The Philosopher’s Corner

This Month’s Philosopher: Heidi Sprang, WG'02  
To learn more about Heidi, click here.

 

LIFE LESSONS

If I knew then what I know now, I would have...
trusted in myself more. I wish I recognized that I have good instincts and make good decisions.  Even back then, I knew more than I gave myself credit for, and being apprehensive probably lessened my impact at times.

If I knew then what I know now, I would NOT have...
tried to fit other people’s molds or stereotypes. I learned that what makes me good at what I do is the unique background and experiences I have. Earlier in my career where I tried to position myself as a cookie-cutter profile, I wouldn’t stand out and perhaps even compared poorly to other candidates. Rather I learned it was more important to sell my unique profile and how that would make me successful. And if a hiring manager wanted cookie-cutter, the role wasn’t for me anyway.

FAVORITE QUOTES

  1. Done is better than perfect. It’s important to know what is ‘good enough’ to make the right decision or move to the next step rather than looking for perfection.
  2. We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~ Joseph Campbell My path is definitely not the one I might have expected, but I am extremely grateful for the experiences it brought.
  3. If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat, just get on. ~ Sheryl Sandberg She may have been talking about the rocketship of Google, but to me this means, be willing to embrace opportunities when they come along, even when it doesn’t seem like the perfect time.
  4. When you know how to do your job, it’s time to move on. An old boss of mine said this to me, and it reminds me to know when to look for that next step and know that I’ll figure it out even if it scares me a bit.

RECOMMENDED READING 

  1. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
  2. Good to Great by Jim Collins
  3. DisneyWar by James B. Stewart
  4. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
  5. The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin


Contact Heidi at: [email protected]