Who do you work with?
I work with intelligent, hard-working people in intellectually challenging professions who are set apart by the way that they think. They may be artists, software developers, attorneys, educators, or consultants -- either working in thinking professions or wanting to. They may work in North America or South Africa, Australia or India, the UK or the EU. No matter what they are doing, they all share the fact that they are high potentials for whom the usual career advice leads to failure.Are some of these statements true for you?
“I want to leave my job and start a new business of my own. Is this a good time to do that?”“I like what I do but my boss is always micromanaging me. What can I do to get my boss off my back so I can get my work done?”
“I change jobs frequently because they always love me at first but after 6-12 months things sour. I start getting “be a team player” talks from my boss all the time. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to change the perception that I’m a problem even though my actual job performance is great.”
“I guess I have accomplished some big things but why couldn’t anyone have done that? I’m just someone who could see things more clearly.“
“I don’t know what I want to do but I know that I can’t stay here. I just feel like I need to move on, do something more, something different.”
Who Succeeds with the Secret Rules
You have accomplished things that are great but that you might sometimes think as something anyone could have done. That may be winning awards, getting a PhD at a prestigious university, knowing a world leader on a first name basis, or being able to call the leaders of your field.You see crises as challenges and love to step up because it’s just not scary. When everyone else is running around like headless chickens, you keep your cool because you can see how it might resolve.
You thrill to the creative act in your work – whether that’s crafting the perfect hack, breaking into that new client that everyone said was impossible, changing local politics, or achieving that new expression in metal sculpture – even if your current job doesn’t value it.
You love to think and to use your mind in new ways. You see things differently and love learning.
You followed the advice of the career books, counselors and therapists and it hasn’t worked. If you find that the common career books give you advice that works for you, you are better served working with them. But if you tried them and found them wanting, the Secret Rules will give you power to change your career.
You are ready to leave failure behind. If you are still waiting for where you are to work out, I’m not going to be of much use to you. But if you are ready to move into the sometimes frightening and always exciting opportunities that fit you best, I’d like to give you the tools to get there.
