Page 40 - Executive Warfare

EXECUTIVE W ARF ARE

Sure, it may be too late for you to become an astronaut or a ballerina.
But I don’t believe that successful careers are necessarily about following
a childhood dream. What matters is finding a job for which you are well
suited, one that makes you happy. And
that is doable.
WITHOUT LOSING Without losing or compromising
OR COMPROMISING your job, for example, it’s possible to
YOUR JOB, IT’S learn about other areas of your own
POSSIBLE TO organization, make contributions there,
LEARN ABOUT figure out what you like to do, and work
OTHER AREAS OF your way into a position where you’re
YOUR OWN the one with the natural aptitude who
ORGANIZATION AND can play rings around the other musi-
WORK YOUR WAY cians.
INTO A POSITION If your organization is run by a Mr.
WHERE YOU’RE THE Wetzel, and God forbid that someone
ONE WITH THE who joined in percussion should ever
NATURAL APTITUDE play the flute, it’s also possible to move
WHO CAN PLAY to a different kind of organization
RINGS AROUND THE where they really don’t care where you
OTHER MUSICIANS. started as long as you can do something
valuable today.
For example, I entered John Hancock
in communications. I’d worked in public relations and advertising, and I
was using the instrument I’d been handed. But what I really liked was mar-
keting, which is much more sales-, price-, and product-driven. I knew that
John Hancock happened to need good marketers, so I seized the oppor-
tunity to learn a new instrument and trade in the old one. Soon, I was
playing the right instrument in an orchestra that was glad to have me.
Eventually, they made me conductor.
To rise, you too may have to broaden your horizons, and you may have
to look for an employer who will allow you to broaden them. You’ll also

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