Six Career Tips for Future Leaders

The latest research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes the average worker stays at each of his or her jobs for nearly four and a half years. For millennials, also known as the “future leaders” within the IT channel, that average drops below three years and is trending down, not up. This statistic was alarming at first ... and then I took a moment to reflect on my own career.

I’ve worked for the same company for more than 22 years (which according to the bureau is almost unheard of these days) and throughout my career with Ingram Micro, I’ve held more than half a dozen different jobs—some of which have lasted only 9 months. I know many other leaders and channel chiefs in our industry who share a similar career history. We didn’t jump companies, but we did change course to diversify our experience and advance our careers.

My point is this: the statistics don’t mean crap. I encourage young executives to move around the building or the industry for that matter—try new roles, take calculated risks, open your own company, but always do so with purpose and professionalism. Be flexible and stay focused.

A few other tips I’ve gathered along the way and often share with those I mentor:  

1. Know Your Environment (Not Just Your Job). One of your first priorities starting a new job should be finding out your boss’ goals and the company’s primary goals. Get to know the stakeholders in the company who make decisions and develop a voice among them. In doing so, you’ll create a network that will allow you to take advantage of opportunities to get to know others in your ecosystem. Seeing the bigger picture will help you overachieve in your current role and will help you better align yourself for success. When these bigger picture items don’t match up with your long-term goals, you can more quickly determine whether the job and/or company is still a fit for you. If it’s not, and you determine that it’s time to move on, the network you established at your current job will go a long way in serving as a reference—and possibly a warm introduction—to your next employer. 
   

2. Set Expectations Early On. Set challenges and goals for yourself and come up with a plan and timeline to achieve those goals. Be ambitious and relentless. Don’t settle. If an opportunity isn’t there, create it. If that’s not going to happen, find a new one. I’ve been able to recreate my career a number of times within Ingram Micro by recognizing an opportunity, ignoring the negative voices (internal and external) that say you’re too young or too inexperienced to do this or that, and taking a shot at the title. 
   

3. Take Risks. Embrace the fact we’re living in a time of change and don’t allow yourself to get too comfortable or stagnant in the same role for more than two years. You may need to change roles within your organization or you may need to move to another company to get the added experience and skills you need for career development. 
   

4. Schedule Personal Quarterly Reviews. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily flow of work and slowly begin to neglect your long term goals. Schedule a library day at least once per quarter where you can spend several uninterrupted hours reviewing all your goals—career, social, spiritual and physical goals. Ask yourself: What areas have you  neglected? What things have you been afraid to follow through on? No matter how busy you get, you need to take this time. 
   

5. Seek Out a Mentor. Take time to find somebody or multiple people who can help you grow in your career. Many successful people naturally enjoy helping others become successful, especially if they see you’re a hard worker who’s going to do something with their advice. If, on the other hand, you just go out for coffee and don’t do anything with your mentor’s wisdom, you’re robbing their time. Treasure their wisdom and vow to share the knowledge you gain with someone else who can use it. 
   

6. Learn the Art of Bragging. Not to be confused with the person who lives to impress on Facebook, the art of self-promotion entails highlighting one’s best qualities and mixing in an appropriate amount of learning through failure so you can develop a good rapport with your audience. For more help on culling this invaluable skill, I recommend reading “Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It” by Peggy Klaus.

Whether you stay with the same company for several years or several months, take charge of your career and avoid flying under the radar or settling for the status quo. Being proactive and engaging does require a little more effort in the beginning, but after you start to build a little momentum you’ll soon discover that having the vision, passion and courage to become all you’re meant to be in life is much more rewarding than merely working for a paycheck and playing it safe.

Last piece of advice:  Take the “20 seconds of insane courage” principle to heart and I promise you something great will come of it.