The 63-year-old is the president and CEO of Washington D.C.-based construction firm McKissack & McKissack, which she started with $1,000 of her own savings in 1990. It now brings in more than $25 million per year, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.: having a short temper. It's a common habit — 52% of professionals say they've lost their temper on the job, according to
At first, McKissack didn't fully understand the advice. "One day, my question was, 'WTF?'" she says, adding that her meeting "exploded" because of it. "So you have to start with a real question." That could be an icebreaker like "How was your weekend?" or something more work-related, like "How do you all feel about the upcoming project?", McKissack became more empathetic and approachable to her employees, she says.