‘Don’t kiss up to your bosses,’ says Jon Gray: 5 career lessons from Blackstone president

Blackstone President Jon Gray urges professionals to reject flattery-driven career growth and focus on excellence, collaboration, kindness, work ethic, and entrepreneurial thinking. In today’s AI-driven, uncertain job market, success depends less on elite degrees and more on skills, initiative, and emotional intelligence. Gray’s advice offers a practical roadmap for thriving in modern workplaces through competence, creativity, and character.