"We live on an island surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance." John Archibald Wheeler, American Physicist (Scientific American (1992), Vol. 267.) The more you know, the more you realize how much you don't know. To be successful in your career, keep learning new things. Learn broadly about many [...]
You are susceptible to stalling in your career if: You despise people who kiss up to the boss because you feel that one's work should speak for itself. You could care less what your boss thinks or wants as long as you're doing what's best for your clients or firm. You plan to actively sabotage your [...]
You do great work. You're hardworking and confident in your abilities. Unfortunately, if you're working at a high-performing firm, everyone else feels the same away about themselves. Ask yourself: Do others recognize me as a top performer? If you're not sure, then they probably do not. It's not because you're not good - it's because most [...]
... resist your natural urge to be perfect. As a high-performer, you want to do a great job in EVERYTHING that you do. It's understandable. It's what made you successful. It's also what will limit you if you apply it too broadly. To iron out all of the kinks all of the time requires a [...]
... think about whether your "personal branding" behaviors actually lead to the real results that would make you truly impressive. Ryan Holiday, in his new book, Ego is the Enemy, makes a great point about not confusing talk and recognition as real accomplishment. Look at what you've done and what you're currently doing and ask yourself - is it of substance? Are [...]
... first get to the frontier. In every Olympics including this year's games, new world records are being set by those who continue to innovate the way they train and perform. In renowned expertise researcher, K. Anders Ericsson's, book on performance, Peak, I came across this quote that served as a great reminder. "Progress is made by [...]
... look at your behaviors. You thrive on feedback. That's how you got to where you are today. You actively seek out advice and insights from your mentors, great books and life experiences. Since you're open-minded and motivated to succeed in the shortest time possible, you experiment with all the different winning strategies that you come across. Some [...]
You're six months into your job and doing well at your company. You feel you've already settled in, and you're ready for more responsibility. So you schedule some time with your boss and ask, "So, what can I do to get promoted?" Many of the managers I coach have told me this scenario is becoming more [...]
When times are tough and you're not seeing the results you want, or when everything you touch turns to gold and you can't seem to fail, remember these words from Churchill and keep doing the small things that matter. keep pursuing the big things you love.
As a high performer, you pride yourself on getting things done. With an ever-growing to-do list, your commitment to complete your tasks can make you prone to "shoulding" on yourself. "Shoulding" is the act of turning what you want to do into what you "should" do. This nuanced change in both language and outlook can hurt your ability [...]
When you started your career, you most likely took on as many opportunities as possible to build your skills and discover your strengths and preferences. As a high-performer, you soon found your sweet spot and started to excel. When you are great at something, you'll find yourself with more opportunities than you have time. Now the [...]
Look at the work you've produced last year. If it doesn't look amateurish to you, you may not be learning fast enough. What did you do in the past year to better yourself and your skills? If you're not careful, you may fall for the Dunning-Kruger effect.
