… to be successful.
This insight came from a recent conversation I had with the CEO of a top financial services firm. He talked about the mentors that guided him, the peers who supported him and the employees who executed on his strategy. Before he became CEO, he focused on helping others get what they want and in turn, they helped him become CEO. When you hear it, it sounds obvious but when I reflect on my experiences and those of the high-performers I coach, it’s not common practice.
It’s easy to glorify the individual. Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have come to symbolize entire companies. This constant exposure to individual heroes makes it easy to forget all of the other people who helped to make these companies successful.
If you want a successful career and to have impact, you need others to help you so your influence extends beyond one person’s effort and accomplishments. The simple way to get a village behind you is to:
Keep helping others win.
People follow a leader because they believe their lives will be better for it. If you want to lead, you need to know how you can make the lives of others better.
The two steps to achieve this is to:
- Understand what others care about – take time to learn their personal and professional aspirations and struggles
- Constantly find ways to help them achieve those goals or overcome those challenges
That’s it.
Look at the people in your “village” and list the 5 individuals who can make the most positive impact in your career. Ask yourself:
- What are their aspirations and challenges?
- How can I help them today?
Photo by Bo Nash
