10 Strategies To Fast-Track Your Career To The Top

BY CAMI EZENWA

Getting to the top of your career is not a piece of cake especially given the glut of other equally qualified individuals,yet, with these 10 strategies, it is an achievable desirability. Discipline yourself alongside them”

1. Resolve to be the best

Being the best begins with a mindset – you must have the hunger for excellence, to be tops.  That right mindset from outset means nothing else would truly matter except the best. You would need to stick to delivering the greatest value to the company . the resolve is certain to touch almost everything about your work life. It will affect the time you resume at work, close, relate with colleagues and even carry out assigned tasks.

When you do, certainly, you would be noticed. Organisations treasure staff members who have a hunger for excellence especially when these translate to tangibles like more sales, more clients, improved corporate reckoning and more.  Most people who seek to be the best at what they do, complain less about things not working; everything can’t be in place anyway, so they would rather seek to make a difference by maximising the things available e. in other words, one of our 10 strategies to the top is to be fired for the best, notwithstanding hurdles. Check out former First Bank Chairman, Ibukun Awosika, Tony Elumelu of Heirs Foundation or even Muda Yusuf of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) as examples.

• Love what you do

We all desire particular lines of career; if you are lucky to be playing in yoiurs, great, if not, what do you do? Resign? Certainly not. Sometimes, life hjas a way of pointing us to alternative but better things, and finding yourself in a “less loved” job may be it.

If that is what you could lay your hands for now, and it is paying the bills, you may do well to develop a liking for it.  Even if you don’t like it in totality, look for perspectives or aspects of the job that appeals to you, staying power until your desired change comes. Point is, if you do it with devotion, it may propel you to that first love. Loving what you do, ranks in our 10 strategies of career success because it propels an energy on the outside that anybody could see.

•  Be punctual at work

There is a common saying that punctuality is the soul of business. You cannot lead if you have not shown commitment in following others who lead, which partly comes by you being punctual. Part of the 10 strategies is to be punctual at work. ability to follow laid down instructions. A worker who is habitually late would be a negative example to the team, and you do not ask such a man to lead. Imagine if every exec were to be less conscious of time, the rest would soon follow and the firm would be out of business in s short while.

4. Master the company’s aspirations, goals and policies

Every company has a set target what it aspires to achieve. In the short, medium and long temrs. These are usually articulated in the company’s corporate polices, and interpreted down the ladder by heads at the different levels. You can’t lead or aspire to leadership positions if you do not know these policies and rules.

It is also difficult to come reckoning in a place where you have not demonstrated understanding of the driving philosophies.  It is the knowing that enables you to channel your energies appropriately. You might be the best in your line of profession, but it will count for nothing, if you do not understand fully and align with the direction the company is headed.

Begin by sitting down and reading and digesting the set goals and the motivations thereby. Make conscious effort to align yourself and work with those principles.

 5. Be a good team player.

No 5 in your 10 strategies of career success is you being a team player.

It means having a high tolerance level, since you may not ordinarily like the behaviour of some other people in the group.

No matter your level of expertise, just school yourself that you  are just part of a whole, and must learn to relate with the rest of the team for the organisation to achieve its set goals.

Realise also that running at counter purposes is a sure way of asking for a payoff.  You must be  accommodating of others. Do not believe that you must always carry the day in terms of suggestions in how things should be done. That kind of attitude may make others detest you, and no management would hand over the leadership mantle to someone that cannot carry others along. Inability to operate as a team leader may cost you the raise, and in fact, appointment to the leadership position.

6.Be abreast of developments

A leader must be knowledgeable and this comes with learning; have a hunger for latest trends in the field where you play and in fact, allied fields.

What are the current production processes in your field. How do other organisations achieve the result that has been giving them an edge? Aside personal developments via reading, seek to go for refresher courses where available.

Track activities within the industry and seek to adapt to them. Focused companies would normally check personal developments efforts of their employees and use this as yardstick for promotion.

7Dress well

Dressing well is a hallmark of the man who should lead. We are usually reminded that people tend to address you the way you are dressed. If you seek executive positions, then your dressing should show

• Be Bold, speak up

We have made the point that you should remain on the cutting edge of learning in your industry. Ia man cannot be bold who is not knowledgeable.in fact, knowledge is power as the wealth of information available to you, makes you take control when you talk,

Equipped with requisite knowledge, be ready to share these or present right perspectives when there is the need for them.

If you represent a unit, you should be able to stand up for that unit any time the need arises, and not cower by your table.  Boldness is a mark of a true leader and ranks in our 10 strategies that can shot anyone to the top.

• Bid for the office

There is a time of preparation and also the ripe time to show up. Do not be afraid or intimidated in making your self available for any responsibility for which you are qualified. As a matter of fact, if you had observed all other rules above;f if before now, you have pruned yourself enough, then you should rise up and take responsibility by indicating interest in leading.

All the qualities you possess and the evidences of your capability will count for this time.

1. Be optimistic

READ ALSO: Job Offer – Communications Manager Wanted

What happens if I am not chosen? Do you despair. Perhaps you have not been chosen because the time is not yet ripe. Once it is, nothing will stop your ascendancy. Never let down your guards, be consistent being the best, be consistent being punctual, be consistent being knowledgeable and someday, your will be appointed to that leadership position that you deserve.