A Million and One Ways to be One-in-a-Million

The title grabs you, doesn’t it? Who on earth doesn’t want to be thought of as One-in-a-Million. So of course you want to set yourself apart from the herd. Or as Jack Welch says, “get out from the pile”. Well how do you do that? And can just about anybody do that? There are virtually millions of entry level and middle managers in America looking for a way to set themselves apart from the rest. In addition to simply getting the results, the qualities that get them noticed and valued are indeed elusive. A Million and One Ways to be One-in-a Million therefore is a set of lessons and examples of behavior that, if practiced, allow us to be different – different in very positive ways. Now let’s think about this for a minute. Who wakes up in the morning and says “today I want to go out and be part of the herd” or “today I think I’ll just blend in with the masses”. In today’s business culture, whether you work in a mega-multinational company, a small business venture, or even work on your own for yourself – in order to be most successful, we must find a way to distinguish ourselves from the rest of the pack. Companies have strived to do this with their brands and products since the birth of consumerism. But, just like with products, it’s not about being gimmicky or superficial – the old ‘dress for success’ isn’t good enough and isn’t where we’ve evolved. What this book is about is providing ways for you to differentiate yourself in a manner that is valued and appreciated, and in a way that should produce a meaningful impact to your success. Most of these actions transcend the business sector with broad applicability and appeal and can be employed/engaged in our personal lives, thereby developing ways to become “One-in-a-Million” with our spouses, children, friends and colleagues. Doing your job well in today’s business environment is the price of entry. But just doing a good job doesn’t ensure success and it isn’t the attribute that sets us apart. The differentiating factor really lay in being different. One might think – “everybody knows that!” The point is though, even if everybody knows it, they’re not practicing it! You see, even when things seem self evident, understanding the impact of a particular behavior, and consciously and explicitly attempting to practice it, is indeed how we improve ourselves.

webassets/SteveandGary.JPG

AUTHOR BIO

Steven Heaslip has worked for more than 25 years in the Human Resources field. Much of that time was spent with consumer products giant, Unilever. Armed with his undergraduate degree in Chemistry, he started out as a Production Supervisor Trainee in a soap factory in Toronto to eventually become the Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources for Unilever's Elizabeth Arden's business headquartered in Manhattan. Recently, as the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for International Flavores and Fragrances, (a publically traded $2.5 billion enterprise with approximately 5,500 associates operating in 37 countries around the world) and as a guest lecturer at Columbia and Fordham Universities, Mr. Heaslip finds himself imparting these critical behaviorial lessons to many young managers and business school students and the like. The response he elicits from them is dramatic.

Mr. Heaslip holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from McMaster University. He also is a Board Member of the Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation dedicated to building awareness and promoting the prevention of Melanoma.