Bob Slater

About

I’m here to be the voice of experience, and to help you bridge the gap between a formal education and a practical one. I’ve spent most of my working life in the corporate worlds of law and real estate, at a high level, with some success.

When I switched from law to real estate, my first day on the job was in San Diego at a multi-day company conference. My peers from cities across the country were MBA graduates, and many talked excitedly about the deals they had going. I had no MBA degree, no deals, and no understanding of much of what was said.

Everyone was so credentialed and confident. It seemed like a gathering of the best and brightest, other than me. Fast forward ten years, and I was one of the few still with the company, and had climbed the corporate ladder to a considerable height. That happened by applying the lessons offered to you here.

For over ten years now I’ve taught some of these lessons to undergrads and MBA students at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business and, starting recently, MBA students at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

This book was conceived to help young people (such as my three sons) advance in their professional lives. That one of my sons has been my partner in this has been great fun. Criticize the content as you wish, but rest assured it’s far better thanks to Nick.

Please consider me a proxy for your boss (or boss’s boss), who like me may be a baby boomer. Although we’re retiring in record numbers every day, departing with institutional knowledge and practical know-how, there will be plenty of us around for years to come.

Regardless of age, any advancement of yours will likely be reviewed and blessed, or not, by a boss who thinks like I do. In an environment where it’s easier than ever to outsource, and where work is increasingly robotized, it’s imperative that you learn what is expected and valued in the workplace.