Be more than good at what you do – be the best

We all have influences around us and different patterns of behaviour which shape us as a person, and how we control these can affect our success. Our personal development depends on our attitude and commitment to meeting our goals.  In this article we are going to explore this further, and look at what steps we can take to be the best.

What measures did you put in place to get to where you are today?
Looking at some of the most successful business men such as Alan Sugar, Steve Jobs and Richard Branson, it is interesting to determine the driving force behind their success.  All of these entrepreneurs had set themselves goals and they had a vision that they were passionate about and with this in mind they also took responsibility for their own personal development.

For example, Steve Jobs was not such a determined person he would have stopped at his first pitfall.  James Caan left home at 16 against his parents' wishes and although everything was falling down around him he pushed for his success and consequently is the successful man that he is today.  He could have given up at any time and gone back home to run his father’s business, but he chose not to do this as he wanted to build his own success. Duncan Bannatyne came from a poor background but also worked hard to build his empire.

What similar characteristics do you think you have to any of the people famous people mentioned?
Think five years ahead from now, and imagine the ideal place in which you want to be. In order to get there, certain measures will have to be put in place.

So how do we move forward? 
If we spend just 15 minutes per day to proactively up-skill, this can have a tremendous positive impact on our career.  There are studies which suggest that 30 minutes per day can lead you to the top 2% in your industry in two years.  How would you feel if you could reach the top of your industry in the next 24 months?

Top tips to develop yourself:

1. Have a vision.
2. Always set short, medium and long term goals.
3. Allocate a mentor to guide you towards meeting your goals.
4. Knowledge is power.  Read books, attend courses and seminars.  Anything that will help you gain further knowledge and understanding in the subjects that you need.
5. Seek feedback from others.

Dr Stephen Covey’s most famous book ‘The seven habits of highly effective people’ became a blueprint for personal development and the ideas in this article.

Capita Learning & Development offers a course called Personal Impact which helps you break through barriers that restrict your potential, satisfaction and success and make an exceptional impact in every interaction.  This hugely popular, experiential course provides a useable toolkit of simple, practical techniques that instantly equip you with greater confidence, improved charisma and more effective communication and rapport building.

So what do all successful people have in common? The drive to succeed, the passion to excel and the willpower to go full steam ahead with determination as their driving force. Put some of these tips in action and see how much you can achieve.

Written by Suky Kaur Dhadwar, a learning consultant at Capita Learning & Development.