The Mentor | #41 | Advancement
Each month, I share 3 things I've read on skills, careers, and personal development.
I learned that titles don’t make leaders. I learned that it’s people wanting to follow you that makes you a leader. - Ravi Gupta
I love when someone that is early in their career asks me, ‘How can I advance in my career faster?’. It demonstrates their curiosity, their ambition, and their intent to sacrifice. Love it.
While the answer to that question is different for everyone, there are perhaps a few things that apply to all. Here is my stab at it:
1- Be present. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ is a cliche because it’s true.
2- Be available. That signals your drive.
3- The quality of your work is the image you create for yourself. Style, speed, insight, and completeness all matter.
4- Demonstrate ownership and accountability whenever possible. If you make a mistake, just admit it and learn from it.
5- Be customer obsessed. Customers come first and are always right. You can demonstrate this belief in any role you take and in nearly any task you perform.
6- Read voraciously.
7- Study people you admire. Emulate them.
Easy to write, harder to do. But, if you demonstrate all of these items, you will accomplish aggressive goals. It won’t be a straight line, because it never is.
1
‘Love of the game. Curiosity. Desire. Consistency. Growing without reaching too far. Survival.’
2
‘I have mostly cut things out of my life, rather than adding more things to it.’
3
‘A trivial thing can grow into a massive thing, and faster than most people realize.’