THINGS I HAVE LEARNT AT ADIDAS
1.
Sport really does have the power to change lives. The feelings you feel physically working your body alter the composition of your cells and atoms. You feel invincible. You want to do invincible stuff. You go out and do invincible stuff.
2.
Moving up is logical and expected when really moving sideways does the trick. The ambition in doing a good job is to prove you are ready for the next step in your career. To become that director, to drive that nice Audi and to boss around those people who used to be your peers. And this is my problem with the career ladder: my ambition in doing a good job is rooted in the belief to learn things I didn't know and to add abilities I didn't possess yesterday. It's the capacity to grow with the objective to diversify. Because, in my opinion, the world needs more perspectives, more understanding and less singular angles. Your perspective is shaped by your attitude and work is one of many outlets to express and practice it. At adidas, I was - to a degree definitely subconsciously, possibly innately - seeking cross-functional experiences over vertical opportunities. I wanted to apply myself to different fields and find out what I'm good at, where I can add most value. If I already work for such a large company, why not make the most of it and see how product marketing informs merchandising or why working horizontally isn't easy. Thanks to working in China and volunteering in Israel/Palestine, I developed cultural sensitivity. If it hadn't been for running workshops or teaching a class, would I have come across my ability to motivate others?
3.
Arriving at the office when the sun is up and leaving your desk when your tummy tells you it's time for dinner, all while concluding a productive day, is a skill to be proud of, not to feel guilty of.
4.
A manager who is an expert is their field is great to learn from. A manager who is a genuinely nice person is great to be around. But only a manager who is both is great to work for.
5.
Living in Nuremberg is essentially great, living by the beach is practically greater.
6.
Choose a job for what it is, not for what it implies.
7.
Don't leave a job for what it wasn't, but for what a new job could be.
8.
You will mean different things to different people. This is totally okay, as long as different means the same to you.
9.
The quality of your work matters, but only to a certain degree. Then, what matters more is to be a good person.
10.
Not every leader is a good leader and not every leader should be a leader at all.
11.
There is this thing about comfort. The more you cling to it, the more uncomfortable it is to free yourself. Comfort comes at the expense of discomfort. Let's face it, discomfort is part of life. What you can control is whether you grab the bull by the horns and win, or you procrastinate and suffer.
12.
It is utterly crucial to celebrate endings with as much elation as new beginnings. One isn't worthy without the other.