Sometimes the only way to get to the top is by acting like you want to make your own business. Think like an entrepreneur in order your business or start-up to grow.
Ben Casnocha wrote the book "The Start-Up of You." Casnocha partnered with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman in writing the book. Casnocha believes that "If you want to thrive professionally, think of yourself as a startup."
You're probably thinking - how does growing your professional career connect with business? Because like starting a new company, the business owner or entrepreneur needs to face challenges in order to succeed in the environment. These challenges enables the entrepreneur to develop specific skills that is crucial for the business to succeed. It works the same way for a worker, whether you work for yourself or for a company.
Casnocha compares career growth to a start-up entity. He's had experience in several start-ups and also worked his way to the top through an entry-level position.
He believes that the fresh graduates of today are having trouble finding work, those in the middle of a career are not satisfied and those at the top cannot retire because pensions won't cut it. In order to get out of that pothole, every professional or career-oriented person must adopt the entrepreneurial mindset. Learn to look for new ways and always test yourselves to make your start-up self better. Seek opportunities to gain new skills and improve your current ones.
"For entrepreneurs 'finished' is the f-word," Casnocha says. Entrepreneurs are obsessed with continuous improvement.
How can you get started? It's not too late. First, learn to define your competitive advantage. Define the skills that make you stand out compared to the rest. Once you've defined your competitive advantage, learn to evolve. Changing and adapting to the environment is crucial for success. Then create a Plan A, Plan B and Plan Z. Plan A is what you're doing now; B is what you can do if Plan A doesn't work out, or if you decide to move on and do something better, and Plan Z is what to do in a worst case scenario, such as losing your job because an entrepreneur continuously adapts.
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