Carla Harris And Her Pearls

Carla Harris is a Vice Chairman, Global Wealth Management, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She is responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation across the firm. She formerly headed the Emerging Manager Platform, the equity capital markets effort for the consumer and retail industries and was responsible for Equity Private Placements. Aside from being a wonder woman, Harris has extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial and healthcare sectors. For more than a decade, Harris was a senior member of the equity syndicate desk and executed such transactions as initial public offerings for UPS, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Ariba, Digitas and others.

Q: What inspired you to write your book, EXPECT TO WIN: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet?
I was inspired to write Expect To Win, because I learned a LOT from “the pearls” that I acquired during my career and I found that they had a profound impact on my success. These were lessons and tools that I wish I had had when I started my career, so I wanted to share them with others in hopes that they would help to accelerate their careers.

Q: As your own career advanced, you built your own “key survival tools” or “pearls,” and vowed when you reached upper management and people looked to you for advice, you would provide them with what they needed to do to fulfill their true career potential. Could you share some of your pearls?
Some of “the pearls” include: 1) Authenticity- Understanding that the power is YOU, you are your own competitive advantage and that Authenticity is at the heart of powerful, impactful leadership; 2) Perception is the Co-Pilot of Reality: How people PERCEIVE you, will directly impact how people deal with you; 3) The Importance of Taking Risks: Fear has no place in your success equation.

Q: Did mentors and advocates help you achieve a successful path in your career? If so, how? If not, why not?
I had both advisors and mentors along my career journey and one mentor in particular, that I still have today. More importantly, at critical junctures in my career, I realized that it was important to have a sponsor, the person that carries your paper into the room, the person that spends their valuable political and social capital on you to make sure that you receive the promotion, that you receive the great bonus, or that you get the next great assignment.

Fun Facts on Carla Harris

1.  What I’m reading now… I am reviewing my new book, “Strategize to Win” that will be out in December
2. All-time favorite 3-5 books…”Expect To Win,” “Transform Your Life” and “Battlefield of the Mind”
3. Career success secret..1) My faith; 2) Recognizing and Owning My Power
4. Workplace pet peeve…Slow movers
5. Little known fact about me…I LOVE hamburgers
6. To me what’s most challenging is…Having patience
7. I’m most proud of…Becoming successful in my parents’ eyes
8. Best vacation ever…Jamaica
9. What inspires me is…Inspiring others