Mangement

THE IDEA IN BRIEF

We live an age of unprecedented opportunity: if you have got ambition, drive, and smarts, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession regardless of where you started out. But with opportunity comes responsibility, companies today are not managing their knowledge workers careers. Rather, we must each be our own chief executive officer.

Simply put, it’s up to you to carve out your place in the work world and know how to change course. And it’s up to you to keep yourself engaged and productive during a work life that may span some 50 years.

To do all these things well. You will need to cultivate a deep understanding of yourself. What are you most valuable strengths and most dangerous weaknesses? Equally important, how do you learn and work with others? What are your most deeply held values? And in what type of work environment can you make the greatest contribution?

The implication is clear: only when you operate from a combination of your strengths and self-knowledge can you achieve true and lasting excellence.

THE IDEA IN PRACTICE

To build a life of excellence, begin by asking yourself these questions

WHAT ARE MY STRENGTHS?

To accurately identify your strengths, use feedback analysis. Every time you make a key decision, write down the outcome you expect. Several months later, compare the actual results with your expected results. Look for patterns in what you are seeing: what results are you skilled at generating? What abilities do you need to enhance in order to get the results you want? What unproductive habits are preventing you from creating the outcomes you desire? In identifying opportunities for improvement, don’t waste time cultivating skill areas where you have little competence. Instead, concentrate on and build on your strengths.

HOW DO I WORK?

In what ways do you work best? Do you process information most effectively by reading it, or by hearing others discuss it? Do you accomplish the most by...