Page 134 - The Way to the Top

Terry J. LUNDGREN

President, CEO, and Director of Federated Department Stores, Inc.

New to the retail business and eager to learn and make my mark, I became
frustrated because I wasn’t being challenged enough and wasn’t learning
as much as I expected from my boss. I had been on the job as an assistant

buyer for a mere eighteen months when I complained about my situation. I
was told by my college recruiter, who had played an integral role in my
decision to join the company, that I should “Bloom where you are
planted.”

My attitude and focus were forever changed. My attention shifted from

where I was to how I was doing, specifically how I could make the most
out of my current situation. I learned quickly that although you can’t
always control where you are planted—to which department or specific

project you are assigned—you can control the experience while you are
there. Committing myself to doing the best job possible regardless of my
assignment while maintaining a positive attitude became my focus. From
that point on, I can honestly say that I have always been promoted to a
larger and more challenging assignment before I became bored or

complacent.

During my career, I have found that the ground in which we find
ourselves planted varies in composition. Sometimes it is fertile and
healthy, making growth seem a part of nature’s course. At other times the

soil may be dry, cracked, and rocky, making growth more challenging. I
learned that I could prosper in either situation as long as I stayed focused
on my responsibility to be the best that I could be regardless of where I
was planted. And, if I performed at my maximum capability, I might

actually leave the ground a little more fertile for the person who would
ultimately take my place.