May 04 High Potential Careers: Cast your net beyond the comfort zone for a faster promotion
Here’s the misunderstood truth about landing a secure and comfortable promotion. To get there you have to be willing to risk the sensation of insecurity and commit yourself to discomfort. The nature of career development and leadership growth is change – and that’s the opposite of security and familiarity. Embrace that process or you’ll remain stuck, no matter how much potential you may have.
To make it through the HR pipeline and to the top of the succession planning list you have to engage in deliberate leadership development preparation. You will never arrive at the coveted destination by the straightest path unless you first prepare for the journey. Every day in my consulting practice and when leading leadership development workshops I speak with those who want to be on the high potential list but they have set their career expectations too low. They don’t think they are good enough to deserve promotion and that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Do you recall your first driving lesson? I was way out of my comfort zone and totally insecure. But without pushing through that fear I’d still be on the side of the road. What about the first time a driving teacher told you to steer into the fast lane on the freeway and gun it to pass someone? If you want the kind of greater career acceleration that overtakes the competition you have to take your foot off the brake and stomp on the gas pedal.
Tips for Getting Greater Career Acceleration
- Believe in and trust yourself. Get coaching or mentoring to improve your marketable skill sets and give you a boost in self esteem and professional credibility.
- Eliminate mental barriers to an empowered self-image to unleash dynamic confidence.
- Accept a lateral position to expand the dimensions of your experience and familiarity with other aspects of your organization.
- Grow your professional offline and online networks in new directions to make fresh career connections.
- Reapply for that higher level position and proceed fearlessly with renewed determination.
What confidence issues do you face, and what support or help can you get to overcome those once and for all?
What three ideas from that list of tips can you put into practice now to be more proactive about your leadership development and next promotion?
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Sarah Hathorn is a leadership development mentor, executive presence coach, image and branding consultant, public speaker & author. She is the founding CEO of her own successful company, Illustra Consulting, and the creator of the proprietary Predictable Promotion System™.
Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraconsulting.com
Copyright © 2011, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
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Sarah Hathorn, CEO of Hathorn Consulting Group, is the go-to-expert in working with leaders and companies to create successful corporate DNA. As an executive coach, consultant and speaker she collaborates globally with clients and brands such as Deloitte, McKesson, Kimberly-Clark, Sherwin-Williams, Home Depot and other leading organizations.
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