Common Sense Ideas for Becoming the Career Star You Are Meant to Be

Greetings from Nagoya Japan!

I know that I said I was taking a week off due to my heavy consulting and speaking schedule this week while I am in Japan.  But, it’s Sunday morning here, and I just read the Fortune article Top 10 Companies for Leaders.  Leadership development is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, so here are my thoughts on leaders and leadership.

In my book 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations, I suggest that successful companies and the people who lead them have four things in common.

1. Successful companies and the people who lead them develop and clearly communicate a clarity of purpose and direction for the business.
2. Successful companies and the people who lead them develop and engaged and committed workforce.
3. Successful companies and the people who lead them skillfully execute the things that matter.
4. Successful companies and the people who lead them develop and nurture long term, mutually beneficial relationships with important outside constituencies.

I use this model – as a diagnostic tool and to develop appropriate interventions -- in my consulting work.  You can find a model of the diagnostic tool I use by logging on to www.BudBilanich.com.  Click on “What I do.”  Then click on “Management Consultant.”  Scroll down until you see the four color High Performance model.  Immediately under the model you will find my “Organizational Effectiveness Snapshot.”  These are the questions I ask to determine how well a company is doing, and where it needs to improve.

You can learn more about my thinking on my clarity, commitment, execution, relationships model by going to www.CommonSenseGuy and downloading the electronic copy of 4 Secrets.

The Fortune article focused on how well companies develop leaders.  I have a forthcoming book, Straight Talk for Success that describes the five areas in which I think all people, especially leaders, must be proficient if they are going to succeed. I developed the ideas for Straight Talk on this blog.  My ebook Star Power: Common Sense Ideas for Career and Life Success, is a first draft of Straight Talk.  You can download an electronic copy of Star Power by clicking on the picture of its cover at the top right of this post.

In Straight Talk, I argue that all successful people, leaders included, are skilled in five areas.

1. They are self confident.
2. They make a positive personal impact.
3. They are outstanding performers.
4. They have good communication skills.
5. They are interpersonally competent.

Self confident people and leaders have at least three things in common:

1. Self confident people and leaders are optimistic.
2. Self confident people and leaders face their fears and deal with them.
3. Self confident people and leaders surround themselves with positive people.

People and leaders with positive personal impact have at least three things in common:

1. People and leaders with powerful personal impact develop and constantly promote their personal brand.
2. People and leaders with powerful personal impact are impeccable in their presentation of self.
3. People and leaders with powerful personal impact know and practice the basic rules of etiquette.

Leaders who are outstanding performers have at least three things in common:

1. Leaders who are outstanding performers are technically competent.  They are lifelong learners.
2. Leaders who are outstanding performers set and achieve goals.
3. Leaders who are outstanding performers are organized.  They manage their time, stress and lifestyle well.

People and leaders with good communication skills have at least three things in common:

1. Leaders who are good communicators are excellent conversationalists.
2. Leaders who are good communicators write in a clear, concise easily readable manner.
3. Leaders who are good communicators are excellent presenters – to groups of two or 100.

Interpersonally competent people and leaders have at least three things in common:

1. Interpersonally competent people and leaders are self aware.  They understand themselves and their impact on others.  They use their self awareness to increase their understanding of others.
2. Interpersonally competent people and leaders build solid, long lasting mutually beneficial relationships with the people in their lives.
3. Interpersonally competent people and leaders are able to resolve conflicts with a minimal amount of problems and upset to relationships.

These are my thoughts on what makes for career, life and leadership success.  The ideas I presented at the beginning of this post are my thoughts on the four areas on which successful leaders focus.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  I’ll be posting again after I return to the US on October 8.

Have a good week. 

Bud