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From Times Online
September 6, 2007

Rosabeth Moss Kanter: Being the 'O' in a group of 'X's

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, tells how she learnt that being the one who stands out, whether through gender, race, disability or physical appearance, can be tough.



ROSABETH MOSS KANTER'S LESSON SUMMARISED

1. If you find yourself being categorised due to your colour, creed or sex, make sure you continually highlight and refer to the reasons why you were originally employed in the first place – your knowledge and skills.

2. Difficult experiences can become valuable ones although it is up to you how you translate them.

3. Any situation can present an opportunity to learn.

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4. Nobody succeeds alone – there will always be times when you need the support or advice of someone else.

5. Being in the minority can make you feel awkward but using humour to deflect the situation can be a reliable tactic.

More video lessons by Rosabeth Moss Kanter can be found at Fifty Lessons and cwerty (registration required). Harvard Business School Press and Fifty Lessons have teamed up to produce three books based on the lessons; Managing your Career, Managing Change and Leading by Example .

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