For the next 5 minutes, let’s elevate your career.
In today’s email:
More
Yet
Obliterate
Leave work at work
Donna Langley’s career wisdom
ON YOUR CAREER
More
We can do more.
This isn’t about an extra hour in the office or switching off our phone so we’re less distracted. This is about being capable of taking on big projects that matter or acquiring significant new skills.
We can get in a rut.
But this doesn’t need to continue. We’re never too old to be ambitious with new things we can learn.
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
COMMUNICATION
Yet
✅ You haven’t mastered the software yet, but you will with more practice
✅ You haven’t closed a sale yet, but you will if you keep making calls
✅ The results aren’t visible yet, but your effort is building momentum
We communicate optimism and support to our colleagues when we use “yet”.
I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.
PRODUCTIVITY
Obliterate
Busy work is doing low value tasks, often at pace, under the delusion we’re making significant progress. Organizations are filled with busy work. Sometimes we have the power to avoid this. Sometimes not. What we have, however, is the capacity to not create busy work for ourselves and others. We need radical self-honesty. Are we commencing a project or performing a task because it’s truly valuable, or is it a form of procrastination? A distraction from doing tougher but more valuable work? Stopping busy work enables us to create more value. Obliterate busy work.
There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.
1 MINUTE TO LESS STRESS
Leave work at work
A 3-step routine to leave work at work:
Commit to a time to stop work for the day and set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier
Capture tomorrow’s tasks in this 10-minute block
Have an enjoyable activity immediately after work - e.g. a walk, listening to music, workout, meeting friends
I had to learn to leave work at work. My accumulated experiences and expertise instilled a confidence in me to let go of minor issues and focus on the broader perspective.
CAREER WISDOM
Donna Langley
Donna Langley (1968 — ) was born in the UK and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She began her career at New Line Cinema, taking on a range of production and development roles. Langley joined Universal Pictures in 2001. She became Chair of Universal Pictures in 2013 and was named Chair of NBCUniversal Studio Group and Chief Content Officer in 2019. Langley has overseen global box office hits including Fast & Furious and Jurassic World. She also championed acclaimed films such as Get Out and 1917.
Langley is regarded as one of the most powerful women in entertainment. Peter Chernin, former Chair and CEO of Fox Group, said, “Given the consolidation that is happening in the whole industry, I cannot imagine a better leader for an integrated company than Donna.” She is known for championing diverse voices and bold, innovative storytelling. Langley has been honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the American Film Institute for her contributions to the industry. Some of her career wisdom:
Everyone is talking about the doom and gloom of our industry, but we have to get over that and be optimists. I genuinely believe in that.
I just love being at the heart of the creative process. You know, being somebody who facilitates a creative vision and a dream and creating opportunities for others.
You will rarely receive the level of validation you might seek from others. Even when it does come, reliance on it is misplaced; inner strength is essential.