Editor’s note: This article was first published in May 2015. Jack Welch is written about in the present tense; he died in March 2020.
Jack Welch, named the best executive of the 20th century and the author of one of the eight books Warren Buffett thinks everyone should read, offers some advice for success at work this time, to help us think more clearly about our careers.
See also: 10 wise business and leadership lessons from Jack Welch
How many people do you know who are truly happy in their jobs? Are you one of them? Welch has seen more than a third of professionals feel trapped in their careers or stuck doing something they don’t enjoy.
And the truth is that life is short. On top of that, work is where we spend most of our time, so we are no longer talking only about success in your career but about another kind of success, better known as happiness.
Whether you don’t know what to do, feel trapped in a company or want to move up in the one you’re in, here is Welch’s advice:
See also: How do I know what to do with my life? Finding the perfect job or business for you
1. Find the place where your passion and your skills meet
Where your passions and your talents intersect is where you should look for your calling. Welch calls it “the area of destiny”, a very rich place at the intersection of what you are exceptionally good at and what you love doing. That is where you should start building your career.
2. Make your boss smarter
It doesn’t matter where you are or where you work: there is one thing that will improve your career in the long run. Every day, you have a responsibility to make your boss smarter, whether about the industry, customers, competitors, products or technology. Make sure your boss learns thanks to you and feels good about it. He or she will know who is contributing something productive.
3. Know when to leave a boss
There are good bosses, excellent mentors who are generous with the people who help them grow. But if you feel your boss doesn’t reciprocate when it comes to your personal growth, or you’re not somewhere your talent and work are valued, you should get out of that company as quickly as possible and build your career elsewhere.
4. Set yourself a deadline
They say a bad job is better than no job at all. But when you feel dissatisfied with what you do, or your job feels like pure routine, you need to start setting yourself a date for changing course in your career.
5. Don’t be afraid of failure
The other day we talked about failure and how there is nothing beautiful about it. Still, we can’t let the fear of failing stop us from doing things, because then we would never do anything. What you will find when you take risks is that, whether things go well or badly, it won’t kill you. When you fall, how quickly you get back in the game says a lot about you. If you’re not doing well, take a risk; if you need a change, take a risk.
6. Keep reinventing yourself
We live in a world of constant, rapid change. Many university students will probably find that, by the time they graduate, their field no longer exists as it did just five years earlier. So you have to reinvent yourself.
Adapting to new surroundings and never stopping learning will be two of the most powerful traits in the times ahead. Always keep moving.
This article is based on a post originally published on LinkedIn Influencer, written by Jack and Suzy Welch, adapted and modified.
Further reading
- The best advice ever given to university students for career success
- 10 great business leaders advise university students and future entrepreneurs
Featured image: dennis crowley, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
