Still looking for success?

You are probably here because the answer to the above question was yes! no matter how successful you are, you still would want to move a step ahead; which is good. As long as you know the direction you wish to proceed in, a major chunk of your battle is done. You have chosen this direction out of passion and that is the basic requirement of being successful. I too wish to be successful. So just like everyone else I started reading a lot of biographies, interviews, motivational sessions, Ted talks and what not. But of all the material i went through, I realized that all of these people I feel are successful were just at the right place at the right time. They give out stories about how that one decision changed their life, or that one instance that just gave them success. But the truth is, they have been through a hell lot before they were fit enough for the opportunity.

Interestingly, I stumbled upon an interview with Indra Nooyi - Ex-CEO PepsiCo, where she spoke about the 5 C's of success which I could relate to, which I was capable of doing and which has fetched me milestones that I was passionate about. Being tried and tested, I believe you could benefit out of it. If I can do it; So can you!

Competency

Do you have a goal in mind that you are competent for? Is your goal realistic? I'm an Electronics Engineer and an MBA, can I now be a Doctor? The answer would probably be yes, but is it logical enough? Probably not. Success comes your way when all your skills and talents align in a single direction. So I choose a direction that best suits my current skill set and probably add another to it. My skills are the sword at my back. I need to keep it sharp. You can never know everything about anything. Keep learning and keep sharpening your skills. This gives you an added edge over your competition.

Courage

In a pack of 1000 competent contenders, how do you stand out? By doing something different. People will second guess your decisions and try pulling you down. You just need to believe in yourself and trying different things. You will possibly need the courage to stand up for your ideas, justify to yourself that it will work and to execute the idea. Remember, there are no traffic jams along the extra mile!

Confidence

Have your ever seen someone get credit for the idea that you had and probably thought was too stupid to execute? The only difference is that you did not have confidence in your idea and he did. Even if you execute the plan without confidence, it will definitely not work because you start second-guessing the idea your self. Be confident in what you do. Right or Wrong, be confident. Afterall, it's all a learning curve for you. You will either win or learn. So many companies these days are seen going beyond the conventions and doing things that win their customer's hearts. It may look funny at first, but they do it with a smile and they win every time!

Communication Skills

I know we have moved beyond the barriers of language and that should not be a criteria to judge anyone. But think of it this way - would you be understood if you are not able to put your thoughts across in the right manner? Speaking Spanish to a native Japanese who does not understand the language is like a buffalo trying to communicate with elephant. It just does not make sense! Invest a major chunk of your time and resources to sharpen your communication skills. At some point you will be handling a huge team and getting your message across is very important. That is why you will still see a lot of companies screening for communication skills in their interview processes. They are potentially looking for leaders and not a typewriter.

Consistency

Pick any of the great innovators or leaders across the generations and you will see that the one thing they are famous for did not just fall in their laps. There was prototype 1, prototype 2,....prototype 100, ... prototype 1000, finally success. You evolve after every misfire. Had they given up after every failed idea, they would not have achieved success. You keep working on your shortcomings and consistently keep evolving. As long as you do not go back a step or stay stagnant, you are good to go. Keep moving in the right direction one step at a time and you will find the success that you are looking for.

I've been trying to follow the 5C method for a while now and it has been working just fine for me. Remember, things will accelerate slowly but once you catch the momentum, you will be there in no time. Do let me know if you have tried this in life and if this has helped you achieve your goals. Would love to hear some amazing experiences from the readers.