October 10, 2016

Following the Standard

Posted in Emotional Maturity, Personal Image tagged , , , , , , , , at 5:58 pm by Yvonne LaRose

Today I’ll start with a question.

Who in your industry is the leading figure in your area of specialty or your target career area?

Looking at the top

Looking at the top

Now that you have two or three names in mind, I want to ask you another question. Why are they considered a leader? What is it about them that makes them stand out from all others? Maybe it’s because some survey was conducted by an organization and they were the top vote getter. Maybe they have a good publicity agent who is able to keep them in the public eye for their accomplishments in whatever manner.

Just because they’re a noted leader in the industry doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best model. Sometimes it only means they have the most notoriety, know how to get invited to speak at plum industry conferences, is blustery enough to intimidate others so they won’t have the audacity to openly question their theories.

The next thing I want you to think about is the vintage of the list you just created. Are those the names of leaders from 15 or even 20 years ago? Maybe they aren’t really today’s leaders and you haven’t been keeping up with the current movers, shakers, and thought leaders in your industry. Which names are coming up a lot today? What is it they’re doing that’s creating such a stir? Search engine optimization isn’t that astounding. There’s something more to it.

Dissect your role models. Learn more about the what of who they are. Investigate the how of what they do and where they do it. Look at who they know and where they go to be around (also known as “network“, see #8) those people. It isn’t necessary to start emulating their habits and putting yourself into bankruptcy. There are starting points that can help you leverage your abilities, knowledge, and career vitality. Sometimes those starting points are in fraternal organizations that cater to your avocations (causes, hobbies, interests). Their existence is gratifying because they provide reason and purposefulness. The things you volunteer to do have meaning in some way – even if it’s merely staying fit or well read.

So, who are the leaders in your industry? Are they your role models? If so, it’s time to do a personal study of their habits and then adapt those habits to suit you and your purposes. And then carve your path to your destination.

Incidentally, it’s entirely possible that you may change your mind about your destination. That’s okay. But you have some points of light to help you understand whether you want to stand out from the crowd and how to do it. Just make certain you do it in the right way and have the best role models to guide you.

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