10 reasons why certain people get ahead

I have always been curious about the science of success. Some people seem to be on a success highway while others with similar skills and qualifications get caught in a career side street.

Sometimes the difference is luck – being in the right place at the right time or picking just the right organisation at just the right career juncture. That said, a lot of it isn’t luck. I’ve been in senior management positions since I was 20-something and watched a lot of careers develop over 30 years.

These are some of the common traits I have noticed in the ones who rise above the pack.

1. They bring solutions instead of just problems

In management you spend a lot of time dealing with problems that are brought to your attention. Very quickly you start to notice the people who bring you problems that are already packaged with a potential solution. In fact, that trait is probably the key attribute of people who really get ahead in their careers.

2. They enjoy the job, but they enjoy something outside of work even more

Contrary to the popular myth, most successful people don’t seem to be obsessed with their jobs. They find jobs that are fulfilling but generally they have an outside passion (sport, hobby, charity, family etc) that really drives them. They can tolerate the tough workdays because their lives are balanced, and they don’t worry unnecessarily about trivial problems. Similarly, they work long hours only when needed because they are confident in their abilities and they value career sustainability.

3. They stay calm in all circumstances

No matter where you work, there will be a crisis from time to time. People who get ahead tend to be at their best in a crisis. They stay measured, they do not panic, and they use experience and good advice from others to make sound calls. This approach inspires confidence and helps to deal with issues without too much brain static or ill-directed adrenaline.

4. They learn to do great presentations

Presentations are a big part of corporate life and the people who get ahead tend to make it their business to do these well. This doesn’t come easily to some people, but I have seen many individuals who are not natural presenters become very astute at it through sheer tenacity and practice. The good ones also find an authentic presentation style that reflects who they truly are.

5. They nail each level before moving to the next

The best people tend to keep climbing the ladder, and often make it look effortless. This is generally because they work hard at being superb at their current job, then they outgrow it and stretch naturally to the next level. Those who push too hard, too early seem to eventually get promoted one level beyond their competence.

6. They tend to defend rather than attack people behind their backs

A former boss of mine was a stickler for “defending the absent”. Few people are saintly enough to do this all the time, but I have found the really successful people I have worked with over the years tended to have this trait. By defending people who are not in the room they give those who are in the room confidence that they will also be defended.

7. They make their ambition known so they are seen in that light

The people who get ahead tend to continuously position themselves as future leaders. Over the years I have experienced many people,who had been doing the same job for 10 years or more divulge in a performance review that they were actually ambitious and wanted to be in senior management. Unfortunately, nobody had ever perceived them in that light and hence they couldn’t be imagined into the next position.

8. They are well informed

Most senior jobs require formal qualifications but the majority of the successful people I have worked with have broad knowledge beyond their specific vocational training. In fact, I think a lot of their success comes from understanding the broader context of where the world is at during any point in history and ensuring the organisation they are working for remains relevant to that context.

9. They network well but don’t “hyper-network”

People tend to marvel at those with the knack of “working the room”. They talk in hushed tones about how they float around the party like social apparitions making contact with everyone and showing an uncanny ability to remember names. This tends to work for celebrities and politicians who get the return because people put a value on meeting them rather than necessarily engaging more deeply.

For most other people, successful networking means targeting specific people at a networking event, spending some quality time with them to form a “memory bond” and then arranging a tangible follow-up later to cement the contract. If you hyper-network a room, there is a danger of social malnutrition and having a pocketful of business cards from people you still wouldn’t recognise in a police line-up.

10. They build relationships at all levels of the organisation

We have always been warned to be good to people when we are on the way up because we may be reporting to them on the way down. Basic courtesy and respect should be a given between any layer of employee in any organisation. However, I have observed over the years that the really successful people go out of their way to form genuine bonds with people at all levels. This has a variety of advantages. For a start a lot of the real intelligence and insights in an organisation does not sit in the top rung. Much of it sits with the most basic of positions.

Comments in this post are personal and unrelated to my day job. Shane Rodgers is a writer and business executive with a keen interest in what makes people tick and the forces that shape our daily lives.