This is a predominantly personal post - naive perhaps in the public domain, but nonetheless important guiding points for future endeavours.
Having said the waffly part, this post will aim to be a bit more grounded, to draw down the dreams into the realm of reality and practicality.
Similarly, I shall phrase some of these as Tenets, and guiding principles that seeeeeems to have served me well within the confines of limited career thus far. To be snappy and not overanalysing, I’ll write this as a list of useful pointers, rather than a continuous segment of words. Where I’m able to, I find that some of these networks are linked to one antoher, in a self reinforcing virtuous system.
Tenet 1: The Performance dividend - Always do the best thing; always do the right thing
For something that originated from a deeper need for validation, I have found that consistently putting in the effort, and doing the right thing with integrity pays back. People remember. And it takes the better part of our fallible human selves to preserve it.
Tenet 2: The (Secular) Holy Trinity of Where to Work
I tend to use a three-criteria rubric when making gut decisions on where to work. I suspect this could change in the future.
- Leader - To find inspiring leaders that spark a willingess in me to indenture myself to (I would goddam follow them to war), and to learn to be a better employee and person from;
- Team - To find a team filled with trust, capability, and once again, inspirational characters;
- Job - To find (more broadly) a role/function/ etc aligned to my purpose (See previous post)
Naturally, all three may not be 100%, but it helps me frame what I am drawn towards.
Tenet 3: Meet your Liabilities
Be practical, and pragmatic. Appreciate that we all have our own liabilities to cover. In many cases, financial.
Tenet 4: Multi-disciplinary Excellence
There is always someone better than you at any single field.
However, our value to the market can be defined by being in the top 25% of a range of (loosely) three or four areas. This blend of inter-discplinary capabilities (and to act on them), is how we can differentiate ourselves in a sea of talent. This implicitly involves acknowledging our own strengths and weaknesses.
This is an application on my thinking around the additive nature of cycles, written here.
Tenet 5: Multiply Learning through (attempted) Entrepreneurship
Trying out entrepreneurship has been a great eye opener.
Where time and resources are availabe - running your own business (or at least building it) has taught a lot through the practice of doing. In other words, seeing the best practices of others in different roles, is best internalised through self-practice. Nothing beats learning than doing it yourself.
But such an experience need not be weighed by expectations of success - their is significant learning value kept within us, just by breaking even. Of course, a huge amount of effort and dedication is needed to ensure its not a wasted exercise. Afterall, how much we learn is a function of how much we put in. It is an avenue to fail, without the fear of judgement.
Moreover, it has also helped to develop a deep sense of appreciation in every other business and individual out there. This links to Tenet 4 - by exposing ourselves to different industries, communities, etc - often creats a new gem of value between the lines.
Tenet 6: Multiplicative Door Opening
Upon embarking on a big career step change, I would always question whether it opens more doors based on industry, role, network, etc?
This is more true for those - like myself, in this current phase - who are in the earlier, rather than later stages of their careers. At some point, I still desire to specialise and focus in a specific domain(s). Similarly this helps to achieve excellence in Tenet 4 - this requires a balance of new experiences and deliberate learning.
Tenet 7: Humility and Growth
Learn from the bad - take mistakes head on, and learn from these;
Identify with the good - recognise and appreciate our strengths, particular to combat feelings of the imposter syndrome. I have chosen the word “identify” to internalise your strengths with how we view ourselves.
Never turn down a free opportunity to learn - even if it requires that 1 extra hour and that bit more effort. It would probably save or significantly improve your efficiency down the line.
Tenet 8: Networks
Linked to Tenet 1 - Be good and people remember. Never burning bridges and keeping a wide network - perhaps driven out of curiosity is always a strong thing to tap on. Whether to gain or exchange knowledge (or value), or just for an added flourish to our own individual selves. I’ve been blessed that Tenet 1 has compensated for my natural introverted disposition. I’ve just stumbled on a thought that a smaller, but higher quality network can be built through honest action rather than directionless words.
Tenet 9: Self-Management
Many a time - as seems to be increasingly common these days working in startups - I have found myself neededing to manage myself a bit more (particularly true in Startups).
As an inherently anxious person that gets creeping feelings of shame and guilt (I have, indeed been conditioned very well) if I don’t do work during working hours. I have used to define how to “self-place” myself in areas to contribute.
There are three areas:
- What needs to be done - if there is a fire, and its burning everyone - step in, or at least bring a bucket of water to fight it.
- What you’re good at - this may require a good understanding of the team dynamic, but could I offer to do the excel model while you do the talking? I’d take that offer any day.
- What you like doing - this is a double edged sword, I am aware of my tendency for thought and theory over a “bias for action”. But generally,
Ugh if i had one more i could relabel this article with “commandments” instead of “tenets”.