CEOs are entrusted to drive strategy, grow the business, constantly scan the environment, restructure whenever necessary and position the business for success, among others.
Similarly, as the CEO of your career, it is your responsibility to take care of your professional growth, position yourself for success and evaluate your network and those around you from time to time. To observe tangible results, make it a priority to hold at least two strategic review sessions per annum with yourself without fail (self-retreat). Most young professionals have clear personal and career goals but little experience in achieving them.
It takes confidence
It takes confidence and courage to take control of your destiny. I grew up as a very shy girl who hardly partook in school activities, such as drama plays, debating class or playing netball. Knowing how to play netball back then was a big deal, and to be mocked over something that is regarded as “cool” can affect your self-confidence.
Learning from my school experience where I excluded myself from activities I could learn from, I came to realise that when we do not overcome our fears, we shortchange ourselves and end up living lives that are far below God’s purpose for us. Limiting beliefs make you exclude yourself from opportunities you think you do not deserve. Therefore, growing up, I started working on this limitation by reading books about confidence and self-esteem, as well as taking regular online quizzes aimed at helping me know myself better – but most importantly, I surrounded myself with people who served as my mentors.
Self-awareness
Growth starts with knowing yourself. There is a lot to gain from consciously investing in understanding who you are at an early age. Self-awareness is a journey that requires effort and willingness to grow from the inside out. Step out of your comfort zone by intentionally reading books, listening to blogs, taking quizzes online and even consulting a therapist if necessary.
Good self-awareness increases your emotional intelligence. It is believed that many leadership problems and dysfunctional relationships stem from low self-awareness. Neglecting this dimension makes it difficult to perform honest self-evaluations and positively receive feedback from others as you climb higher up in your career or sphere of influence.
Positioning yourself for success
Good CEOs ensure that their companies’ identities are known through corporate videos, company profiles and other tools aimed to position such companies for success. As CEO of your career, do you have an elevator pitch that you can use today if you run into your future employer or investor at a coffee shop? Do you have an updated CV and executive profile that accurately reflect your value? Good self-awareness helps you recognise your value and potential and gives you a natural inclination to position yourself as an asset.
Personal re-engineering
Great CEOs go to great lengths to ensure that their companies meet the ever-changing demands of their stakeholders. By so doing, they guard against providing yesterday’s answers to today’s problems. Being the CEO of your career involves investing ahead into your future by being diligent about ongoing education, constant environmental scanning, and skill building. Countries like Japan are believed to have already advanced some 20 years into the future.
Just as business re-engineering may result in organisational restructuring to get rid of redundancy, for example, personal re-engineering will show you which aspects of your life need restructuring. Evaluate your relationships and network from time to time to identify those who are adding to your personal and career growth, as well as those to whose lives you can add value. Being with like-minded people helps you meet your career through the exchange of share solutions and ideas.
No matter the circumstance, always remember that you are the CEO of your career!
*Ipupa Fadeyi is a personal and career growth mentor and founder of IpupaK Grow You Mentorship.