Shutterstock For the past few years, it’s been a hot HR trend: the move away from the traditional (aka “dreaded”) annual employee evaluation. Evaluations are viewed as outdated, too formal and too demoralizing.  So yesterday. So what happens when they’re gone? Turns out the results are disappointing.

This post is part of a series, “The One Thing,” where I ask today’s successful leaders to identify the single most important lesson they’ve learned on a given topic. Many of us may dream of striking out on our own in search of a more fulfilling career or to pursue a passion, but making that massive leap comes with guaranteed risks that few are willing to take.

Salesforce cofounder Marc Benioff spends several months a year in Hawaii, where he owns a sweeping beachfront house on the Big Island and pals around with billionaire Michael Dell and aging rock star Neil Young. Little surprise, then, that for a retreat with 400 of his top executives in August he has summoned them to an air-conditioned ballroom near the white sands and volcanic cliffs down the shore.

Shutterstock Over drinks a few weeks ago, a good friend vented to me about her job. After several minutes of trying to articulate exactly what she wanted to say, she blurted out, “Bottom line: I shouldn’t be working for my supervisor. He should be working for me.” Yes, it’s quite the bold statement, but after a few frustrating weeks, it was how she felt. And I don’t think she’s alone.

LinkedIn is like the nerdy kid on the social media playground. It’s not quite up there with the “cool” kids like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but if you know how to take advantage of it, LinkedIn can be an extremely powerful tool for your marketing. Despite what most people think, LinkedIn is not just for job searches and professional networking.

Shutterstock Jack was ready for the meeting. He had been preparing for days and knew his content inside out. He wanted to make a great first impression on their potential clients and for Susan, his senior colleague who he was accompanying, to see how well he did. Jack was certain that he had done his best to prepare, yet had a pit of nervousness in his stomach knowing just how much this meeting mattered to his career. It was a big account.

It’s the age of the digital entrepreneur. Today, anyone with a computer, an internet connection, a great idea, and a heck of a lot of drive can start their own company and become a success. I’ve personally started a few successful online companies, and every time I do, I rely on a set of tools to help me hit the market with a splash. Now, most of the tools I use started out as free trials, because let’s be honest, new entrepreneurs don’t usually have a lot of cash to burn.

Dear Liz, The good news in my job search is that I hear back from a lot of employers. I’ve got two recruiters shopping my resume around, and I’ve applied for about fifteen jobs via online job sites. (I know that isn’t your recommended method, but I haven’t worked up enough courage to try a Pain Letter yet!) The bad news is that I keep getting told I’m overqualified for the job, or under-qualified for the job.

Some people hold job-seekers to an impossibly high standard. What’s funny about that viewpoint is that we don’t hold employers to the same standard. The old-school rule was “If you take a job, you have to be committed to it!” and in the old days, that made sense. Nowadays, we can’t admonish job-seekers to “be committed” to a job they’ve just started, when their employer is not especially committed to them.

Aerin Lauder (Image courtesy of Chris Patey) Aerin Lauder may have inherited one of the most famous surnames in the beauty industry, but when it comes to business, she would like to be a household name in her own right. A wearer of many hats (and very stylish ones at that), Lauder, 46, is a mother, businesswoman and global entrepreneur.