Notes from “Find Your Way” by Carly Fiorina

18 years ago, I heard the name of Carly Fiorina from a TV show "Dialogue" produced by CCTV in China. Her answers totally changed my perception of how world's spotlighted CEOs speak. 18 years later, I read her new book "Find Your Way".

• Fulfillment is found by first tending to your own souls.
• Decisions that are right today are those we can look back on without regret for the rest of our lives.
• The burden of other people’s expectations is a weight we can - and should - put down.
• No matter where you are in your life right now, you are not yet all you can be.
• Recognizing your fullest potential will feel as if something inside you is being unlocked.
• You can live in such as way that the vicissitudes of life will fuel your journey.
• Change requires a death of sorts - a death of the status quo. 
• Regardless of how bad things may seem, change is only one solution anyway. 
• David Richo’s “givens of life”

1. Everything changes and ends.
2. Things do not always go according to plan.
3. Life is not always fair.
4. Pain is part of life.
5. People are not loving and loyal all the time.

• We cannot choose who we are, but we can always choose to become something more. 
• You have more power than you realize. You have probably given away that power more often than you realize.
• What benefit will it be to you if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?
• As you display courage in your own life, you’ll bring strength to many others. Courage loves company.
• Character is the recognition that when the going gets tough - and it always does - we persevere. We don’t look for shortcuts.
• As you set your mind, your heart, and your will on choosing integrity, you will become the person of character you long to be.
• Four essential truths about character:

1. Character is critical when the going gets touch. (And the going always gets tough.)
2. Contrary to popular opinion, the ends never justify the means.
3. Character demands reflection, and reflection can’t be rushed.
4. The more we manifest strength of character, the stronger our character becomes. 

• How do you make your team better when you’re not the biggest star?
• Three ideas about People Over All Else:

1. Stop avoiding the people you’ve been avoiding.
2. See before you speak - I long to learn; I crave connection; I refuse to go it alone.
3. Clarify, don’t criticize. 

• We became a great team because, in the end, we were both humble enough to realize we needed each other.
• Optimism is a predisposition to hold on to hope in the face of life’s instability.
• Asking “Why?” can lead to understanding; asking “Why not?” leads to breakthrough.
• Less reactivity equals more stamina to persevere.
• The Leadership Framework:

1. Goal & Strategy: What problems are we solving? What are we trying to accomplish? What is our mission? What is our desired outcome (goal)?
2. Supporting Steps: Who is going to do what? What don’t we have that we need? What procedures do we need to put in place? What will we prioritize to achieve our goal?
3. Tracking Steps: Which results are truly meaningful? How will be measure our results? How will we know if we’re making progress toward our goal?
4. Shared Expectations: What’s it like to be part of this effort? What behaviors are encouraged/discouraged? How does conflict get resolved? What shared values bind us together?

• Beware of activity that masquerades as problem-solving progress but turns out to be busywork.
• How people work together makes all the difference in how much they will achieve together. 
• The most common reason for not operating at peak capacity is a three-letter word: y-o-u.
• Four “really cans”:

1. You really can learn to view problems as opportunities.
2. You really can choose the practices that will help you thrive.
3. You really can live from your fullest potential.
4. You really can help others do the same.

• Whenever you feel small, thing of a pebble tossed into a still pond. The tiny pebble sends ripples far and wide.