Do you speak more than one language? If you want to get ahead you should.

The demand for multilingual skills for global leadership candidates has more than doubled going from 10% in 2011 to 23% in 2012 according to a recent study by AMA Enterprise. Among the companies surveyed 14% said they only hire managers who have “basic spoken competencies” in multiple languages.

The good news is that many companies are willing to help you become multilingual. In fact, 23% of study respondents said they provide reimbursement for language training for all employees. Fifteen percent said they provide reimbursement to employees considered to be “high-potentials” and only 4% said they don’t provide any resources for their employees to learn another language.

English is still considered the language of business around the world. However, companies are realizing that that may not be the case in the future according to Sandi Edwards, SVP for AMA Enterprise. So if you have any ambition to work in the global arena it’s time to add multilingual to your skill set.

Over the years, I’ve talked to a lot of recruiters. Some have been casual chats. Others, like my Meet the Recruiter Series, have been in-depth interviews. We even surveyed a bunch of recruiters earlier this year.

And the one thing they all say is that if you are looking for a job you need to have a professional online presence. LinkedIn absolutely, but don’t stop there. Don’t forget about other social media like Twitter and Google+ as well.

Despite our current economy there are jobs out there. Many recruiters are actively searching for candidates online every day. So be there or beware. You may be sabotaging your own job search.

Working at something you love doesn’t necessarily lead to job satisfaction. You need to have a career track too. It seems that people who have a defined career path at work are more satisfied than those who don’t, according to a recent survey by Accountemps.

In fact 54% of respondents said that having a clear idea of how to get ahead was very important, 31% said it was at least somewhat important, while only 14% said they didn’t care. People want to know what’s next and how to get there.

This should be a wake-up call to employers who don’t want to lose their top talent. Many people are dissatisfied with their current position and are likely looking for new jobs right now. According to a Right Management poll done at the end of 2011, 84% of respondents said they would be actively looking for a new position in 2012.

If you’re one of the dissatisfied you need to take some responsibility as well. Start by exploring your options. If possible, schedule time to talk to your manager about your potential for growth. Meet with human resources to see what else is available within your company. If your organization has a formal mentorship program sign up, if not take steps to find a mentor, or better yet a sponsor, on your own.

It’s certainly beneficial if your employer can help develop a roadmap. But, in the end, it’s up to you to take responsibility for your own career.

Social media incidents are no longer surprising. There have been numerous articles about people getting fired for using poor judgment when posting to their Facebook page or sounding off on Twitter.

It seems like people should know better, particularly athletes representing their country at the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, some of them don’t.

During the first week several athletes were ousted from the Olympics for Tweeting racist remarks. An Aussie swimmer got in trouble back home for sharing racy photos. And a U.S. soccer star created controversy with her comments about one of the commentators.

Looks like they didn’t think much about the repercussions before they hit Send.

Fortunately, many other Olympians, including Gold medal winners Jessica Ennis and Ryan Lochte, are using social media the smart way. Their tweets have given us a peek at what it’s like to be an athlete at the Games which has endeared them to fans around the world. Thanks for being great on and off the field.

The Olympics are full of surprises from the favorites who fail to medal to the unexpected wins. A perfect example was seen in Sunday’s Men’s Road Race when Alexandr Vinolurov of Kazakhstan won the gold and Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish, who was favored to win, came in 28th.

It’s upsets like this that make the Games so exciting. Unfortunately, they sometimes ignite controversy as well. It was a shock when Jordyn Weiber didn’t qualify for the Gymnastics individual all-around competition. According to Olympic rules only two entrants from each team can compete in the event and that night she was edged out by her teammates. Weiber was understandably devastated. She was not alone. Many complained that the rules were unfair others came out on the other side.

But, what’s amazing in all this is Weiber who responded to this upset by coming back even stronger. She didn’t give up, or give in. She put Sunday’s disappointment behind her and gave her all for the team. In the end, she played an integral part in the Fab Five winning the gold on Tuesday. Weiber won’t be taking part in the individual all-around competition but she’s already proved she’s a winner. She’s got more than a gold medal; she’s got the heart of a champion.

I can’t wait for the Olympic Games to begin tonight. There’s nothing like real life to encourage, inspire and teach us lessons far beyond what we can learn in any classroom. The athlete’s stories of triumph and defeat will be unfolding before us over the next two weeks.

But, the Olympic news has started already. Women are making significant strides in the Olympics this year. For the first time women are the majority on the U.S. Olympic team and for the first time every country is sending at least one female contender according to a recent Forbes article.

As always there will be a variety of sports on the schedule. Everything from the ever popular gymnastics to the probably less watched archery will be there. As a newbie runner I’m particularly interested in watching the track and field events this year. But, one of my favorites remains the equestrian where men and women compete against each other.

But, the most exciting thing is seeing athletes from different countries and cultures coming together to participate in the games. I’m impressed by their dedication to their specific sport. And touched by how proud they are to represent their respective countries. But, what amazes me the most is the respect they have for each other that transcends cultural differences. It always gives me hope for the future.

Is it possible for leaders with similar backgrounds, specifically white men, to become instruments of inclusion? Somewhat surprisingly the answer is yes.

A group of managers, comprised of mostly white men, who participated in a leadership development program designed to help foster inclusion in the workplace, did experience a change in both mindset and behavior according to a recent study by Catalyst. The program was conducted by White Men as Full Diversity Partners, which that helps organizations leverage diversity by challenging leaders to understand both their own cultural perspectives and the perspective of others.

After only four months in this program the participants “not only became significantly more accepting of the notion of white male privilege” but also showed improvement in other areas as well says Catalyst. The changes included:

• Critical thinking about social groups
• Taking more responsibility for being inclusive
• Inquiring across cultural differences
• Listening empathically to others
• Addressing difficult issues related to differences

An added bonus, colleagues began to notice an overall decrease in workplace incivility. Specifically noted was a decline in negative gossip.

One of the most surprising things was the participants' acknowledgement of “white male privilege” in the workplace. Considering that this group comprises the leadership of most companies in corporate America, this program sounds like a step in the right direction.

I’m one of the lucky ones. I get to work with my dogs every day. They are much easier to get along with than many of my former office mates.

The other day I was watching Bethenny’s summer talk show and during one segment her dog Cookie was on the set. While talking about how loyal and loving Cookie is she said “She would follow me into a jail cell.” All Cookie wants is to be with her wherever that may be.

That got me thinking about our dogs. And I realized they’re like that too. They would be happy living in jail as long as they could be with us. That’s the most important thing to them. Well, that and a little food every day.

I don’t know one, single person like that.

Now the “jail cell” scenario may be carrying things to the extreme when it comes to the workplace. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a boss that I was that loyal to – and I’ve had a few great ones. But there is certainly a lot we can learn from dogs that would make life in the workplace more enjoyable and probably more productive too.

1. Dogs give everyone a chance. I often make snap decisions. That’s a personal flaw of mine. But I’m not the only one. Dogs are not like that. They give everyone a chance. They greet new people with a big wag of their tail expecting good things to happen. Often times even after they’ve been abused by their previous owners.

2. Dogs don’t growl at you because they’re having a bad day. How many times do we snap at people for no reason other than we got stuck in traffic on the way to the office or a project is not going particularly well? Dogs may whine if they don’t get a cookie. But they don’t growl at you because they didn’t get to go to the dog park today.

3. Dogs are determined. Dogs are not easily distracted when they want something. They will sit there and stare until you open the door to let them outside. They will nudge you for an hour if they want to play with the ball. They’re not easily discouraged when they don’t get what they want. They keep working at it until they do. Imagine what we could accomplish with that much tenacity.

These are just three ways our canine friends are smarter than we are. Surely, adopting these behaviors would help create a more civil and productive workplace for humans as well. You’ve heard the saying “I wish I was as good as my dog thinks I am. “ Well, maybe if we embrace a few of their actions we can be.