| During the past decade, I've talked to scores of | | | | on people. Of course the bottom line is important, |
| executives and managers about their careers. A | | | | but not at the expense of people. Spend at least half |
| recurring theme for both high-performing and | | | | your time cultivating relationships outside of work. |
| high-potential professionals has been how to find the | | | | - Stop being in love with the sound of your own |
| keys to a successful career amid the pitfalls and | | | | voice. Develop the discipline to listen 80% of the |
| promises corporate politics provide. Here are some | | | | time and talk 20%. |
| insights to help shape, advance and revitalize the | | | | - Never be unemployed, not even for a day. If you |
| careers of executives and managers. | | | | get fired, or laid off, volunteer immediately |
| - Take responsibility for managing your career. Don't | | | | somewhere for something that puts your skills, |
| wait until you're fired, laid off, burned out or fed up | | | | knowledge and abilities to work. The longer you are |
| to revitalize your career. Reinvent your career on an | | | | not meaningfully engaged, whether you are |
| ongoing basis; | | | | compensated or not, the more this will drain your |
| - Treat every encounter and conversation with | | | | energy and confidence. |
| people as an interview. Everyone you talk to judges | | | | - Don't suffer an abusive boss. If you can't get the |
| or evaluates your worth. Make that conversation | | | | respect you deserve, leave faster than a speeding |
| worth something by focusing on the other person | | | | bullet. |
| and not yourself. And you never know where the | | | | - Underpromise and overdeliver. The |
| next great opportunity can come from. | | | | celebrity-professional athlete hype and heroic CEO |
| - Focus on your strengths. Do what you are best at | | | | promises of overachievement have captured the |
| and what you have a passion for. Don't focus on | | | | public's fancy, but artificially so, when the performers |
| your weaknesses, you'll just make them mediocre. | | | | can't deliver. |
| - Extreme workaholics overproduce and overachieve | | | | - Find mentors. Hire a coach, seek out a trusted |
| at a cost. Typically, they burn out and never regain | | | | advisor, preferably outside your family and work. |
| their previous success levels, and often pay a | | | | While there are no magic formulas to guarantee your |
| personal price for their behavior. | | | | career success, it requires sustained effort, street |
| - Balance your focus on business results with a focus | | | | smarts and insightful strategies. |