improve her skills, climb the ladder at GE, and run a highly successful consulting business. If one of your 2020 ...

The Future of Work panel at the 2019 Global Leadership Summit in Chicago, Illinois, USA On October 31, the nearly 400 students who fought through record-breaking cold (and a small snowstorm) to attend this year’s Global Leadership Summit in Chicago arrived with loads of energy and enthusiasm—and they were rewarded with a packed schedule of eye-opening presentations, and ultimately a whole new perspective on the future of work. Here at BGS HQ, we’ve been blown away by the responses to this years’ GLS on LinkedIn and on our chapter schools’ blogs (like Jennifer Carolan’s awesome post for Michigan Tech ), and we want all our members to learn from ...

Getting Started with ConnectBGS: Frequently Asked Questions You’ve probably heard us talk about ConnectBGS (CBGS)—and for good reason! It’s one of the newest perks of your lifetime membership to Beta Gamma Sigma, and it can help you make valuable connections (hence the name) with other high level business students and established leaders around the world. You can share stories and experiences, ask and offer advice, find a mentor or mentee, and even find your next job. Here’s everything you need to get started using ConnectBGS. Q. What is ConnectBGS? A. ConnectBGS is Beta Gamma Sigma’s forum-style web platform. It’s structured kind ...

Last week, I attended the Mobilize Women Summit , an annual conference for women in business. The summit is run by The Ellevate Network , of which BGS CEO Chris Carosella and myself are members. The conference was a whirlwind of networking, panels and expert advice from thought leaders—much like our Global Leadership Summit . BGS member Sallie Krawcheck , CEO and co-founder of Ellevest (and chair of the Ellevate Network), ended the day with her closing keynote speech. Sallie knows what she’s talking about, too: she’s the former CEO of companies like Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, US Trust, the Citi Private Bank, and Sanford C. Bernstein. She’s also ...

Our global business landscape is shifting, and new technologies and emerging markets mean that the very structures and identities of organizations and their employees are in flux. Companies can survive these shifts if they have flexible structures, global mindsets, and the confidence to take on new arenas. One crucial step for cultivating those organizational attributes is to hire employees who have international experience and have thus developed personal leadership characteristics that translate across borders. Here are a few of the qualities I've found in candidates with international experience — and how those experiences translate into qualities that ...