Through my research, teaching, and consulting over the past ten years, I have come to understand more deeply than ever that the best managers are those who have an appetite for learning and are willing to work on themselves. Management is very hard; even the most gifted people must commit themselves to lifelong learning and self-development. In the course of my work, I have had the privilege of developing teaching materials about many experienced leaders and their career development. This chapter builds on stories from some of the talented managers I've encountered who are out there making a difference in their organizations. We can learn vicariously from their experiences.
Consider the example of one manager who was about to undergo a critical transition in her career, only four years after first becoming a manager. When she was about to step into an executive role as senior vice president of marketing at a nationwide office supplies superstore, she recalled:
