A lot of people say that they’re not a morning person, and three years ago, that was me. But when I wanted to start working out again, I found I was too tired after work to go to the gym, so something had to change. I finally committed to going to a few morning classes and it was the best thing I’ve ever done for my health.

In case you didn’t know: Walmart is big. It’s so big, it is the largest private employer in the United States, with over 1.5 million employees. Now imagine driving change from the top, having the support of the CEO to lead Walmart’s efforts in community outreach.

Meet Jose (Pepe) Estrada, the Director of Public Affairs at Walmart. Over the past 15 years, he’s worked with LatinX, LGBTQ, American Indian, People with Disabilities, and Emerging Generations communities. He’s even led Walmart’s first influencer-based reputation management initiative.

I’m a proud second-generation Latino. My childhood was a mix of dancing salsa in the kitchen during family gatherings while my mom served up fresh homemade tamales. But like many second-generation Latinos, I had to balance that life with growing up in an almost all-white Catholic elementary school in New Jersey.

Many years ago, I was on a failing project, which was stressful for all involved. Another project manager asked me about a very specific type of piping that I didn’t know about and she berated me for it. “How can you call yourself a project manager and not know that,” she said. My response? How can you consider yourself a good project manager if you think you need to. Confused? Let me explain.

Believe it or not, project managers share many of the same skill sets as CEOs. It’s just a difference of scale: CEOs manage companies and project managers manage the projects that generate more revenue for companies. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that project managers are CEOs in training, since their day-to-day responsibilities are a microcosm of what to expect in the C-suite. Are you a project manager with CEO aspirations? Here are five skills project managers and CEOs have in common.

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), project management is taking over how most organizations operate, even in fields like healthcare, where there’s been a 17% growth in demand for project managers. By 2027, it is estimated that 2.2 million project manager roles will need to be filled by employers.

Most people have heard of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle. Named after Italian economist, Wilfredo Pareto, and popularized in the “80/20” book by Richard Koch, it states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Its premise is to focus only on doing the few things that give you 80% of results. 

There comes a time in everyone’s career when they start to feel the warning signs of burnout. It can sneak up on you if you let it, some of which are:

• Feeling physically exhausted

• Feeling detached from your work

• Losing your sense of motivation

• Declining work performance

When Nicole Cook relocated to Nevada to work at Tesla, it was right in the middle of the production ramp up for the Model 3. Find out how she handled the transition and constant challenges during one of the most insane ramp ups the auto industry has ever seen.

A great project manager is also a great leader.

As a project manager, I am consistently working on being a valuable, trusting leader.

My experience as a father has been one of the best teachers.

My son is almost 15 months now, and I find myself realizing he is making me a better leader, a more thoughtful one.

Whether you like it or not, COVID-19 has changed the way we work forever — making remote work here to stay. Here are some tips I’ve utilized to successfully manage teams remotely as a project manager.

As a heavy construction project manager, you might be considering the slowdown a good time  to transition into software, and while such a drastic change may seem daunting at first, it’s actually not as difficult as you think.

Project management is more than a career, it’s a calling. Here’s why I’m so passionate about my work as a project manager.