What smart self-starters do to get ahead

What smart self-starters do to get ahead | Be honest about today and optimistic about tomorrow | Why PBR's popularity is precarious Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version](   November 26, 2018 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD]( [] Leading Edge [] [What smart self-starters do to get ahead]( Self-starters are more successful when they understand their strengths and seek opportunities to let those talents shine, writes LaRae Quy. "If you're not sure where and how you can make a significant impact, identify the people who work on important projects and observe how they operate in the workplace," she writes. [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (11/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Be honest about today and optimistic about tomorrow]( Optimism must be tempered by a realistic assessment of the situation, and pointing out potential problems doesn't make someone a troublemaker, writes Dan Rockwell. [Leadership Freak]( (11/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Unlock the Power of D&I How can you leverage diversity and inclusion as a strategic business opportunity for your organization? Learn how to connect and engage your employees through diversity, inclusion and community. [Create a culture of inclusion today](. ADVERTISEMENT [] Strategic Management [] [Why PBR's popularity is precarious]( Why PBR's popularity is precarious (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Pabst Blue Ribbon's success is dependent on MillerCoors brewing the beer, an outsourcing situation that could be PBR's undoing after its MillerCoors contract expires in 2020. The companies are in court over the issue. [Grub Street]( (11/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Nike, Levi's show off a new age of retail theater]( [Nike, Levi's show off a new age of retail theater]( (Rachel Murray/Getty Images) New concept stores from Nike and Levi's in New York City are demonstrating the growing focus on experience, customization and the melding of traditional and online shopping into a new form of retail theater. "I think the combination of flagship stores like this, along with our online experience, gives us the opportunity to tell our brand stories in a much more powerful way," Levi's executive Marc Rosen said. [Quartzy]( (11/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Earn a free year of digital access to The New York Times Crossword Ready for a challenge? Refer SmartBrief to 5 colleagues and enjoy a free year of unlimited access to The Crossword. Your Referral Link: smartbrief.com/Leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp&campaign=ad_referral_NYTcross ADVERTISEMENT [] Smarter Communication [] [Why improv's principles can help with workplace speaking]( Improvisation asks its participants to listen with an intent to creatively expand on their partners' comments -- a useful skill for mastering impromptu speaking at work, writes consultant and performer Neil Mullarkey. "You have to still your inner voice, which cannot help but plan a step or more ahead," he writes [Presentation Guru]( (11/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Working A weekly spotlight on doing more without working longer [] [The benefits of a workplace that learns]( Companies should be continuously learning and applying insights to strategic decisions and at the level of the individual employee, writes Brian Ricci, growth consultant at Chief Outsiders. "Creating a learning mindset begins with embracing new ideas, encouraging discovery, and questioning the status quo -- so leadership modeling will be critical in this area," he writes. [Chief Outsiders]( (11/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Godin: Leadership is about building a better future]( The best leaders want a brighter future for the people who work for them and the communities they serve, says Seth Godin. "We have to create a culture where the way to be popular, and the way to fit in, and the way to feel good is to do the right thing," he says. [The CEO Magazine]( (11/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Astronomers puzzled by unusual asteroids near Neptune]( Colorful asteroids observed near Neptune have astronomers questioning previous theories. Researchers say they bear little resemblance to asteroids from the Kuiper Belt, where most of those objects originate, and appear sun-baked even though they've had little exposure to the sun, according to findings presented at the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences annual meeting. [Scientific American online]( (11/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Most Read by CEOs The most-clicked stories of the past week by SmartBrief on Leadership readers [] - [Why "managing up" is a win-win]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [Advice for resolving conflict in the workplace]( Forbes [] - [Advice for earning your audience's interest quickly]( The Ethos3 Blog [] - [6 ways to make leadership less isolating]( Lolly Daskal [] - [Managerial success hinges on active intervention]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] [] It's one of the scars in our culture that we have too high an opinion of ourselves. Angela Carter, writer [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Sign Up]( [SmartBrief offers 200+ newsletters]( [Advertise]( [Learn more about the SmartBrief audience]( Subscriber Tools: [Manage Subscriptions]( [Update Your Profile]( [Unsubscribe]( [Send Feedback]( [Archive]( [Search]( Contact Us: Jobs Contact - jobhelp@smartbrief.com Advertising - [Laura Engel](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) Editor - [James daSilva](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2018 SmartBrief, Inc.® [Privacy Policy (updated May 25, 2018)]( | [Legal Information]( Â