The fourth and final meeting of President Turner’s Leadership Summit featured Linda Hart, a familiar name to SMU students. Hart’s name is on the digital game development group at SMU-in-Legacy, the Hart Global Leaders Forum and is a past chair of the Tate Lecture Series.

Before a group of students gathered in the Hughes-Trigg Forum, Hart related stories from her career and what she thought made people successful.

“There are some accidental successes in this world — but I’m not one of them.”

Hart believes that a consistent work ethic is important to advancing in whatever one does. The way of advancing within a group is to find out what is valued by the organization, and trying to achieve it. She discovered this first hand when she joined a prestigious Dallas law firm in the mid 1960s.

“I didn’t know it at the time, but I was the first woman to join a major Dallas law firm. I wanted to stand out and be known as someone professional.”

She established a reputation as an expert on corporate partnerships, but did so with the assistance of fellow lawyers and other specialists.

“You cannot isolate yourself and expect to be successful. It’s not like school where the teacher will call you out and reward you. Strategically create relationships with the people you work with to improve yourself.”

Hart co-wrote the “definitive” book on corporate partnerships that eventually led to speaking engagements across the country. She said that nothing happens until people take action and put forth the necessary effort.

Hart also spoke about the balance of having an active family life along with a productive work ethic.

“I had to make my family part of my work. Some people compartmentalize, but I couldn’t.”

She mentioned how she would take her children to work so they could see what she did during the day and also sometimes would leave work early so she could drive the carpool for her kids and their friends.

When asked about her career path, Hart recommended expecting the unexpected.

“Life doesn’t work on a straight trajectory, so don’t waste time creating a master plan for your life.”

She described how she thought she would stay with the same law firm forever, and wound up leaving two different firms over the course of her career. She at one point taught at Stanford while also practicing law in Dallas.

“It’s a series of small decisions that make a big difference in your life.”

Hart also advised students to do what is best for them.

“The only wrong choice is the one that doesn’t work for you.”

Hart is currently Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hart Group, Inc., a group of companies involved in investments and manufacturing. She graduated from the Dedman School of Law in 1965.