Aspiring executives are around every corner. Look in every office and cubicle around you, and chances are you will find someone who has ambition and aspiration to make it to the top. The sad news is, not all of you will make it. Only those who know how others got there will even stand a chance.
Ignorance isn’t Bliss
I grew up in an average middle class Greek-Canadian family. My childhood was extremely normal. My older brother and I had the same healthy privileges as many Canadian youth - we went to Marineland in Niagara Falls, we endured road trips to Clearwater Beach in Florida, we saw Disney World. We were, by all accounts average. I was the whiny little sister, and he was the protective big brother. We had two happily married parents who love each other to this day. Not all of you had such a charmed childhood. You grew up with a depressed or alcoholic parent - or maybe even two. You may have been depressed as a child or teenager. Maybe your family experienced a member with severe mental illness - Schizophrenia, bipolar, or something else. Have you noticed how much discussion there is about personal branding these days?
Branding seems to be the new buzzword. But we are only just scratching the surface! In this blog I’m going to show you the one ingredient in branding that hasn’t been taught to you yet. Add this ingredient to everything else you’ve learned, and you’ll see your career advance faster than you thought possible. If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.
Not too long ago, I was a management consultant working for a small firm with BIG clients. Day in and day out I worked with managers to help them drive business results for their organizations. While I was doing that, I was also a manager trying to drive business results for my organization. I was really great at my work. A high potential manager. On the cusp of tremendous achievement in my career. Much like you. Your at your desk. Everything is silent. The phone has stopped ringing. Emails aren't coming in. Even your blackberry has stopped buzzing (and not because RIM has blacked out for the evening).
No, it can’t be. It’s Christmas eve, and you are still at the office? How did the time fly by so quickly? |