If you were talking to a friend and he said he was going rafting down the Amazon – without a guide – I’m guessing you’d tell him he was crazy.
“But” he might argue “It’s just a river. I have run a multi-million dollar company. I can do it.”
The thing is, no matter how successful an executive one may be, it’s still the smart play to have someone in the raft with you who knows how to navigate the choppy waters.
You’d go to a surgeon for surgery. You’d go to a mechanic to fix your car. You go to ExecuNet when you want to connect with people.
True, these are simple analogies, but that’s how I view ExecuNet. We are on the raft with our members, a guide through the challenging waters of careers and leadership.
Let’s keep the comparison to rafting going; there are some career-related points of wisdom to impart. When rafting and when navigating the waters of executive life, it’s important to remember these points:
- Jump in. To achieve something in your personal or professional life, you have to be proactive.
- Be well-equipped. Preparation will save a lot of time and pain later on.
- Take a buddy with you. Someone who knows the course, who you can trust and can advise you when you hit rough water; someone who can pull their own weight and do their part.
- Vision is a must. Your attention should always be downstream. Know where you’re headed in your career and how to get there.
- Discipline is an absolute must. The rapids can be rough. Stay calm and focused to navigate the waters to success
The good leaders know what works, and they know when it’s necessary to takes risks and make things happen. However, they have also learned the importance of vision and to always watch what’s upcoming for danger so they can make adjustments in time. Crashing into rocks is never good – no matter what one is doing!
You’ve got to have the mental toughness to understand you’ll be thrown around a bit during the journey, and that you must have the discipline to stay calm and not expect challenges to quickly pass. A huge value in ExecuNet membership is having access to our career strategists. They work with members to help them determine what they truly want and on a plan to get there. One member, Neil, comes to mind. Neil was well-placed in a major financial organization but thought he needed to look elsewhere in order to take his next career step. After several meeting with one of our strategists, he understood that at his age and position the best move was to stay with his company and work on an internal search strategy. They developed that strategy, and he did indeed earn a significant promotion just recently.
If you’re in job search mode, the buddy in the raft works with you to create a winning portrayal of your career and provide personal marketing materials that are attractive to people within your targeted industry. They help to hone interview skills so you present with enthusiasm and confidence. They know what’s resonating with employers right now, and they will help you develop your go-to stories to effectively illustrate your achievements. You will find a coach can give you perspectives you did not have on the process before the coaching, and they identify your real strengths and value to employers.
The truly wise don’t go it alone. Successful career navigation requires having someone you can trust “in the raft” with you.
Regardless of what type of challenges you’re facing, it’s not always apparent what moves you should make. That’s where a buddy – guide/first mate/advisor/consultant/sounding board, call them what you will – comes in. If you can’t quite put your finger on how to make your next move, or what it should be, we can connect you with someone who can help. We can connect you with the people who can guide you, no matter what type of career, business or leadership challenges you face.
The people in our network are, in essence, your riverboat guides, people who keep you afloat and moving in the right direction.
