Last year, Marissa Mayer rocked the business industry when she left her job as vice president of Google to become the CEO of Yahoo. Since then, the female CEO has graced the headlines numerous times. Mayer has frequently been praised as being an inspiring example for working moms who want to pursue a successful career. However, her name has also been a topic of controversy and debates. Whether or not you're a fan of Marissa Mayer, you can learn a lot from her success.
According to Marissa Mayer, you should make fewer decisions, but make them perfectly. If you manage a team, this is an important theory. Delegating tasks to your employees and allowing them to help you make decisions is a great way to boost team morale. Giving your team members added responsibility and showing them that you value their opinions makes them happier and more confident—which could result in an increase in productivity and quality.
Mayer's recent profile in Vogue has been a controversial topic. Some critics have said that the sultry pose she takes in her picture sends an unfortunate message, and PolicyMic.com has stated the piece is detrimental to her image. However, the halo effect from the Vogue piece shows that it's important to take calculated risks. Yes, the female CEO's Vogue profile had many critics who loudly voiced their opinions. But the profile is the type of consumer piece that could change Yahoo's image and make it more popular. Â
Marissa Mayer says that "burnout is really about resentment." She believes that when you become burned out from work, it's really because you resent the fact that something else is missing from your life. While your career is important, it's equally important to take time for you. The happier you are, the less stressful work becomes. So, it's important to take some time to determine what's important to you and find a rhythm that makes you happy and productive.
You've probably heard people say that entrepreneurs need to hire people who are smarter than they are. According to Mayer, working with smart people "challenges you to think and work on another level." When you're hiring new employees, try building a team that has a wide range of age groups. When you mix older employees with younger employees, you have a team of people with a high crystallized intelligence and a high fluid intelligence. Combined, the energy between the two groups outshines that of a team comprised of people from one age group.
According to an article on BusinessInsider.com, Zachary Bogue, Marissa Mayer's husband, says that the couple continues to work in the evening. For them, work is a natural extension of their lives, and there isn't a distinct line between work and home. Does this mean that you should spend your entire life working? No. However, it does show that if you enjoy your career, it becomes a part of you. You naturally want to succeed when you do something that you enjoy. So, in order for you and your employees to easily succeed, you should enjoy your work.
Whether you manage a small or large team, applying some of the things you learn from Marissa Mayer's life could help your employees work better together as a team. If you adapt your life so that you have a more positive outlook about your job, your employees will eventually follow your lead.
(Photo courtesy of stockimages / freedigitalphotos.net)
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