Are You Ready to be the Leader of Your Career?

Earlier this year, Roger Federer spoke at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire (USA). He asked the audience a question.

"In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80 per cent of those matches…What percentage of the points do you think I won in those matches?"

The answer was 54 per cent. "In other words, even top-ranked tennis players win barely more than half of the points they play…The truth is, whatever game you play in life, sometimes you're going to lose. A point, a match, a season, a job."

It's a reminder. We have good days and not-so-good days.

To become the leader of your career, you want to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground, keep an eye on the future and be ready to advance and adapt.

The world is changing, and so is how we work. To stay in the game, not even ahead of the game, it's important to get comfortable with career change and reinvention.

You don't want to be a passenger in your career with the future hurtling past you, nor do you want to be a backseat driver with no control or stuck on autopilot. You want to be the one who makes decisions about which direction to travel, how fast to go, any detours to take and the support crew you need to get you there.

You want to get in the driver's seat and be willing to make courageous decisions. Courage is being willing to do the work to change when needed.

To become the leader of your career, here are six tips to get you started.

Tip 1 – Be a Master Planner
Take time to actively plan your career by setting aside time to reflect on your current state, where you want to head, and your progress, and identify critical next steps.

This includes elevating your awareness of what is happening around you in terms of how your role, profession, industry, and sector are changing. Automation and artificial intelligence will impact the majority of the workforce, and you want to prepare for this.

Also, look at developments in other industries that may impact your field. This will help you widen your perspective about what's possible for your next career steps.

Consider:

When did you last devote time to reviewing your career health?
Are you abreast of changes to your industry and profession as a result of AI and other factors?
Are you balancing your attention so you are learning from the past, being present in the moment and future-focused?

Tip 2 – Set Intentions
Dr Heidi Grant Halvorson, the Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia Business School, talks about the importance of setting intentions. She suggests intentions are what help you progress, not goal setting.

When you focus on intentions, you are clear about what you are going to do in various situations. It works like this: If or when situation A happens, then I will perform behaviour B.

For example, you may say, "When I work back late at night, I will meditate before I go to bed." According to Heidi, research shows that you are more likely to follow through when you are clear about your chosen behaviour in a particular situation.

So, what are your intentions for your career and for your working day?

For example, write down what you want to achieve at the start of each day (or working week). Physically writing a goal, rather than just verbalising it, makes the intent harder to ignore. When intentions are spoken and committed to publicly, it provides additional impetus to complete the task.

Tip 3 – Articulate your USP
Everyone brings specific skills and ways of operating to their work. Think of this as your unique selling proposition (USP). It's the value you deliver through your work that makes you stand out from everyone else.

However, what employers value changes over time, so make sure your USP is meaningful, current and targeted.

As the author of Exponential Organisations, Salim Ismail said: "Today, if you're not disrupting yourself, someone else is; your fate is to be either the disrupter or the disrupted. There is no middle ground".

While his comment was about organisations, it is equally relevant to your career.

Consider:

What's the value you bring to your work?
Is that value current and relevant?
Do you need to uplift that value?
Can you clearly articulate that value as your USP?

Tip 4 – Get connected
Build a profile where you are known for something, are respected, and have a network of people willing to advocate for you.

Achieving this means spending time thinking about what you can do for others, rather than just focusing on what they can do for you. The more you proactively help others, the more they will want to help you. You are building your influential leadership skills as you do this.

Consider:

How can you help a colleague or connection build their network? Is there someone in your network that you can connect them with?
Have you got helpful knowledge or insight that you could share with someone?
Can you help a colleague or friend with their career?

Tip 5 – Embark on Your Learning Adventure
Don't wait for the organisation you work for to develop you. Successful people know that learning is crucial to future career success and are constantly seeking out new ideas and ways to stretch themselves.

This includes taking the time to understand themselves and to develop their emotional intelligence, which, in many areas, is more important than technical skills as one progresses in one's career.

Consider:

Buy a book on a topic you have always wanted to know about and differs from your day job.
If you sit in an office all day, attend a course that requires you to use your hands to create something (e.g., woodwork, craft, or design).
Go to a lecture or attend leadership training on a subject that will broaden your field of view.
Subscribe to online news to get up-to-date information and knowledge from around the world.
Invest in executive coaching so you can uncover your career aspirations and motivations.
Invest in leadership development and learning more about yourself, your emotional intelligence and your emotional triggers.
Be eager to receive feedback from others, including sponsors, mentors, colleagues, and peers. It's important to understand how people see us and how that differs from how we see ourselves.

Tip 6 – Get active
How you feel, mentally and physically, impacts your focus, productivity, decision-making capacity, and how you connect and engage with your work colleagues.

Also, today's work environment is stressful, and it's important to be able to regulate behaviour and manage stress.

Consider:

Are you getting enough sleep?
Are you eating well and exercising?
Are you finding time to reflect?
Are you setting aside time each day for you?
Are you finding ways to recharge and maintain your energy levelyours?

Your career is an important part of your life, but it is only a part of it. This means it's important to plan and manage your career in the context of your 'whole-of-life' goals.

The legendary actress Mae West said, "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

Republished with courtesy from michellegibbings.com