Getting to the next level
There comes a point where doing more gets less done, where adding responsibility doesn’t enhance your career it hinders it.
Getting to the next level may be about subtraction not addition.
Successful leaders learn the less they do the more they get done.
In my opinion, the single most important thing you can do to get to the next level, if you are already maxed out, is let go of some of the successful activities that got you to this place. Marshall Goldsmith says it this way, “What got you here won’t get you there.”
“What is the greatest obstacle you will face once you have begun achieving your goals and tasting success? I believe it is the ability to let go of what you have so you can reach for something more.” John Maxwell
Continually add to your life and you’ll inevitably reach the point of diminishing returns. You won’t become more successful, you’ll fall apart. Surprisingly, the more you do is not an indication of how successful you are. It’s an indication you’ve risen to your maximum potential.
Getting to the next level depends on stopping things as much as starting, on ending in order to begin.
Two ways to find the next level
#1. Let go of points of security in order to reach for higher potential. Everyone who has started a business understands what #1 means. They’ve let go of the security of a steady income from a job in order to reach for higher, uncertain potential.
#2. Let go of being a “jack of all trades and master of none.” The greater (narrower) your focus the higher your potential to stand out.
*****
If you’ve let go in order to reach a higher level, will you tell us about your experiences?
What other ways could someone find the next level?
Hi Dan, we’re on the same page on this one. I’m a great fan of Marshall Goldsmiths book and philosophy. When a manage tells me they are overworked – I effectively respond saying we must need another receptionist. People hold on to ‘busy work’ for security – but it completely false security.
Strength is in being able to be absent and not noticed for it.
Bragging about the number of emails in your inbox etc. are signs of weakness and poor delegation. the next level is for those who can focus their effort and celebrate great support.
My first experiences in this area were in managing factories which ran 24X7 – I made it clear my time off was just that – call me if you need to but you better have a good reason because I trust you to do the job. It liberates everyone when you stop trying to solve everything and don’t step in like superman at times of stress.
Cheers Richard
Hey Croadie,
Great seeing you!
I read several books at the same time so I’ve been slowly going through Marshall’s book. Love it. (What got you here won’t get you there)
I’m respecting your experience and appreciating your encouragement.
I hope all is well with you,
Dan
Thanks Dan, I first read Goldsmtihs book when it came out over two years ago. i loved it so much I sent an email out to 100 odd people and told them that if they brought the book and didn’t feel they got value from it I would personally buy it off them at full price.
Further I let Marshall Goldsmith know and I got a couple of wonderful personal emails back, so I rate him! (Just like you).
By the way I never got to buy any books back.
Go well
Richard
I completely agree. In fact I just blogged about how I learned to let go of self limiting beliefs http://themiracleworker.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/how-i-learned-to-let-go/
My Nephew Mike taught me that lesson.
I use that lesson of letting go every day in my work with Job Seekers. I teach them to let go of their self-limiting identities and reach for something new. A new belief, new identity and a new outlook.
Letting go is the path of success in my opinion.
Alan,
I read your post and really enjoyed it. I get a little ticked at the “frivolous” folks who succeed. However, I think you made your point. Say yes to opportunity… great lesson.
I like the expression … “follow your success.”
Thank you for dropping in and sharing your experience and leaving a useful link.
All the best,
Dan
Hi Dan,
Quite the timely post for me. I’m always excited to see what new thoughts, inspiration and wisdom you will bring to my day.
This week, in order to get to the next level I am letting go of a bit of security. Although this decision has been years in the making, it’s no less difficult. It’s also a bit liberating in as much as I understand that the decision will allow me to “get to the next level” and provide my new clients with the intense focus they deserve.
As I apply your wisdom to my professional life, I also see applications for it in my personal life.
Thanks for sharing your gifts with this post.
Cheers,
Jen
Jen,
Thanks for your encouragement. It means a lot to me.
I hear you on decisions that take a long time. It’s a mistake to think they get easier. Perhaps the only thing that makes some decisions easier is when the pain of waiting becomes worse than the fear of stepping out.
It’s always wonderful when readers leave personal stories.
Best regards,
Dan
Hi Dan,
Your post is deeper than it might appear on first read! “Letting go” to reach the next level is another way of saying — Get comfortable with change and reinvention.
We often think of “change and reinvention” as large transformations. In reality, they are constant adaptation to reach your goal.
For anyone who truly struggles with change, a small investment to take the KAI instrument can lend great insight to who you are. KAI – Kirton Adaptive Innovation Instrument.
For business owners that are holding on and resisting change,
———
– Tap a coach to help you grow. OR
– Hire a virtual assistant to do the myriad of daily chores that you use as “reasons” why you can’t move on to the many important biz building tasks.
Kate
Kate,
Speaking of deep? You said … Change and reinvention is about “constant adaptation.” Although my experience indicates there are huge tipping points scattered along the way, the bulk of life is about constant adaptation. Good one.
You also left wonder, practical advice… tap a coach. I like to think of it as bringing the outside in… it’s proven to be very powerful in my own life.
Thank you for visiting LF and consistently sharing your wisdom with others.
Cheers!
Dan
Kate is a featured blogger on LF who generously shares her insights with the community. It’s always great to see her in the comment stream. Check out her website at: http://katenasser.com. In addition, I’ve posted a bio and contact info at: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/kate-nasser. Enjoy.
Dear Dan,
You are right in saying that things that helped you to reach the current level of position may not help you to reach newer heights. One needs to upgrade on new knowledge, skills and innovative ways of doing something differently to stay ahead in competition.
The best way to ensure regular progress is investing in future. The new mantras would be focus on R & D, new processes and deliveries, and add on new talents to explore new business opportunities.
Leaders take on a strategic role of expanding the business leaving current business to the trusted people and delegate execution responsibility of operations management.
Innovation is the key to success and good leaders encourage new things for increased productivity and cutting on unnecessary costs. The role of leaders is always changing and adaptability to the new challenging environment is the way to progress.
Dear Dr. Asher,
Your comment reminded me of the book, “The Leadership Brand” by Ulrich and Smallwood. In it they place leadership development at the center of success for leaders.
In order to get to the next level on a personal level we must enhance our own skills. In addition, enhancing the skills of those around us enables organizations to achieve the next level.
Best regards,
Dan
I’m thankful that Dr. Asher is a featured contributor on LF. He is an educational leader in India. He regularly shares his insights for the good of the LF community. He also encourages and challenges me personally. His bio is at: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/dr-asher
What other ways could someone find the next level?
I have not done #1 (yet) so can’t comment on that one.
One saying that came to mind while I was reading your post was “if you want something done, give it to the busy person,” point being that if the person is already juggling a bunch of things at once, they can obviously multitask. I had a supervisor years ago who was rising through the ranks of student services at a university. He was an assistant dean when I started; by the time I left three years later he was an associate dean; now he is a Dean. I remember sitting across his desk, and seeing his neatly ordered piles, incorporating piles for the new responsibilities, and really admiring his ability to incorporate new responsibilities and knowing when he needed to “get into the weeds” versus when he did not.
Some people are meant to be “in the weeds” and nothing is really going to change our tendencies to stay there and keep searching for patterns, details, and non-obvious solutions. It is in learning to communicate these to the “big picture” people that we can weave together more effective organizations and find our own “next level” that may not be higher on the org chart but is equally necessary to the organization’s success.
Dear Dan,
When you reach next level, the greatest obstacle are forgetting, sacrifice. nd breaking of relations, It becomes very difficult to forget the people, moments and places where you have worked and dreamed for next level. You have to sacrifice your relations and connections, because you tend to think that you will conticue making relations with people you have worked with but actually it starts fading and subsequently it takes its own end. Actually when you reach to next level, the biggest obstacles is interrnal conflict within yourself. You have to convince yourself, family and people closely associated with you. When you elevate in the same career growth path, it usually does not require you to face any obstacles but when you leave the organisation or shift your career, then obstacles are many. And then you have to face internal and external challenges, The greatest criticism comes when you do not meet expectations of others.
The way to find next level starts from action with passion towards your higher goal. You need to have higher degree of tolerance and courage to face criticism in case of not meeting outcome. In the situation, you need not to convice anyone or discourage yourself. Believe yourself, your decision and do not compromise your value for quicker and smaller gains. Introspect your core strength, align with your purpose and move ahead again with higher passion and more determination.
Everything is possible with great determination, honest effort, and passionate action towards your goal.
Another great discussion Dan. For many of us, the secret to early success was to embrance all opportunities. This led us on a path to discovery and in many cases even more opportunities. We learn to organize, multitask, and delgate and, as we do, opportunity brings responsibility and with it the need to set priorities. As a chronic multi-tasker running multiple organizations, I have had to establish a set of questions to use in determining when to embrace and opportunity and when to pass it on to others. These three questions have been a career (and sanity saver). They are:
1. Does this opportunity move me closer to my (or my organization’s) primary goal?
2. Can another team member or strategic partner do it as well (or better) than I can. (Be objective)
3. To ‘take this on’, what opportunity am I willing to pass to someone else?
Once I have the answers to the these three questions, I am ready to make the decision to embrace an opportunity (and act on it) or pass it along to someone else who can benefit from it.
Joan, I especially like the fact that you discussed #2. Sometimes we cling too tightly to an opportunity, even if we can’t possibly do it with the resources available to us, because we feel we need to accrue the credit or compensation that is part of the opportunity. There are times when routing something to another team member or strategic partner is good, not only for ourselves but for the enterprise as a whole.
So here you are doing multiple projects, maybe leading projects or departments, on several productive committees, juggling like a master juggler, acknowledged and appreciated by peers and leadership and yet…there is this little twinge. What was that?
Maybe an itch or little voice you hear in your heart, in your gut and oh, yeah, in your brain…brain is always the last to pick up on the subtle stuff.
Maybe just do yet another project or workgroup, keep busy and ignore it…there it is again. What is that??? You can keep on keeping on, doing those same things very, very well for many years…however, very softly you start to hear this old Peggy Lee song…”is that all there is?”
When Dorothy from Kansas starts getting louder, saying, “Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Camus…oh my!”, well you are a bit overdue. Flying monkeys and crispiness are around the corner.
Coming from a therapeutic recreation past life, sounds to me like it is past time to Re-Create yourself. Shift your focus, change your environment, get out of alignment, walk backwards, and/or gain wise counsel. Go do something fun and not work related. Your heart, brain and gut will gradually realign you. With those added perspectives, you may be able to see options and new risks worth the (ad)venture. While the leap o’ faith causes multiple levels of conflict, if you have weighed the alternatives and options, listening to that inner voice may help direct you.
Creating an ongoing value of letting go and leaping is uncomfortable and rewarding at the same time. In doing so, those you lead may see the merit as well. Those things you are doing well, if passed along to others, show that you have faith in those around you to do them well too. Nice little piece of mutuality.
Dan,
I do agree with you that there are major tipping points. Yet by the time the “tipping point” is in our faces, there may have been many adaptation moments leading up to it.
Often, people who see those small moments along the way have more success when the “time arrives!”
Also, wanted to send Alan “kudos” on his thoughts about getting rid of self-limiting beliefs. It does matter!
Kate
Dan, as usual this is a great post. There is so much opportunity to add to life. This is a good reminder that more is not always better. I learned a lot by reading it.