To manage one's ego takes awareness, humility, discipline, an element of self-monitoring and courage. Yes, courage, because we must be brave enough to confront our ego. Only then can we successfully transcend its manipulative grip. For me, when I sense the emergence of my ego, I visualize a deeply rich red flag, waving.

Like many people, George is dissatisfied with his current job. He wants to make a change but he doesn't really know what direction to take. For those in a similar situation, here are some tips to consider:

Today's job market is tough. And there's no reason to imagine that it's going to get any easier any time soon. There's only one reliable way to get a job. We all know what it is, and mainly we try to ignore it, because it feels uncomfortable. It's about going out there, talking to people and making new contacts.

Sometimes changing employers isn’t enough: what’s stressing you out could be your chosen occupation. There are plenty of things that can make ...

The economic climate has a habit of serving as the one-size-fits-all reason behind everyone's work problems. If you’ve been told by your boss that t...

The dilemma when to give up or not becomes prominent when you face important decisions about career progression. For example: do you push for your next promotion or do you change companies?

Why are SMEs ahead in terms of female directors? This could be because more subtle skills such as diplomacy, collaboration and trustworthiness can be noticed in a smaller organisation, whereas in bigger companies it is all too often those who shout loudest who make the fastest progress.

I imagine that most people reading this would agree that women are equally capable as men and that two people doing the same job, equally well, should be paid the same and be afforded the same opportunities.

There are few events more inspiring than the Olympics. But it takes more than talent to win a gold medal in front of an audience of millions, accordin...

What have we learnt from programmes like The Apprentice? Perhaps it's that 100% is no longer enough and only at least 5556.7% will do? Or, how about the fact that a grey shiny suit always seems to be the right "executive" look? These life lessons aside, it may come as a surprise to learn that one of the biggest gifts programmes like The Apprentice have left us with is that it's okay to be a bit Machiavellian in life. And we're being so more and more especially when it comes to maternity leave.

This question is the opening note on Stanford's Graduate School of Business application for prospective MBAs. The question appears year after year and is one of the most recognisable questions for anyone who has gone through the MBA application process.