Are you really good at what you do — but don’t feel fulfilled? Do you feel like you’re doing OK, but you’re leaving a lot of influence on the table?
Maybe you’re beginning to feel that life is passing you by year-after-year as your goal of becoming “known” slips away.
You might have even started questioning whether you made the right career choices or even life choices as a result. This story isn’t unique to just you. I hear it all the time.
I recently heard a story about an accountant I know who’s feeling frustrated. He’s a great accountant, but he’s not happy — and I know why.
He’s brilliant at what he does, but he still has to compete on price.
He’s frustrated because, like most of the people in his industry, he thinks that the key to making more money is continuing to learn more about the technical aspects of his job.
Unfortunately for him, everyone in his business is focused on getting more qualifications, and he finds himself constantly playing catch-up. Regardless of how much he earns, he still feels that he is only slightly ahead of the game.
He made a career decision as a teenager and now he’s in his late-thirties. His values have shifted and so has the world. He now competes with software, accountants in other countries, and his own mindset about how his industry “should be.”
Perhaps you can relate in your own industry. The good news is, if this is your story, it doesn’t have to be this way.
- You don’t need to turn your life upside down.
- You don’t need to go back to school.
- You can forget the MBA and the Ph.D. if you want.
- You can forget the get-rich-quick schemes that take you off track.
None of those are the answer. The answer is simple: to compete in the modern marketplace, you must become what I call a Key Person of Influence.
Who Is a Key Person of Influence?
At the center of every industry, you will find an inner circle of people who are the most well-known and highly valued people. They are the Key People of Influence.
You probably already know of these people in your industry:
- Their names come up in conversation…for all the right reasons.
- They attract a lot of opportunities…the right sort.
- They earn more money than most…and it isn’t a struggle.
- They can make a project successful if they are involved…and people know it.
When you become a Key Person of Influence in your industry, you’ll enjoy yourself more, you’ll make more money, and feel more sure of yourself.
But you must first face some facts.
We are living in a very different world today than we were just a decade ago. It’s the beginning of a whole new era. We are in a new economy that’s digital, global, intangible, more meaningful and very entrepreneurial.
Everything has changed and so must you. If you are willing to do that, you can change your life.
Here are 3 secrets you must embrace to become a Key Person of Influence:
1. Your Best Thinking From Five Years Ago Is Your Baggage Today
I sort of feel that’s your responsibility as a person, as a human being — to constantly be updating your positions on as many things as possible. And if you don’t contradict yourself on a regular basis, then you’re not thinking. — Malcolm Gladwell
The last few years have seen the explosive growth of social media, online shopping, massive breakthroughs in technology, a global recession, globalization, and a massive shift towards entrepreneurship over employment.
We have also seen the economy change, the environment change, developing nations stride forward, and the collective mindset of the world radically shift.
All this in just a few short years. And it will keep changing at a rapid pace.
So any decisions you made “back then” — your career, the location you lived, the technology you used, the people you associate with, and the thought leaders you followed — were all based upon a world that no longer exists.
The software we purchased five years ago for ten thousand dollars or more has been superseded by free, cloud-based software today. What we dreamed of doing five years ago costs fifty dollars a month on subscription!
Entrepreneurs who were admired five years ago, but didn’t shift their business model, have lost their fortunes.
Products that used to be available only through retail are now freely available online. Countries that offered the best opportunities for wealth creation five years ago are struggling with debt. The poor countries of the previous decade are powerhouses of enterprise.
If you want to become a Key Person of Influence in your space, you must learn to adapt your thinking. Be willing to let go of the past and keep an eye toward the future.
2. If You Can’t Let Go of Today’s Thoughts, You’ll Miss Tomorrow’s Opportunities
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” — Walt Disney
At the core of who you are and what you do is a raw essence that has always powered you. Strip everything back to that core and you can create new ways to express yourself.
When Steve Jobs took over Apple in 1997, one of his first decisions was to get rid of the Apple Museum that occupied the foyer when people walked through the front door.
He said that he refused to be in a company that was living in its past. Jobs believed at the core of Apple was vision, boldness, and innovation. Knowing the essence of Apple was thinking differently by combining art with technology. If he couldn’t strip away everything but that core focus, the future was going to be dire.
It’s time to draw a line in the sand; to take some time out and ask yourself what is at your core. Ask yourself this question:
“If I were starting completely fresh, in a world where anything is possible, what would I love to be doing?”
Don’t ask what you should be doing. Ask what you would love to be doing.
Be yourself — not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be. — Henry David Thoreau
If you are like most people, your passionate purpose is a lot closer than you think. There are countless opportunities around you. Key People of Influence look for the best ones and choose only those that align with the core of who they are.
3. When You Become the Real You, It Attracts Endless Opportunities, Connections, Ideas, and Resources
I know of nothing more valuable, when it comes to the all-important virtue of authenticity, than simply being who you are. — Charles R. Swindoll
When you position yourself as a Key Person of Influence (KPI) in your field within the next twelve months, you will attract opportunities, connections, ideas, and resources that mean you will be able to do what you love and get paid what you are worth.
In this new, exciting, changing world, you will discover that it’s people and teams who love what they do that are thriving. If what you are doing feels like hard work, you will always get trumped by the people who have a passion for it.
Your passion and vitality are an asset in the world we are living in; so you need to take a look at what lights you up.
You can start by answering these questions:
- What comes easily to you that is harder for others?
- If you got a month of fully paid work experience in any industry, job, business, or hobby, what would you do?
- If you had to apply your skills to something purely for the fun of it, what project would you like to work on?
Answer these three questions and you will discover some things about yourself that equip you to look for opportunities that fit just who you are.
Do You Want The Fastest Path To Wealth And Success?
I’ve created a simple step-by-step process for helping you become the best at what you do.
