If you think your company keeps you from advancing appropriately, you’re not alone. But even if your organization’s leadership isn’t clear or doesn’t play fair, the responsibility for rising is yours. For example, at a particular company many managers often complained about the reasons their company hadn’t encouraged their promotion to leadership positions.
To read the rest of this article from the Business Journal of Jacksonville, see: To move up, be willing to take risks, responsibilities http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2005/12/26/smallb2.html
But all their explanations revolved around their fear and hesitancy. They blamed eternal circumstances, they were waiting for someone else to make their paths simple and easy, and they took no individual responsibility.
But external conditions are not the problem. Conditions may be difficult or easy, but the problem is always in the individual.
One of the managers, Dave, had an epiphany: He was the problem. His boss had said the same thing during their mentoring sessions. His boss had said that Dave had passed the first test – he was competent and the boss could trust his numbers.
Next, his boss wanted to know if Dave had enough ambition and courage to take the initiative for his next steps; to speak up professionally at meetings, to risk being corrected and to learn in public.
There was no clear and specific list of stepping-stones for promotion, like there was when Dave was learning technical skills and was told exactly what would be on each test and how the test would be given.
This was the real world. Tests were frequent and came without warning. People didn’t play fair and there were winners and losers.
Also, Dave would have to deal with the way things are, not how he wants them to be. For example, if Dave had hurt feelings in a hostile interaction with his boss, Dave would have to rebuild the bridge between them. His boss wouldn’t approach him to make Dave feel better.
His boss could help him, but the ultimate responsibility for success would lie with Dave. Was he willing to struggle and learn to play the game?
The fact is that path to advancement is never risk-free. You will get your wrists slapped in public. But if you never take those risks, you won’t advance.
As Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” In order to advance, Dave would have to impose his ambition and will on himself in order to overcome his fear and hesitancy.
What happened to Dave? You may be expecting me to say that Dave’s real name is Sam Walton or Bill Gates.
No, Dave is simply Dave. But he succeeded in his first steps. He’s ambitious: he got help and took the responsibility and risk, and he has been promoted.
Often, people need coaching to help them overcome their hesitancy and self-bullying, and to build the strength, courage, determination and skill needed to take the right risks in a way that increases their chances of success. To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.