Leadership & Management

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Some people go to work while some people build careers. The critical difference is the mindset and approach towards work. While people who work have a task-oriented approach, career-oriented people have a growth promotion focus. The two have a completely different trajectory of growth in the corporate world because of their contribution to work.

There are some significant facets to imbibe when it comes to designing fast-track careers whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur:

Knowledge is Power: Techno-Behavioural expertise in the domain by being better than the best is fundamental to fast-track careers. We live in a world of Personal Mastery. The diversity of experience is the key ingredient. Knowledge with a variety of experiences is a combination that can facilitate innovations and complex problem-solving. Knowledge shall always be respected and shall remain supreme.
Cash is King: The Power of Knowledge must be monetized for the organization’s growth. One must continually contribute to the orbit-shift strategy of the organization. We need creators of wealth while people on the slow track remain consumers of wealth. Creators of wealth shall always rule the roost.
Change is the only constant: We live in a world of perpetual change or VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex & Ambiguous). People who are agile and fast on adaptability are the ones who create a winning career. The ability to flex and trigger new neurons is the key. These professionals continuously create new neural pathways and use the power of the full potential “Default Mode Network” (Whole Brain Activity) effectively. The ability to manage change shall always be an eternal one.
Social Capital: While competence is a great virtue, it is also important to build a productive network of relationships. Social assets are key to the acceleration of careers. An engaged network activates the top of the mind recall whenever the need arises. Also, a self-made professional is a myth. Effective relationships are an active ecosystem that enables growth.
Thought Leadership: One has to craft an unfair advantage for oneself to be a brand within and outside of the organization. Authentic branding is the key to high-velocity growth. This is achieved by flexing the mind to trailblaze in the most demanding situations with validated knowledge and behaviors. Being SocioTechnosavvy- Design Thinking-AI professionals is essential.

So how does one create a fast track career? It cannot be an accidental outcome and needs careful thought. So let us look at how such careers are actioned:

Understand your personality type: Carl Jung came up with a fantastic tool called MBTI. It types people in 16 categories. Check your type and then work on the career that best suits your Type.
Discover your Identity: Your personal Identity defines what is it that you are best at and what is it that you enjoy the most. This identity is a deep-rooted awareness of what you actually are and what you would really want to do in your life. It determines your calling of the heart. This discovery of Ideal-Self is the key to crafting vision-based careers.
Shape enabling beliefs: Perpetual optimism is the key to success. There will always be highs and lows in life. Optimism is what motivates us during turbulence. Optimism is a neural pathway that can be reinforced with practice. The idea is to go after the challenges, and you will naturally become optimistic.
Discover your Passion: Passion is the expression of your Identity. Passion is that one thing we would do for free and yet enjoy doing it. It is an action of a unique contribution that rejuvenates us. Give velocity to your Passion by determining a Career Vision Statement.
Create a Sense of Purpose: It is imperative to convert our Passion & Career Vision into a sense of purpose by shaping it as a unique contribution area in the ecosystem we operate in. This uniqueness provides the edge over others and also helps us develop a learning plan while mobilizing our innate strengths and correlated behaviors.
Be Authentic: Long-term careers are built on the edifice of Natural Principles, Ethics & Integrity. It is easy to shape credibility but once tainted it is challenging to rebuild it. We live in a world of cause and effect, and our virtues and compromises both catch up with us. Authentic Leaders will be the ones in demand in the coming future owing to transparency facilitated by technology.

High-velocity authentic careers never fail to reward. It is an ongoing journey of excellence with authenticity. Ultimately, all long-term careers are an outcome of focus and Personal Mastery. Give it a thought and invest in yourself. After all in the world of Artificial Intelligence and Technology, if one has to sustain, only authentic careers are the ones to go after. The bottom line is; we need to create careers that are in line with our passion and help us evolve as humans. Joy at work is the key essential, and it requires careful planning.