①One of the things I've learned about myself is that I tend to be impatient in solving problems. ②Instead of listening to the opinions of others, I try right away to find solutions. ③I have had to learn that other people can give me valuable input and that listening makes me a better leader.

④To be a better listener, I now bring employees from all over the world—including China—to New York City four times a year to hear their suggestions for how to improve our business. ⑤I meet with them for a full day and spend most of my time listening. ⑥This is one of the most important things I do.

⑦Balance is another essential leadership quality in today's complex world, and it's a quality that is especially critical for women who are juggling many and sometimes competing roles. ⑧As a working mother with two children—my daughter Lauren is 14 and my some Jamie is 6—I constantly struggle with the issue of balance.⑨People always ask me how I do it, and my answer is....it's never easy to balance work and family.

impatient [?m?pe??nt] a．不耐煩的

input [??np?t] n．輸入，投入

essential [??sen?l] a．基本的，必要的

constantly[?k?nst?ntl?]ad．不斷地，時常地