Bold Decisions Create Amazing Careers.

I hope it helps you create yours.

From Aspiration to Achievement: Create the Career Success You Deserve

Everyone wants a better career.

A bigger role.
More responsibility.
More influence.
More money.

But here’s the problem.

Most people drift through their careers hoping someone notices them.

Hope isn’t a career strategy.

After spending decades leading organizations and coaching executives, I’ve learned that careers stall for three reasons:

No career plan.
* No differentiation.
* No alignment with what the organization actually needs.

Fix those three things and your career changes dramatically.

Stop Winging It. Build a Career Plan

If you don’t know exactly where you’re going, don’t be surprised when you never get there.

Every successful career begins with a destination.

My approach is simple.

BIG

Define the position you want.

Be specific.

Not “more senior role.”

Not “management someday.”

Exactly what role do you want?

WHO

Identify the “Foxes”.

These are the people who influence decisions, open doors and shape careers.

Know who they are.

Build relationships before you need them.

ONLY

Decide why YOU are the obvious choice.

Not one of many.

The ONLY ONE.

The objective is simple: Become the ONLY person who does what you do in a way that perfectly supports where the organization is headed.

That’s how careers accelerate.

Create Your ONLY Statement

Most professionals describe what they do.

Exceptional professionals explain why only they can do it that way.

That’s your ONLY Statement.

It’s your competitive advantage.

Start here.

First, understand what your organization is trying to accomplish.

What are its strategic priorities?

What keeps senior leadership awake at night?

Now compare those needs with your own strengths.

Where do they intersect?

If there’s a gap…

Go build the skills.

Here’s mine.

“Roy is the ONLY coach and advisor who uses The ONLY Statement as a practical, proven tool to help organizations and individuals create a competitive advantage.”

Simple.

Specific.

Clear.

Your ONLY Statement should clearly explain why choosing YOU is the obvious decision.

Setbacks Don’t Define You

Every career includes disappointment.

Mine certainly did.

During one corporate merger, I was passed over for a leadership position I expected to get.

I had two choices.

Feel sorry for myself.

Or get back to work.

I chose the second.

I focused on helping the organization succeed.

I refused to take the decision personally.

And I kept delivering results.

Twelve months later, I was asked to become President of our early-stage Internet business.

We eventually grew it into a business generating $1 BILLION in annual sales.

Career setbacks are temporary.

Unless you decide they aren’t.

Three Career Moves That Actually Matter

Forget the generic career advice.

Focus on these three things.

1. Develop Line of Sight

Understand your organization’s strategy.

Know exactly where it’s going.

Then position yourself to help get it there.

2. Build Your ONLY Statement

Become known for something no one else can honestly claim.

Different wins.

Same loses.

3. Execute Relentlessly

Ideas don’t earn promotions.

Results do.

The professionals who consistently execute are the ones organizations can’t afford to lose.

Final Thought

Your career doesn’t belong to your boss.

It doesn’t belong to HR.

And it certainly doesn’t belong to luck.

It belongs to YOU.

Build a plan.

Develop your ONLY Statement.

Align yourself with what matters most to your organization.

Then execute better than anyone else.

Because careers aren’t built by aspiration.

They’re built by audacious moves.

And the biggest move you’ll ever make is deciding to become The ONLY One.

Related The Bear Pit: The Leadership Exercise Most CEOs Are Afraid to Try