The desire to 'play' at the highest level is a powerful aphrodisiac. Whether in sports, academia, research, entertainment, or climbing the corporate ladder, the laser focus to get to the top is sometimes a hindrance to our success.
Chasing Glory
For many professionals, that first taste of a high level role feels like winning a career championship game. The new found power can often be confused with having "arrived."
Is that big promotion an end point to a long quest?
Is that breakthrough job offer an affirmation of what you've always believed you could be?
If the answer was yes, the risks to future success just became exponentially more complicated. You see, chasing the glory of career success is actually a never ending series of milestones and new beginnings.
Years of hard work and professionalism can lead to exciting opportunities. Those opportunities, in effect, are a reset of everything you once knew. The previous behavior, routine, and internal peer network all change.
You have to be open to change too.
Learning the Role, Not the Tasks
The most important step many successful new leaders miss is the ramp up phase into learning "how" to do their new job. Not focusing exclusively on the tasks listed on their new job description.
Think about that for a second...learning the role, not the work.
How does a junior executive behave? What interpersonal skills are now mandatory, regardless of what feels comfortable?
Is a fragile ego going to be put to the side in order to do the work, make decisions, and earn respect?
Or...will the previous goal of "most popular rising leader" be the label that supersedes all else?
How About You
Who do you know that is very talented, yet has not invested the time to learn their role? How are they doing? Could they use your trusted consultative support?
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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I grew up in a world of drive through "restaurants", microwave dinners and Convenience Stores with hot dogs on a rotisserie available 24/7. I can barely remember a world without the Internet, haven't used a fax machine in years, and would prefer to receive a [Direct] Message than email anytime. Simply put, I like my stuff now. Not in a minute, not in a little while... I want what I want NOW.
Work is Not a Microwave
There are no quick wins, really. Yes, we love to brainstorm and convince ourselves we've come up with an amazing idea that will change the organization, country, world...whatever. Coming up with an idea is one thing; however, executing on that idea that actually results in moving the needle is very different. Candidly, without that great idea no progress can occur. But we need to be realistic...dare I say strategic in our thinking and execution if we are to achieve progress.
In his book Onward, Howard Schultz describes how he tried to get a quick win as he transitioned back into the ceo role at Starbucks Coffee Company. He tried, failed and then slowed down to take a more strategic view of turning his company around. He embraced the notion of being strategic, while still having a sense of urgency about the work being done. Being bold, and expecting everything to be perfect right away are two very different things.
HR Should Be Strategic
Time for a moment of self-disclosure. I'm tired of people saying how lame it is for HR to be talking about being strategic. We're supposed to be. We're supposed to be putting plans in place for the short and long term. We're supposed to be thinking well beyond the current benefits/recruitment/training/political-hot-potato-of-the-day crisis and delivering value to our organizations. So if you're taking the easy way out and jumping on the HR bashing train against being strategic, it's time to switch professions.
How About You
Be patient with your ideas. Think through them, spend time testing them, and then make a decision and act on them. Being patient and then being decisive is a potent combination. Being trapped in a world of analysis paralysis and excuses is also a potent combination. Which path do you take? I'm glad I switched.
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
pic courtesy of kaboodle
How does a junior executive behave? What interpersonal skills are now mandatory, regardless of what feels comfortable? 