ABCs Of Your Career Journey – O Is For Observant

by E. Elizabeth Carter

Do you want to achieve greater success in your career? Do you question some of the assignments you take on and do they really help you get ahead? Do you view other people and wonder what they are doing to move up the corporate ladder that maybe you should be doing?

Truly successful people are always studying others in order to comprehend what behaviors, personality traits, etc. they possess. By doing this, it enables them to ascertain why some people are considered for more senior roles and/or more lucrative and visible projects while others are not. This is critical because many people can have the same skill set but what sets them apart is how they deal with such things as handling challenges, developing solutions, engaging others, and creating and implementing strategies. It is also imperative to understand what tasks they personally are responsible for and which ones they delegate; this is not to be lazy but successful people want others to advance in their own careers and achieve career happiness too.

It is also helpful to read biographies of people like Bill Gates, Indra Nooyi, and Mary Barra. Many successful people came from humble backgrounds and although they took different paths in their careers, they were always open to learning and growing. These stories can be similar to yours but even if not, they offer valuable insights into how and why they took certain risks, etc. that got them where they are today. Their trials and tribulations demonstrate that it is not just hard work that they needed to do, but also how they built their confidence up and stayed resilient especially when they were in a tough situation.

Observing how successful people handle failure is also important. We all fail at something at some point in our careers (it could even be many times) but how successful people react is usually different from the masses. This is not just about what they say but also how they act and what their attitude is about their future. They may admit defeat but then they will quickly figure out what went wrong and create a new course of action. They will also actively seek out feedback from others to get fresh ideas and perspectives as well as determine what blind spots they may have and how to overcome them down the road.

Lastly successful people do not work all the time. They recognize that self-care is necessary for them to climb the next mountain. In other words, they know when to take a break and when to push through to finish a project before the deadline. They also recognize that having a good support system is necessary. Many biographies do not just chronicle these individuals’ professional lives but also detail how they live exceptional personal lives as well. By spending some time learning from successful people, you may realize that your own career journey needs to take a turn so as to bring you much greater fulfillment.

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