As we talked, he wondered if he’d
been so busy trying to reach specific
milestones and impress other people
that he’d lost sight of what he really enjoyed doing. The truth was that he loved
analyzing stocks and assessing management teams, but he also wanted to have
the responsibility for making the actual
investment decisions and then be held
accountable for the results. I encouraged him to take action and speak to
a number of investment firms (
including his current employer) about a career
change. After doing this, he ultimately
was offered and accepted a portfolio
manager position in the asset management division of his current firm. He
learned that his firm’s leaders wanted to
retain him regardless of job description
and that they were quite surprised to
find out he wanted to be on the investment side of the business. He has since
become a superb investment manager,
and although he wishes he’d stepped
back and reexamined his career years
earlier, he’s thrilled that he made the
switch while there was “still time.”
If you are experiencing similar feelings of frustration or even regret about
ARTICLE AT A GLANCE
Finding fulfillment involves
taking a very personal look at
how you define success in your
heart of hearts – and then following your own path there.
Your boss isn’t responsible for
managing your career; you are.
To reach your potential, you
need to know yourself –
particularly, your strengths,
weaknesses, and passions;
identify and excel at the tasks
critical to success in your job;
and demonstrate character and
leadership.
they have a substantial degree of control. Seizing control requires you to take
a fresh look at your behavior in three
main areas: knowing yourself, excelling
at critical tasks, and demonstrating character and leadership.
Knowing Yourself
Taking responsibility for your career
starts with an accurate assessment of
your current skills and performance. Can
you write down your two or three great-
“Am I reaching my potential?” is not
the same as asking, “How do I rise
to the top?”
the direction of your career, this article is intended to help you examine
the question, “Am I reaching my potential?” This is not the same as asking,
“How do I rise to the top?” or “How can
I be successful in my career?” Rather,
it’s about taking a very personal look
at how you define success in your heart
of hearts and then finding your path to
get there.
To do that, you must step back and
reassess your career – starting with the
recognition that managing it is your responsibility. Too many people feel like
victims in their careers, when in fact
est strengths and your two or three most
significant weaknesses? While most people can detail their strengths, they often
struggle to identify key weaknesses. This
exercise involves meaningful reflection
and, almost always, requires soliciting
the views of people who will tell you the
brutal truth. Unfortunately, you often
can’t count on your boss to accurately
assess your strengths or to be willing to
confront you with what you’re doing
wrong. It’s up to you to take control of
this process by seeking coaching, asking for very specific feedback, and being
receptive to input from a wide variety
of people at various levels within your
organization. This gathering of feedback
needs to be an ongoing process because,
as your career progresses, you will face
new challenges and demands.
Recently I met with a division head
of a large professional services firm.
Though he’d been a rising star for several years, he felt he’d begun to stagnate.
His direct reports and his CEO no longer seemed engaged and enthusiastic in
their dealings with him, and he didn’t
know why. In our discussions, he was able
to specifically describe his strengths, but
when I asked about his weaknesses, he
gave me fairly generic responses, such as
“Maybe I’m too impatient” and “I need
to raise my profile.” When I pressed him
about feedback from his boss he still
struggled to identify even one specific
weakness. I sent him off on an assignment: Interview at least five colleagues
and subordinates.
He returned a few weeks later with
several “surprises.” He’d heard, for example, that while he was detail-oriented
and decisive, he micromanaged, had
a dictatorial style, and failed to listen.
Armed with these insights, he sought
coaching, started working on his flaws,
and began regularly soliciting feedback
from his colleagues and subordinates. A
year later he reported that his effectiveness had improved as a result of these
ongoing efforts, and he was once again
feeling confident and optimistic about
his career.
This type of initiative takes time, humility, and a willingness to confront
weaknesses, fears, and blind spots that
many of us would rather ignore. But I
never cease to be impressed by the capacity of people to change and improve
once they recognize their shortcomings
as well as their strengths.
Of course, getting others to tell you
where you’re falling short isn’t easy –
particularly if they’re your subordinates.
It must be done in one-on-one conversations, and you need to give potential
coaches time to learn that you’re sincere.
When your employees see you actually
act on their feedback, they are likely to
