The president of HP Federal LLC and head of U.S. Public Sector at HP Inc., Todd Gustafson ’86 — who received Bryant’s Nelson J. Gulski Service Award this spring — celebrated his 36th year at the company in June. Here, he shares what he’s learned over the course of his career:
CHAMPION INTEGRITY
“Never compromise your integrity, because it’s the most important thing you have. Find ways to do things the right way, and don’t look for shortcuts.”
CONSIDER YOUR CAREER MAP AND GOALS
“At least twice a year, reflect on what you want to do and how you want to do it, and pick a few trusted advisors to share that career journey with. At home, I have a sticky note on the mirror of what I want to do, and I look at it every morning and night.”
LIFE IS CONTINUOUS LEARNING
“Waking up at 5:30 a.m., I have Google alerts set to topics that interest me, and I spend the first half hour of every day updating myself on what I should know in the marketplace.”
EMBRACE CHANGE
“Some humans like to change, and others are completely resistant to change. I love it. Look to embrace an agile environment where you can recommend what happens in your company.”
WELCOME CRITICAL THINKING
“You’re going to run into people who won’t appreciate you for critical thinking, and others who will. Find environments where they won’t hinder you and take advantage of that.”
