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.In the bargain, SorcerySoft alsofound a long-term partner.Impressed by my work,management has since entrusted me with theresponsibility of managing our existing FutureTrekproduct as its technical lead.¥'165Perfect Phrases for Business School Acceptance % Change came slowly, but persistence and the effectivemanagement and motivation of people made thedifference.After weeks away from my family in apolitically unstable environment where machine-gun-toting soldiers were a common sight, I watched the firstflight for Heart airport lift off without incident on May19, 2006.Today, SkyAfghan has a branch office inKandahar and is the fastest-growing airline in thecountry.It was a supreme test of my managerial skillsand creativity, and I m proud to have met the challenge. % We soon transformed ourselves from five lions into atight pack of wolves driven to prove that Cox s OneSolution truly works.Within a year, our sales hadrocketed from zero to $200 million, and we were invitedto meet with CEO Jim Robbins. % Within nine months, we were receiving increasedcoverage from industry publications and had grownrevenues from strategic partner channels by 150percent, setting the stage for our acquisition byindustry leader Diversified China Holdings in 2003.Takeaways % I had naively believed that decisions involving theenvironment were primarily driven by facts and notpolitical considerations.I quickly learned that in¥'166Perfect Phrases for Challenge and Defining Moment Essayscontrast to the predictable world of engineeringscience, even solutions with a clear quantitative andlogical basis can be sacrificed in favor of short-termpolitical benefits.Reevaluating my faith in theeffectiveness of rational decision making was not easy.But today I understand how to take political influencesinto account when making fact-driven decisions. % The challenge and controversy of the IRS audit wastruly a crucible experience for me because it was thefirst time I had ever been challenged every step of theway.The audit reinforced my conviction that objectiveevidence cannot be refuted and should not bebacked away from.It also affirmed that, no matterhow bad the odds may sometimes look, two partiescan come to agreement once they truly understand allthe issues. % Although Angel Partners has not yet succeededfinancially, it has helped me learn what success andconsequently failure really mean to me.There is nofailure worse than letting down people who put trust inyour leadership.Every growth plan I develop in thefuture will contain a detailed contingency plan that willallow me to minimize, if not eliminate, the need todownsize.I have learned that success is not only aboutthe success of a product or financial gain; it must alsoinclude the success of every contributor.¥'167Perfect Phrases for Business School Acceptance % This experience taught me that anyone and everyonecan suffer from discrimination, despite the lawsprohibiting it.I am particularly sensitive now to thestereotypes women face in the oceanic sciences.Incollege, I noticed that in engineering courses womenteam members were usually assigned the leasttechnically challenging tasks, for example, literaturesearches instead of actual design.So in my own seniorproject, I made sure that was not the case by dividingthe work fairly so everyone was challenged.Professionally, I continue my awareness ofdiscrimination and work to ensure that each of thethree women on my Deepwater Sciences team cancontribute fully to the team. % In retrospect, my decision to move to the agency sidewas the most important single decision of my career.It rounded out my skill set, broadened my experiencebase, and gave me a new, wider perspective on mycareer and myself.I learned the ins and outs of agencylife and media strategy for business-to-businessclients, and I escaped the pigeonhole of sales, openingup a whole new career avenue.After nearly a year atRasmussen Group as a media planner, in fact, I feltcomfortable enough to reach for experience at ahigher level, manage large projects, and work moredirectly with clients on their big-picture plans.Byknowing myself, examining my options, and having¥'168Perfect Phrases for Challenge and Defining Moment Essaysthe courage to make a change, I made the rightdecision. % Svetlana s illness has reminded me of what I really careabout.We are resolved to love and care for our new child,normal or not, and our lives will probably never be thesame.Wherever my career leads me, the most importantconsideration now will always be the needs and wishesof my family, and my gratitude for and enjoyment offamily and life will be greater than ever before. % I will never regret becoming a priest.It exposed me toleadership opportunities most 19-year-olds never face.It also gave me the chance to discover what I reallywanted by exploring the alternatives.Deciding to leavethe priesthood meant abandoning a life and adefinition of myself that had great meaning for me
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