So you want to be a leader! Your leadership career is a journey, and just like any journey, it requires a driver. The question is, who is driving your leadership career? Is it you, or are you letting external forces take the wheel? Taking control of your career is essential for your personal and professional growth. In this article, I will explore the importance of you taking control and offer some insights from my 45 years in the world of work that may help you steer your career in the right direction.
The Passenger vs. The Driver
Imagine your career as a car. Imagine you have just purchased your dream vehicle, the perfect size the perfect color, everything you have ever wanted, then you hand the keys to a stranger and get comfortable in the driving seat! Bizarre right? Yet the majority of people do just this when considering their leadership journey. When you’re the passenger, you’re simply along for the ride. You might have some input on the destination, but you have no control over the route, speed, or stops along the way. In this scenario, your career is at the mercy of others—your boss, colleagues, or the job market. You’re abdicating your potential into the hands of others, others that do not care as much as you do about your destination or success.
You deserve to be the driver of your career, to be in command. You decide where you want to go, how fast you want to get there, and the route you’ll take. Being the driver means taking responsibility for your career choices, setting goals, and making decisions that align with your aspirations. It’s a proactive and empowering approach that can lead to greater satisfaction and success, and what’s more is its fun!
Why You Should Be the Driver
Here are a few reasons why you need to settle into the driver’s seat.
1. Personal Fulfillment: Taking the driver’s seat allows you to pursue work that aligns with your passions and values. Make your own career choices on your own timeline.
2. Professional Growth: Being proactive in your career can lead to opportunities for growth and advancement. You can seek out new challenges, acquire new skills, and position yourself for the promotions or career changes that you want.
3. Adaptability: In today’s fast-paced world, careers are constantly evolving. When you’re the driver, you can adapt to changes in your industry, embrace new technologies, and stay ahead of the curve. You can even switch cars and destinations.
4. Financial Independence: Taking control of your career can lead to better financial outcomes. You can negotiate for higher salaries, seek out more lucrative opportunities, and plan for your financial future with confidence.
How to Be the Driver of Your Leadership Career
To become the driver, you need to make choices and do some things differently.
1. Set Clear Goals: Define your career objectives. Where do you want to be in one year, five years, or ten years? Having clear goals gives you a roadmap to follow. This is the what and when for your journey.
2. Continuous Learning: Invest in your skills and knowledge. Take courses, attend workshops, and stay informed about industry trends. The more you learn, the more valuable you become. This is the how of your journey.
3. Networking: Build a strong professional network. Connect with colleagues, mentors, and industry peers. Networking can open doors to new opportunities and provide valuable guidance.
4. Self-Advocacy: Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. Ask for promotions, raises, or challenging assignments when you believe you’ve earned them. Speak up about your career aspirations. This is really getting into the driving seat.
5. Embrace Change: Be open to change and innovation. Don’t get stuck in the slow lane. Be willing to pivot when necessary to stay ahead of the other drivers in your field.
6. Work-Life Balance: Remember that being the driver of your career doesn’t mean working yourself into burnout. Maintain a healthy work-life balance to ensure long-term success and well-being. It’s ok to stop the car now and then and take in the view.
Conclusion – Leadership Career
Your career is a journey, and it’s up to you to decide who is driving the car. By taking control and becoming the driver of your career, you empower yourself to make choices that lead to personal fulfillment, professional growth, and financial independence. Don’t leave your career to chance or the whims of others. Set clear goals, invest in yourself, and be proactive in pursuing the career you desire. Remember, your career is in your hands, so take the wheel and steer it in the direction of your dreams.
Book Review – A Practical Guide to Creating Operational Excellence and High-Performance Teams
In this latest book from ‘The Project7 Consultancy,’ Dr Kenneson-Adams provides the simplified OpEx tools and practical experience to give the reader all they need to begin to implement a robust lean manufacturing stratergy with high-performance teams and authentic transformational leadership.
Kenneson-Adams uses his 40 years’ experience in implementing high-performance teams to provide a well sign-posted journey to Operational Excellence, whilst making sure the reader knows how to sustain the changes as part of an integrated ‘People + Process = Performance’ continuous-improvement journey.
Its balanced analysis, practical insights and accessible writing style make this an invaluable addition to the library of any professional engaged in the field of operational excellence and continuous improvement.
If you are not sure how to begin your journey to operational excellence or need a mentor through design and implementation? This no-nonsense volume will be the teacher and coach that you need.
Dr. Anthony Kenneson-Adams had a 30-year career in the Royal Air Force, becoming a Senior Engineering Officer, Project Manager and Engineering Authority responsible for multiple fast jets and large-body aircraft in peace and war operations. On retiring from the Royal Air Force, he became a Corporate Operational Excellence Consultant in the Paper Manufacturing and Packaging Industries and is now the Head of Learning and Knowledge Transfer for the international Project 7 Consultancy. You can contact Anthony at www.project7consultancy.com or [email protected]
About 80 percent of maintenance mistakes involve human factors (HF), according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The maintenance world has unique HF issues that are more severe and longer lasting than elsewhere in aviation. Operators are looking at various techniques to combat HF challenges.
About 80 percent of maintenance mistakes involve human factors (HF), according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The maintenance world has unique HF issues that are more severe and longer lasting than elsewhere in aviation. Operators are looking at various techniques to combat HF challenges.
Many managers are unaware that best-in-class companies routinely design-out maintenance at the inception of a project. That, clearly, is the first key to highest equipment reliability and plant profitability. Whenever maintenance events occur as time goes on, the real industry leaders see every one of these events as an opportunity to upgrade. Indeed, upgrading is the second key, and upgrading is the job of highly trained, well-organized, knowledgeable reliability professionals.
Many managers are unaware that best-in-class companies routinely design-out maintenance at the inception of a project. That, clearly, is the first key to highest equipment reliability and plant profitability. Whenever maintenance events occur as time goes on, the real industry leaders see every one of these events as an opportunity to upgrade. Indeed, upgrading is the second key, and upgrading is the job of highly trained, well-organized, knowledgeable reliability professionals.
It’s not uncommon to see maintenance departments accept goals, concepts and projects just because we are told to or because it seems to be the norm for the company. We don’t always question the validity or logic when someone influential suggests a path forward. Plant maintenance professionals should know reliability best. When making reliability decisions, maintenance needs to speak up and not accept inefficient or incorrect decisions.
It’s not uncommon to see maintenance departments accept goals, concepts and projects just because we are told to or because it seems to be the norm for the company. We don’t always question the validity or logic when someone influential suggests a path forward. Plant maintenance professionals should know reliability best. When making reliability decisions, maintenance needs to speak up and not accept inefficient or incorrect decisions.
It never ceases to amaze me that no matter what industry you are in or how big or small of a company you work for, success is dependent on the ability to find, attract, hire, manage, develop and retain the right people. I continue to see companies disproportionately dedicate more focus and investment into non-people issues such as technology or equipment than focusing on getting “the right people on the bus.” I haven’t quite figured out why, but I believe it could boil down to one of three reasons:
It never ceases to amaze me that no matter what industry you are in or how big or small of a company you work for, success is dependent on the ability to find, attract, hire, manage, develop and retain the right people. I continue to see companies disproportionately dedicate more focus and investment into non-people issues such as technology or equipment than focusing on getting “the right people on the bus.” I haven’t quite figured out why, but I believe it could boil down to one of three reasons:
There are numerous issues influencing our economic engine-many real, many politic, and many mysterious. We could discuss capital formation problems, balance of trade politics, over-wary management, and so on. However, I want to focus on the part that professional development plays in this scenario. And more importantly-the role that professional development will play in the future performance of our economic engine.
There are numerous issues influencing our economic engine-many real, many politic, and many mysterious. We could discuss capital formation problems, balance of trade politics, over-wary management, and so on. However, I want to focus on the part that professional development plays in this scenario. And more importantly-the role that professional development will play in the future performance of our economic engine.
Baby Boomers are going to retire soon. There won’t be enough skilled labor to fill all the jobs. Employers aren’t prepared to handle the labor shortage. It goes on and on. So, is this workforce shortage thing for real? Well, YES! The numbers don’t lie. By 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates there will be 165 million jobs and only 162 million people available in the workforce.
Baby Boomers are going to retire soon. There won’t be enough skilled labor to fill all the jobs. Employers aren’t prepared to handle the labor shortage. It goes on and on. So, is this workforce shortage thing for real? Well, YES! The numbers don’t lie. By 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates there will be 165 million jobs and only 162 million people available in the workforce.
“Maintenance is a thankless job”, this is repeated by us every time and also sometimes, use it as a tool to be with the maintenance person. Many a times it's true. We don’t appreciate their efforts as we cannot get their direct results like the sales showing their numbers, production showing their targets achieved and crossed. The maintenance data is also recorded, tracked, presented and analysed, but it is viewed and understood only whenever the production or sales targets are missed due to some failure of the machine. In other words, we try to understand the maintenance data with negative approach and to understand its impact on the business loss.
“Maintenance is a thankless job”, this is repeated by us every time and also sometimes, use it as a tool to be with the maintenance person. Many a times it's true. We don’t appreciate their efforts as we cannot get their direct results like the sales showing their numbers, production showing their targets achieved and crossed. The maintenance data is also recorded, tracked, presented and analysed, but it is viewed and understood only whenever the production or sales targets are missed due to some failure of the machine. In other words, we try to understand the maintenance data with negative approach and to understand its impact on the business loss.
Whether your company is large or small, whether you're hiring an entry-level employee or a top executive, any one of the following mistakes can result in a hiring disaster for your organization. Recent Kennedy Information audio conference speaker Lori Davila and her co-author Louise Kursmark offer 10 key points for reviewing your organization's hiring procedures and making adjustments where needed.
Whether your company is large or small, whether you're hiring an entry-level employee or a top executive, any one of the following mistakes can result in a hiring disaster for your organization. Recent Kennedy Information audio conference speaker Lori Davila and her co-author Louise Kursmark offer 10 key points for reviewing your organization's hiring procedures and making adjustments where needed.
You can develop, document, and preach your improvement plans as much as you want, but if those plans do not result in better front line maintenance performance, you have just wasted money and time. Maintenance managers cannot produce expected results without the help of others, especially the frontline. Those organizations that have experimented with autonomous teams lacking front line leadership often fail to deliver sustainable results. If you believe this statement is wrong, I am very interested in hearing back from you.
You can develop, document, and preach your improvement plans as much as you want, but if those plans do not result in better front line maintenance performance, you have just wasted money and time. Maintenance managers cannot produce expected results without the help of others, especially the frontline. Those organizations that have experimented with autonomous teams lacking front line leadership often fail to deliver sustainable results. If you believe this statement is wrong, I am very interested in hearing back from you.
The "Program of the Month" phenomena. I feel that there is somewhat of a misunderstanding of this issue. Mindsets such as these are often attributed to the fact that management are not fully behind the concept, or a coping mechanism for a workforce that has reached a saturation point in terms of the continual changes that they need to endure. While there is, of course, some validity in these arguments the prime reason, the reason that proven programs fail is generally due to the lack of adequate communication.
The "Program of the Month" phenomena. I feel that there is somewhat of a misunderstanding of this issue. Mindsets such as these are often attributed to the fact that management are not fully behind the concept, or a coping mechanism for a workforce that has reached a saturation point in terms of the continual changes that they need to endure. While there is, of course, some validity in these arguments the prime reason, the reason that proven programs fail is generally due to the lack of adequate communication.
