Strong and Adaptable

Your Professional Value

When you resist committing to a specific aspiration, you open the door to career possibilities. 

For example, Bonnie Hammer developed a passion for photography. As an adult, she found commercial photography and photo editing unsatisfying. She accepted an internship at a children’s TV show. The producers offered her a staff position, which led to Hammer’s successful career. 

When we’re head down in our dreams, we limit ourselves.Bonnie Hammer

Consider how you work best and how the skills you possess could apply to many work environments. For example, Hammer’s insight into what makes a captivating image and her storytelling skills drove her television producing career. Stay curious about the industries that interest you, talk to professionals in those fields, and research potential jobs thoroughly. 

Build your worth through effort and experience. Embrace every opportunity to show up in person and engage with colleagues, volunteer for tasks, seek learning opportunities, and maintain a positive attitude.

Hammer credits much of her success to her mentors: Harris Smith, a photojournalism teacher, pushed Hammer to give her best. Barry Diller, boss of USA Network, made Hammer defend her decisions. Seek out mentors renowned for honesty and high standards, and accept constructive feedback. Learn the difference between tough love, which involves critiquing your actions, and toxic behavior, such as critiquing you as a person.

Women often deal with impostor syndrome — the belief that they lack the skills for a particular role or are unworthy of their position. Some promote “faking it,” but this can increase self-doubt. Instead, “face it”: Embrace honesty and vulnerability. For example, when Bonnie Hammer’s boss, Rod Perth, tasked her with increasing the productive value of their TV wrestling franchise, she admitted she knew little about the business. Her frankness earned the respect of the franchise chairman and CEO. Embrace a curious and proactive attitude, do your homework to understand your role, and frame your fresh perspective as a valuable asset.

Believing you’ll never make it professionally because you’re a woman harms you by fostering self-doubt and resignation. Embrace your empathy, communication, and collaboration skills.

Truth and Action

Thinking that actions will speak louder than words, or that your words carry little meaning, sets you up for failure. Using words strategically allowed Hammer, for example, to convince the town manager of Provincetown, Massachusetts to close the main street for a week of live outdoor shows by assuaging fears that the event would harm local businesses. Thus Hammer demonstrated her leadership, and built trust and credibility. 

Speak up for yourself to negotiate deals, advocate for your team, and navigate corporate politics. Avoid exaggeration and always be honest. Respond to questions thoughtfully.

If good things come to those who wait, then great things come to those who don’t.Bonnie Hammer

Don’t wait for a promotion or for a job to open up. Be proactive to stand out, achieve faster progress, and open doors to new opportunities. Take action even when you are uncertain, share your opinions, and be mindful of when you hold back.

Personal biases and immediate emotions influence your gut reactions. Heed your intuitions while embracing logical analysis and external feedback to make balanced decisions.

Hammer learned this when she relied on her gut to greenlight the TV show Political Animals, which flopped. She later applied a combination of gut instinct and rigorous testing to Mr. Robot, which succeeded wildly. Analyze options, and validate your feelings with facts and expert opinions.

Believing you shouldn’t “sweat the small stuff” is problematic because paying attention to details ensures a project’s big-picture viability and forestalls problems that can derail it. 

Societal expectations and gender norms make many women less willing to take risks. Risk-taking is an inextricable aspect of leadership. Hammer learned the value of embracing failure in 2004, when she greenlit a supposed documentary about M. Night Shyamalan that generated backlash when the press and public discovered it was a fake and intended as a marketing ploy. Hammer took full responsibility, apologized to her new bosses at NBC, and introduced measures to prevent future missteps.

Reframe setbacks as learning opportunities, respond quickly to mistakes, and regularly reassess and revise your approaches. 

Make Things Better

Prioritize what matters most to you and recognize that every choice comes with trade-offs. For example, Hammer’s divorce at age 30 meant giving up on her traditional idea of “having it all,” but allowed her to focus on her career without the pressure of raising children. Hammer made a tough choice that aligned with her goals and values. 

Career growth is frequently nonlinear — especially when you embrace new opportunities. Lateral career moves, such as taking the same but higher-paying position at a different company, can lead to a gradual succession of better positions that offer new opportunities and insights. 

Embrace change and strive for improvement to create new possibilities. When Hammer became the president of USA Network, for example, the channel lacked a strong identity. By rebranding and adopting the “Characters Welcome” slogan, Hammer transformed USA into the most watched and profitable network in NBCUniversal’s portfolio.

At the end of the day, what matters is not really what we choose. It’s that we choose.
Bonnie Hammer

Collaborate with your team to develop a clear, compelling vision. Take calculated risks and invest in changes that align with your goals. Adapt your strategy to ensure that changes spur meaningful progress.

Lessons From Experience

Through insightful anecdotes and practical advice, Hammer provides a road map for women to achieve ever-growing success. Hammer frames her guidance through the prism of her extraordinary career. Hammer’s emphasizes her relentless hard work, her personal sacrifices, her productive relationships with important mentors, and her ability to pivot when necessary. Thus she makes plain that all the lessons she offers have proven their viability in the toughest business environments. By embracing Hammer’s personal strategies, women can overcome barriers, hold onto their power, and thrive.