Work smarts

Journalist Betty Liu, who covers finance for Bloomberg, set out to learn how top executives climbed the corporate ladder. She sat down with leaders including Mickey Drexler, Ellen DeGeneres, Jack Dorsey, Marissa Mayer, Elon Musk, Howard Schultz, Indra Nooyi and Sheryl Sandberg, and drew on those conversations for this guide to building a career.

The book covers the everyday skills that shape professional growth. Readers will find guidance on building a professional network, managing the relationship with a direct supervisor, and learning to turn down requests that would drain time and energy. It also addresses how to recover after being fired or laid off.

The author also explores a lesson many ambitious workers find hard to accept: strong performance in the job itself does not guarantee advancement. The result is a practical book for anyone who wants to move forward at work with a clearer sense of what matters.