Sunday, 6 October 2013

Learn to grow in career

Most of the professionals want to grow themselves as CEO and Chairman of any company . Few succeed and many don’t. Is a chance or some mechanism to be followed? All of us have strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses are meant to be reduced to the minimum and strengths need to be grown in proportion. Identifying one’s strengths and weaknesses is part of introspection and comes naturally.  Countering your weakness is relatively easier as once identified, a weakness can be consciously mitigated. What needs special attentions is your strength. Working on and nurturing your strength is a difficult task. Many can argue, well I am already good at this aspect what more I need to do ? Here lies the challenge of higher growth and those who learn this trick, move up the ladder quickly compared to those who don’t stop and learn. You never be complacent about your strengths as there is no end to perfection. Working consistently on your strengths and mastering it to your advantage is the key for success. There is always scope for growth or refinement in your existing strengths.

The best approach for growth could be combining strengths and creating a mega strength which could be better than the sum of the individual strengths. It also implies that you need to synergize strength for better results. Let’s take example of Rahul Dravid , a perfect batsman with sound playing techniques and with a very cool head and strong concentration . Result – Bowlers found hard to get through his gate for most part of his career. The three strength he had when combined together made him almost invincible.

 Each should be his/her own CEO.  You drive your inner passion for growth through a self check mirror in yourself. Two benefits of being a CEO of yourself:  One you observe , understand and learn what CEO is and does. So you slowly start not only imagining yourself as one but also instilling that in yourself. You start correcting yourself, disciplining yourself and that is where you start working on your strength effectively.

Coming back again on pairing and combining of strength for mega strength, it is also important to note which strengths are positively correlated and which are negatively correlated. Positively correlated ones are those whose effect may give result in same direction i.e. complementary ones whereas negative correlation ones are those whose effect might act against each other and in fact can nullify or reduce overall impact.

Now how to do that. List down competencies you have. Also what are the competencies one need to have in order to build effectiveness in organisation. See which ones are complementary and which are the ones we find in great leaders . For example , think of a combo of knowledge + assertiveness + communication . How effective an individual becomes as a leader.

Well certain competencies or strength needs to be build upon if missing. It requires some hard work, some discipline and some determination but definitely possible . Time is your side but the earliest you have that in your armoury the better positioned you are . Always build on that strength which is valued by all.

Please always remember positions in organisations are virtue due to experience , expertise , contribution , qualification , and sometimes luck but competencies is something which is your own and it does not need approval of any senior to have in your arsenal. The earliest you acquire, refine, strengthen and combine the better you become both on professional and even personal front.

Also who knows in years ahead most organisation may move on 360 degree performance evaluation where at every stage your growth path may be subject to good evaluation by many of peers , subordinate as well i.e. you evaluated on different perspective so the more competencies and strength you build and exercise it will appeal to most. Some of the qualities most will value is you seen as positive influence, you nurturing to individual growth and effectively resulting organisational growth, Your collaborative approach for a higher result adds more value for all.


So now don’t lose time start working toward your goal. 

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