Graduation season is filled with inspiring advice for those starting their careers. As someone who has studied mentally strong leadership extensively, I’ve uncovered key insights that define success. In a recent survey of 3,000 top executives, five powerful themes emerged—lessons they wish they’d known earlier.
In a recent exploration for a book on mentally strong leadership, a survey was conducted asking 3,000 highly successful senior executives what they wished they had known when they first started their careers. The responses revealed five consistent and powerful themes.
1. Own Your Career Path
A crucial takeaway is that your career trajectory is ultimately your responsibility. Don’t expect others to map out your professional journey for you. It’s essential to define your short, medium, and long-term career goals and communicate them clearly when the time is right. Seek environments where you are valued and, if necessary, be prepared to move on from places where you are not.
The focus should always be on pursuing a career that aligns with your personal aspirations and sense of purpose, not one dictated by external expectations. It’s also important to recognize that a career isn’t always a linear climb up a ladder; it can involve numerous lateral shifts and unexpected turns, much like a river’s course.
2. Discover the Value in Every Assignment
This piece of advice consistently emerged as a top recommendation. Even in challenging roles or with difficult managers, there are opportunities for personal and professional growth.
A common experience shared by many is the realization that not every job will be enjoyable. However, approaching each assignment with an open mind can reveal hidden gems of development. Lessons learned from less-than-ideal situations, such as understanding what not to do as a leader, can be incredibly formative and build resilience for future, more positive experiences.
3. Embrace Calculated Risks
While playing it safe might lead to a stable career, taking calculated risks significantly increases the likelihood of a fulfilling one. Many executives highlighted that some of their smartest career moves involved leaving jobs that no longer aligned with their goals, even if it meant stepping into discomfort, such as taking a pay cut or defying conventional wisdom. Ideally, such moves should be a leap towards something exciting, rather than simply an escape from something undesirable.
Examples of successful risk-taking include transitioning from one demanding profession to an entirely different field, or leaving a high-potential corporate role to pursue independent ventures like speaking, training, and writing. Often, the least safe decisions turn out to be the most rewarding.
4. Let Your Character Shine
Moments of adversity are often when true character is revealed. Witnessing a leader lose their composure, assign blame, or act unprofessionally during tough times leaves a lasting negative impression.
When faced with challenges, maintaining composure and projecting confidence is paramount. Remaining calm and speaking in a controlled tone helps to keep everyone focused on solutions rather than allowing emotions or uninformed assumptions to take over.
5. Prioritize Continuous Learning
A recurring sentiment among executives was a regret for not having committed more consistently to learning throughout their careers. To foster intentional learning, a useful framework can be applied regularly, perhaps at the start of each year or quarter. This framework involves considering three areas:
- Career: Identify what you can learn to advance your professional path. This could involve taking a course to improve presentation skills if public speaking becomes more frequent.
- Cause: Reflect on what you can learn to support a broader purpose or value that is important to you. For instance, if kindness is a core value, learning more about colleagues to offer support aligns with this.
- Curiosity: Explore what you can learn simply to satisfy your innate curiosity, such as taking a class on a fascinating subject like astronomy.
Reference: CNBC