What it takes to make it to the top

[angerona]

По роду и месту работы мне переодически приходилось общаться с людьми в верху корпоративных иерархий разных компаний -- от маленьких, до среднего размера и совсем больших. И вот какое у меня вырабатывается впечатление о том, как эти люди добиваются своих позиций. Для того, чтоб достичь определенного уровня вершин, нужно ровно три вещи, и именно в

Comments

[eska2]

What about personality? MBTI says there are those who see the big picture and those who delve into details.

On your point about luck: I recently heard a talk by Michael Mauboussin on what role do skill and luck play in our successes and failures. He talked about how to recognize whether success (or failure) was due to skill or luck and how to put the insight to work to your advantage in the future.

[angerona]

I think the personality plays a bigger role in whether they actually set those goals (and find themselves enjoying higher positions). Other than that, sometimes I see pretty dismal pictures in terms of personalities.

[eska2]

I think lack of certain personality traits can only get one so far. To truly make it to the top, you need those personality traits, like being able to see the bigger picture and not get stuck on the details.

Take a look at descriptions for Sensing vs. Intuitive personality types under MBTI. Leaders and those of influence tend to be iNtuitive.

[angerona]

I have a very vivid example of a person who's gotten pretty darn far without being able to grasp the bigger picture; who focuses on details to the absolute (without understanding the reason for those details). She's persistent like all heck though. Drives a ton of people up the wall, but has been moving department to department with promotions.

The trick more often is not so much being able to see a bigger picture as not worrying too much about the details, which is not the same thing :)

[eska2]

I agree... although a person who can't see the bigger picture and doesn't worry about the details is just scary :)

I too have a vivid example of someone who is in a leadership role and is overly focused on details. Makes for a super-PNL-centric organization where getting anything done oftentimes becomes impossible.

[angerona]

I agree on the scary part, but they are out there :(