Personal Success Syndrome

In Fall 2015, I had the opportunity to participate in Dr. White’s organizational behavior class at Harvard extension. As part of the curriculum, we read her book "The Superstar Roadmap." It lays out simple and systematic approach to developing your success roadmap...simple refreshing thoughts.   

Know Yourself: Becoming a superstar is not about changing who you are. It is about changing what you do. Self-evaluation is critical and it helps to understand you strengths, weaknesses, and personal liking. Planning what you want to be in the future starts with knowing who you are today. A self-inventory of mini strengths and weaknesses will help to plan and succeed in meeting future goals. Success comes to those who know themselves: their strengths, their values, and how they best perform. 

Know where you are going and how to get there: A mission that your

heart believes will always be your driver. Consistently evaluate your progress and make adjustments to the changing scenario. Break long-term target into small goals to measure the success. Someone said correctly, little drops of water make the mighty ocean. Having a plan is the key. This is all about thinking through the plan to get to your goal(s). Most of the time the plan will evolve due to a constantly changing world. Always keep the alternatives in mind. Leverage your expertise with mini strengths to build a successful track record. Few useful tips - Build Your Alliances, Get Noticed, Motivate Others by Fulfilling important deeper inner needs like Love, belonging, and Self-Esteem, and Be Visible.

Know how to create your personal success syndrome: By providing a success trail for the organization, you create a unique position. Setting personal goals will allow you to influence the direction of change in my favor. Continuously build the path for my success through influence. 

Know how to get and give help: At the end of the day, it is about teamwork. Work with others to create a shared vision aligned with organizational priorities and individual goals to win. Help your peers with their goal and have them come out as champion. It will help to create a circle of trust and loyalty.

Someone said nicely, if you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, be a team. Your Smile is your “Logo”, your Personality is your “Business Card”, and Impressions you leave on others after meeting them becomes your “Trademark”. 

Know how to use the power of your emotions: Use the power of pause in every conversation. It gives you a quick moment to gather your thinking but, more importantly, it brings authenticity to the other person. Building trust and common belief are two key components for the success of any team. 

Know how to manage your performance: At the end of the day, results matter. It is critical to understand the needs of the business, customers, and key influencers. Set realistic expectations and lay out the plan for delivering solutions, products, or services. Finding ways to deliver quick wins is critical. Often low hanging fruits are more impactful and help to create a first positive impression.

Prioritization and laser focus on achieving the result are very important. Continuous evaluation and rallying time and resources for important initiatives helps to drive best possible performances. As a leader, it is important to believe in the mission and with proper planning expect to win. Leader’s beliefs impact team's ability to perform the best. 

Know how to manage risk and adversity: Two things are very important to stand out in the group. First, in my mind, take every challenge as an opportunity to make a difference. Develop the confidence and consistent track record of delivering success on time. Secondly, taking the risk with creativity. Often take calculated risks to try new creative solutions. Feel the fear and do it anyway.      

Know how to have fun: Life is a journey, not a destination. So enjoy every small moment in the journey. Think of this as a sand clock. Sand on the top is the future. That we are always worried and keep planning for certain achievements. We always plan for those targeted celebratory moments in future. The sand at the bottom is our past. We spend more than needed time thinking about the missed moments with regret and anger. The small funnel in between is our present. 

It is important to have fun along the way. Keeping the journey fun filled makes it more exciting and builds energy. A happy mind is more creative and always reduces stress. Become a glass half full person, rather than glass half empty mindset.

Communicate and clarify the mission and values of the organization. At the end, it is all about Clarity, Focus, and Execution.