Life is too short to be little (Benjamin Disraeli). No fresh entrant or a management trainee should aim anything less than becoming the chief executive officer (CEO) or the managing director of the institution, he or she joins. And in case, you have no such desire, do ask yourself, why not?
Life is too short to be little (Benjamin Disraeli). No fresh entrant or a management trainee should aim anything less than becoming the chief executive officer (CEO) or the managing director of the institution, he or she joins. And in case, you have no such desire, do ask yourself, why not?
Those who do not aim in life tend to also not achieve anything worth the mention. Our lives, given to us, are a trust reposed by HIM, to do acts of goodness and nobility. Having aspirations or being ambitious is not a negative thing. It makes us diligent. Staying in the valley, shall never get you over the hill. Abdication of ambition or desires is the initiation of the process of death. Each individual is the architect of his own fortune. “As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it”, is a proverb, we all learnt and wrote upon, as essay, at school.
Invariably, everybody (especially the fortunate ones) complete the formality of required education by 25 years of age. Any later is not good. This is the time of your life, when you embark to set its future direction. In former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s era there was a minister, who as a student, is said to have had written down on a paper napkin during a coffee break all the milestones he would achieve in his journey down the line and diligently pursued his objectives. He wrote, 1960’s - House of Commons; 1970’s - Secretary in the Cabinet; 1980’s -Chancellor of Exchequer; and 1990’s -10 Downing Street! And, he almost made it to the Prime Minister’s House; but for the Iron Lady, who did nothing to rescue him from the alleged bungled Helicopter purchase deal, from the US.
Not all can have such clarity. But a lesson, it teaches is, that, you can chart at least in broad terms, of how you wish to build your career.
I refer to the age bracket of 25years to 35/40years, as the “Investment Years”. During this period, it is necessary to polish on talent and acquire new skills, focus on development of managerial ability, learn to handle with maturity, challenging business situations and circumstances.
Make sure to measure of how many horizontal and vertical movements, you need to make, in the first fifteen years of your career, to become and be seen as the high-po (high potential employee). The objective should be to zig-zag your way up on the organogram. The purpose must be to grow across various business segments, inclusive of both, the front and back-end offices and this must be adequately mapped against required vertical growth.
In order to do this, firstly assess how many rungs are there on the corporation’s organisational chart. Looking at the chart, space the positions, of where you should be, by say age forty. For reasons, other than life begins at forty, it is imperative that by this age, your path should be set to the extent that at least you begin to see and have greater visibility of the “Numero Uno”, position, on the chart. Depending on the industry you are in, reduce to writing the milestones -visible and non-visible technical skills that you must acquire between the suggested age brackets.
Trouble and challenges bring experience and experience is the Mother of Wisdom. Getting into the age group of 40-50 years, you should have, by then, covered all critical tracks of the organisation’s business. Again to be a part of senior management, you should have honed your skills and managerial proficiency in all its formats and manifestations.
The interaction with the CEO and other senior management members must be part of arriving at the threshold, to move into that select group, called by whatever name i.e. Mancom or Ex-co. Between the age of 45-50 years, you should be part of the short list of hi-pos, who are likely to lead in future the elite club of ‘successors to the CEO’. By this time, having acquired multifunctional experience and having paid much attention to developing a reputation of being a team player, and one, who is open and a bright manager of human resources, you are now on a pedestal, where the prominence is shared, by a few peers.
So, how do you attract the attention of the board of directors? It cannot be merely through achievement of budget numbers. Boards, normally (?) appoint/select CEOs based on his vision, clarity of objectives, team building ability, which is usually (!) backed by multi-disciplinary skill-set, of which the most paramount, is human resource management. Bad Management of human resources is the biggest nail in the head of the CEO’s casket.
Fifty onwards, is a period of realisation of benefits of hard work, dedication and application, invested since you were 25years of age. By this time, you should stand out to be counted for leading the organisation. To become CEO/managing director, by age 50-53 is ideal. It allows you to do at least two terms of 3 years each, bringing you closer to sixty. And some boards, if you are exceptionally well, may allow your leadership to continue into the third term. But, wanting to stay, for a fourth term is like getting to be a parasite … for by this age, the architect begins to self-destruct his own creation ... the quest to redo is pronounced with some. This attitude and path is perilous.
My young readers (professionals) must be wondering, how one can manage a career with such precise actions. Let me assure you, it is possible. The fundamental qualities required are positivity and good-heartedness. He who has an art, has every where a part.
Speaking at a conference, Ralph Cordiner, chairman GE, said, “We need from every man who aspires to leadership-for himself and his company a determination to undertake a program of self-development. Nobody is going to order a manager to develop … a man lags behind or moves ahead in his specialty is a matter of his own personal application. This is something which takes time and sacrifice. Nobody can do it for you.”
In this career journey, attention and a very serious one must reign towards your belief and stand on ethical and moral values.
Always remember that reputation is often won without merit and lost without a crime. No arrogance must come towards you. Humility should be the predominant armour in your personality as a leader of people. Being above feelings of grudge, envy, jealousy, is a prerequisite for a smooth and safe career flight. Your achievements should not be epitaphs of failure on the tombstone of your colleagues’ career. That would be an unkind attitude. The success that will follow will leave you with a ‘destroyed and shattered soul’. And that’s not an achievement.
While pursuing career growth, do not indulge in self-deception that you are the best and contrarily too, do not do a wholesome self-effacement. The middle road is the best. It is best to remember that you are good, can become the best, leading towards corporate success. Let also money and rewards not beguile you to jump ships. You must learn to anchor. The adage ‘a rolling stone gathers no moss’ has a great validity. He who holds the thread holds the ball.
Nobody would hold your hands to guide. You have to do it yourself. Take charge of your life with unflinching elements of faith in yourself and a belief in destiny.
And finally, if you (the reader) are a fortunate adherent of the Islamic faith, then it is imperative to qualify all future actions and planning, with the appellation of “InshAllah” (God-Willing). Hard work and sincerity, when backed by faith in divinity’s plan, are a winning combination to possess for career advancement. Try it.
The writer is a freelance columnist
