"Think before you speak"
Donald Trump, CEO, Trump Organisation
"If you're smart, you've learnt what not to say in a romantic relationship. But have you learnt what not to say in a business relationship? If you say, 'That's not my job,' there's no better way to advertise you're not a team player. It shows you're only out to do the minimum, [so] you'd better hope later on you don't need somebody else's help because you won't get it. It's also not smart to say, 'Don't tell anyone I said this, but ... ' and then blab someone's secret. You don't want a reputation as a blabbermouth."*


"Putting in extra effort will help get you noticed"
Shelley Barrett, CEO, ModelCo
"I don't like clock-watchers - like it or not, the people who work hardest are the ones who succeed. Most bosses have worked incredibly hard to get where they are. I see juniors who want to get ahead and expect instant success, but aren't willing to put in the groundwork. Everyone starts at the bottom, but it's how hard you work that dictates how quickly you climb!"


"Don't compete too hard for the limelight"
Tracey Fellows, MD, Microsoft Australia
"I want employees who are ambitious, but not at the expense of everything else.
It's the 'peacock' issue: I don't want 800 people saying, 'Look at me.' The employees I promote deliver results - and their colleagues want to work with them. An individual without the desire to enable colleagues is just that - an individual. Someone who's passionate about helping others succeed is a leader."

"Don't be too tough on our junior colleagues"
Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin group
"The [employees I promote] are good with people and care about people - and not just the people at the top. They should be good at praising. People who criticise all the time are completely counterproductive. If a flower is watered, it flourishes. If not, it shrivels up and dies. People don't need to be told where they've slipped up; they'll sort it out themselves."**


"Don't think the boss can't recognise the time wasters and gossips"
Julia Ross, Executive Deputy Chairman, Ross Human Directions
"No boss likes a time waster, and if you think we can't spot those who do it, you're wrong. If the kitchen falls quiet when I walk in, it's obvious people are talking about something they're not comfortable that I hear. Similarly, if computer screens change over when I walk by, I know [the employee is] emailing friends."


Donald Trump and Richard Branson Photo: GettyImages;

• What not to say to your boss, www.trumpuniversity.com.
  Branson on Branson, the globe and mail, September 14, 2006; The Importance Of Being Richard Branson, www.workforce.com