I started at GM knowing very little about that particular business. Not being an expert means you have to learn everything, starting from the basics.

We commend the commission, under the leadership of Chairman Martin, for recognizing the reality of today's communications marketplace and for fostering an environment where there will be greater choice in communications services and providers.

Be willing to step outside your comfort zone once in a while; take the risks in life that seem worth taking. The ride might not be as predictable if you'd just planted your feet and stayed put, but it will be a heck of a lot more interesting.

When I got to GM they were using a matrix method of management which means everybody has more than one boss. I first heard about that system many years ago. It's supposed to help with collaboration, but my assessment is that it's pretty hard to get geared for action that way.

I'm a pretty average guy and want to keep a low profile. I don't want the world necessarily to know about me.

So long as TARP money is wrapped up in GM, the company will never shake its 'Government Motors' image. That label, as competitors and GM employees are keenly aware, is code for one thing: 'GM is a failure'.

None of us has control over the economy, the job market, or anything else in the global sense. But we are 100% in charge of how we respond to challenges that come our way, be it the loss of a job, a career derailment, or some other disappointment.