Insights and Wisdom on Achieving Career Success

Insights and Wisdom on Achieving Career Success Don’t you wish there was a simple, straightforward, and sure-fire way to get to the top in your chosen field? Where’s that “magic bullet” when you need it â€" the one that takes the mystery and anxiety out of succeeding in your career? Well, these days, when it comes to navigating your career, no one goes smoothly and swiftly straight to the top (however you define it) â€" I certainly didn’t. And no one gets there on their own. Really. So it’s not just you. Find people you can learn from While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all textbook that can keep up with the times, the next best thing is to find useful guides along the way to help you formulate your own game plan. As in people you can learn from. Well, I’m dedicated to being one of those people that motivated achievers can count on to help in mastering their careers. That’s why I wrote Accelerate: 9 Capabilities to Achieve Success at Any Career Stage, which is published on Amazon tomorrow! And this is what inspired the webinar I hosted last week on the “Hidden Secrets To Your Career Success” with two special guests: Vinay Jayaram, former managing director and co-head of Asia-Pacific capital markets at Morgan Stanley, and co-founder of Lifescale Limited, and Leonard Kim, Inc. Magazine columnist, brand strategist, and managing partner at Influence Tree. People who will “get real” with you I chose Vinay and Leonard because they’ve experienced multiple ups and downs on their way to success, and are willing to tell you the “let’s get real” version (as in not photoshopped). All in a way that you can apply directly to your own career. To get the full set of insights and wisdom they shared, you’ll want to set aside an hour to watch or listen to the webinar recording. The webinar was a big hit, and people stayed on to the very end. Not only that, they had takeaways they could put into action immediately. In the meantime, here’s a “taster” of our discussion and some of the insights and wisdom we shared. Your biggest challenges and how to overcome them For most of us, career challenges will tend to fall into three categories: working with people, working on the business, and working on your self. And often, it’s the interplay of more than one of those categories. Mastering those challenges is about developing your capabilities in all three areas. This comes into play most acutely when you’re facing a new situation without your previous support network. In Vinay’s case, he had two “re-starts” when he transferred into a new unit and new geography, and Leonard faced a new set of senior managers that didn’t know him. Both Leonard and Vinay talked about the challenges associated with needing to establish their credibility, and the importance of investing in your personal brand in order to stand out and be noticed in a positive way, and tips on how to go about that. Learn more about overcoming challenges in the replay Achieve success… through the habits and mindsets that drive it It’s not just the technical aspects of how you do the job that drives success. What differentiates you is the mindset you adopt, the habits you choose to create, and the approach you take to working on your self, working with people, and working on the business. For example, Leonard talked about his daily gratitude practice, and making time to get outside and be in nature as pivotal to his success. And for Vinay, it’s about focusing on and leveraging strengths â€" his own as well as that of his team, realizing that it isn’t just about working hard but also working efficiently, and always speaking his mind but in a constructive way. What habits and mindsets are you developing to achieve greater success? Find out more about developing successful habits and mindsets Bridge the gap… identify the Do’s, Don’ts, and actions you can take right now to move from challenges to success Getting from where you are to where you want to go is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. That’s what we’ve called “bridging the gap”. As with most things in life, there are things that you want to avoid, and things you want to embrace. The trick is to know the difference. The Don’ts As for what NOT to do, which can sometimes feel like an impossibly long list, we focused on just a few key mistakes to avoid. Mistake #1: Thinking you can do it all yourself. Mistake #2: Being afraid to surround yourself with people who are more talented than you are. Mistake #3: Thinking you have (or need to have) all the answers. Learn what to do instead The Do’s A fundamental “Do” is building your personal brand as a way to move yourself toward greater success. Establishing your personal brand frees you from feeling like you’re begging for favors from others, and puts you in a position where others come and seek you out. And that’s always a positive and powerful place to be. Building your community of supporters, also known as your network, is another. And to make sure you’re including senior people in that community, even if it brings you outside your comfort zone. (Or perhaps because it brings you outside your comfort zone!) And then working on your self by investing in your own development. You are your most portable asset, and any investment in your own capabilities, courage, and confidence are definitely “worth it”. Watch the replay for more on these Do’s Three actions you can take right now Vinay identified three action steps to help you take your career to the next level, which includes Using his “concentric circles” framework #1 to identify what kind of work is best for you to do (what you like doing, what you are good at, and what makes a difference) Using his “concentric circles” framework #2 to determine who to work with and for (people who like and support you, people who are or will be in power, people you can help), and Creating future flexibility to live the life you want by keeping your fixed costs low. More actions you can take right now Get inspired and get “plugged in” While there may not be a magic wand or silver bullet out there to help you get ahead, there are definitely wise people around to help in your journey if you know where to look. Vinay, Leonard, and I hope you’ll count us among those who are rooting for your great success. At the end of the day, you have to take charge of your own career, and create that community of support around you. And recognize that while top-notch technical skills are crucial, they will only get you so far. Instead, it’s the qualitative skills that will differentiate you: being able to work with people, to keep improving yourself, and to grow the business. As one participant said after the webinar, “I feel inspired to address the areas mentioned so glad to be plugged in. All three of you are inspirational.” Go for it! Now, it’s over to you.  If you’d like to benefit from the full webinar experience, then click on the link below to get “plugged in” to some super-practical insights and action steps you can take to make that next step up. Watch the Hidden Secrets To Your Career Success replay And no matter what else you do or don’t do, I want you to get out there and go for it all of it! Now, leave a comment to tell us what you feel inspired to do. Accelerate: 9 Capabilities to Achieve Success at Any Career Stage Available Monday, February 29 I’m excited to announce that my new book, Accelerate: 9 Capabilities to Achieve Success at Any Career Stage, will be published on Monday, February 29th! Be sure to grab a copy â€" there’s a limited-time special offer of $0.99 for the ebook version that you won’t want to miss. Plus you get the ebook free with the print version on Amazon.com. Pre-order on Amazon US Pre-order on Amazon UK