The habits that help us become successful are the same habits that result in our failure, later in our career.
Ironic, isn’t it?
I recently read “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith, and it highlighted this issue in great detail.
For example, you got promoted and became the CFO of a company.
This was a huge success, and I’m sure that to get here, you must have worked very hard and developed productive habits that helped you attain this title.
But these same habits aren’t helpful anymore.
Here are a few examples:
Maybe in the past,
before becoming the CFO, your competitive spirit and an “I need to win” attitude were the reasons for your achievements.
But now,
this same attitude can hinder collaboration if, during meetings, you override others' ideas to make sure your vision prevails.
Or maybe, in the past,
when someone gave you feedback and challenged your approach to problem-solving, you defended against it.
But now,
this same attitude may come in the way of innovation because as a leader, your viewpoints matter more than ever.
These are just two basic examples, but it’s important to note that even after achieving what you always dreamt of, there is still a lot of scope for improvement.
When you become a leader:
Try being a better listener.
Say thank you and sorry more often.
Actively seek and work on feedback.
You are now responsible for making the culture.
And constantly improving by changing old habits that made us successful, is the only way to foster even greater success.
