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Wash Post Q: Was Desiree Rogers too interested in the spotlight to be successful as White House social secretary? Do some jobs require more discretion and less acclaim? Will Julianna Smoot be more suitable for the job -- or just less flashy in it? Change is difficult....

Wash Post Q: Jay Leno is back in his 11:30 p.m. "Tonight Show" slot, after a disappointing run in prime time and a messy showdown with Conan O`Brien, who briefly replaced him. Can Leno win back his status as king of late night and all-around nice guy? As viewers turn...

Wash Post Q: The Washington Post and other media outlets are keeping careful count of the number of medals the United States and other countries are winning at the Winter Olympics. Should so much attention be focused on the medal count? Is winning gold, silver or...

Washington Post Question: Speedskater Simon Cho: Single-minded or misguided? Is it wise when athletes pursue success at the expense of their educations? Simon Cho dropped out of high school to train as a short-track speed skater, and his father sold his business...

I love connecting people! I recently arranged a lunch to introduce Laura, an investor, and Jan, an incredibly successful woman who has served as CEO for several start-up technologies companies. I was just happy to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. I listened...

Washington Post Question: Last week, Caressa Cameron, a 22-year-old student from Virginia, was crowned Miss America, a pageant that once epitomized a certain kind of beauty, talent and promise. Is this kind of contest completely outdated, or does it offer a legitimate...

Washington Post Question: In the pursuit of success, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being an established power vs. a hungry upstart? In this Sunday`s Super Bowl, would you give an edge to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who has won a Super...

Washington Post Question: How often do achievements like that of the newly elected Republican senator from Massachusetts seem to materialize out of thin air? Do you believe in the concept of overnight success? The idea that achievements like Scott Brown`s...

One of my readers recently e-mailed me: “My sister received some pictures of a friend’s wedding. The bride and bridesmaids all wore long, formal dresses. The groom and groomsmen wore khakis; short-sleeved, casual, ‘out over the belt’ shirts;...

Washington Post Question: Should we admire Haitian singer Wyclef Jean for his charitable work even if it turns out that some of the money raised by his foundation, Yele Haiti, has been spent in questionable ways? How often do successful, high-profile people disappoint...

Washington Post Question: Is it possible to be successful in a job that you don`t like? A business group called the Conference Board got lots of publicity Jan. 5 by claiming worker satisfaction had fallen to its lowest level ever. Their numbers and methodology were...

“You have no idea how much age discrimination is happening right now in the workforce, Misti,” said Mike, a 50-something who’s been job searching for months. “They’re not hiring me because I’m too old and, therefore, too expensive....

Washington Post Question: Why do most people abandon their New Year`s resolutions so quickly? How much of a role does goal-setting play in achieving success? What are the most effective resolutions you have made? Several years in a row, my New Year`s resolution was to...

Date: ___________________ Name: ____________________________ 2010 **Goal-Setting Effectiveness:  5% When unwritten  ::  54% When recorded digitally (typed)  ::  92% When handwritten on paper   I am, I have, I do Activities Supporting Me...

You’re no Scrooge. You know your team needs to deck the halls right now – to have some fun and celebrate together. But what if it’s just not in the budget – the leaner, meaner one that’s keeping your company alive during tough times? With...

While traveling all over the United States, speaking to hundreds of thousands of sailors in the Navy, I met an incredible woman, Captain KC. Just before meeting Captain KC, she received honors for being the first Latina woman to make her rank within the Navy. Excited...

Washington Post Question: Is the culture of celebrity and reality TV eroding our understanding of what constitutes success? What should we tell our children about people such as Tareq and Michaele Salahi who apparently crashed a White House state dinner in pursuit of...

Sure, we’ve all lamented that our bosses don’t understand all the intricacies and hard work involved in our complex jobs. But it’s definitely a problem when your manager doesn’t even know what you do. Jill, an executive with a large gaming...