As a child, I was always encouraged to get involved, put forward my best effort, and see things through. My father taught me that, with hard work, I could achieve whatever I set out to do. I found that I was always looking for an opportunity to do more, and I think that drive helped set me apart from my peers during my first job on a trading floor at Morgan Stanley and throughout my career.
There are several pieces of advice I would offer to professionals looking to distinguish themselves in their careers and as leaders:
Follow Your Interests and Be Bold. Take a long-term view of your career—choose something that you are truly interested in and go for it. Also, don’t be afraid to speak up. Every meeting, every presentation, every client call is essentially an interview. These connections and interactions will move your career forward. Finally, be true to your own work and leadership style, even as you modify it to fit the organization’s culture.
Give Real-Time Feedback. Early in my career, I assumed individuals on my team would understand where they needed to develop and how to take action on those development opportunities. I realized quickly that was not the case, and learned to give individuals early, honest and constructive feedback to help ensure their growth.
Build Your Personal Network. Build relationships and network in and out of your industry or area of expertise. This is the most important and career-sustaining activity you will undertake. Your network should include all types of people: those you can learn from or lean on, those at various levels in the organization and those in your direct area or beyond it.
Give Back to Your Community. I believe that true leaders reach out to their communities to give something back.
As I look back over my career, I would like to be remembered for creating a strong team of professionals in research and helping to create a network of women who feel it is their responsibility to help the next generation have a successful career on Wall Street.
Hay Paula, I am a old friend of your husband Sal. I worked with Sal at Sound Advice in Columbia in the early 90’s. I had lost touch after he had left to go back to New York, but remembered how he talked about how he was going crazy being in S.C. and you being in New York. I would love to here Sal and what he has been up to since he left S.C.. I don’t know Paula if you remembered ever talking to me when Sal was at Sound Advice, but I remembered talking to you several times. I see that Sal and you have two children, I know that your children are so blissed to have parents like yall.I hope to here when yall have a few minutes.