By Bruce Lund, NEXTPERT
Topic: Career Development, Emerging Leaders   www.nextpert.net

A large piece of the NEXTPERT concept is being able to keep a positive mindset when creating a career vision. Many young professionals are caught in the “current of the urgent” and cannot get past their present struggles, because they are overwhelmed with emotions of uncertainty. The current of the urgent can be described as the everyday issues that we universally face. In our connected world we are saturated with dozens of tasks each day and rarely have time to stop and reflect on our future. We are not able to fully submerge ourselves into work that we both like to do and want to do. Instead we are focused on just getting by each day. This “busy” work does not promote growth for our future but is only a means to an end.

Today, I challenge you to get out of the current of the urgent and become intentional by doing work towards your dominant focus. If you have not yet established your dominant focus then this would be a good place to start in doing meaningful work for yourself. A dominant focus is what ultimately wins out in your career.

Three years ago I moved to Nashville with no guarantees on the front-end and only a hope that I would be able to get into graduate school and earn my Ph.D. I saw Nashville as a great place to expand my opportunities. Each day I woke up asking one question, “How can I get my foot in the door.” I knew if I was just able to do that then I had the confidence in myself to prove my self-worth.

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Simplified Success Strategies

By Bruce Lund, NEXTPERT
Topic: Career Development, Emerging Leaders   www.nextpert.net

A worker in today’s free agent era spends an average of only 1.1 years in a job and will have 27 different titles throughout their careers. Companies are forced to spend over 300 billion dollars annually training new employees. Career epidemic is widespread with the combination of strong global competition, payroll cutbacks and rapid unemployment rates. Companies can no longer afford to hire “nice-to-have” employees and are in search of “must have”, solutions-oriented, results-producing superstars.

Despite young professionals being the most educated employee to ever break into the workplace they are also being employed at the lowest clip. This is due in large by the lack of practical experience and false realities of what it takes to break into the job force in today’s ultra-competitive markets. Meanwhile, a widespread belief is that experienced professionals have grown too comfortable in their roles resulting in complacency. Breaking with outdated concepts, thought-patterns, and habits is a difficult transformation the next generation worker has to endure.

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Simplified Success Strategies

By Bruce Lund, NEXTPERT
Topic: Career Development, Emerging Leaders  

 www.nextpert.net

 “An invitation to greatness we extend to others” –           Mark Sanborn’s Definition of Leadership

I had the pleasure of finishing Mark Sanborn’s National Bestseller, “You Don’t Need a Title To Be a Leader” and decided to share the three main takeaways for me from the book.

Nugget 1 – “You Don’t Need a Title To Be a Leader”

The first, and most obvious, is derived from the title and is the outlining message of the book. “You Don’t Need a Title To Be a Leader” is about as simple as it gets. We are too hung up on titles and this idea that without one we cannot lead. The truth is that anyone, anywhere, in ANY position can lead. The title does not make the leader and those that think they do are often managers. Leadership should not be about control but instead is the power to positively influence others. We are all leaders and can choose to make a difference on others in our current roles.

Nugget 2 – An Obligation or an Opportunity

What mindset do you have in your work and life? When a perceived “problem” comes up at work or the phone rings do you see it as an obligation or rather an opportunity to grow your skills? In between our stimulus and response is a space and in that space lies our greatest human freedom -- our ability and power to choose our response. Those who see life and work as an obligation rush through each task and want it to be over as quickly as possible, with little to no regard for the result. Real untitled leaders that make a difference in themselves, their companies, and communities act from a place of abundance. “They don’t interact with the world around them because they have to. They do so because they want to." Leaders without titles sees their current role as an opportunity to add value without the fame or notoriety but because they want to.

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My Advice for Parents, College Graduates, and Young Professionals

Unfortunately a paradox for success exists and is being taught daily by our parents and the education system. Next Generation parents have been so focused on being loving nurturers and providing a life that they didn’t have for their children that it is actually having an adverse effect on young adults. Similarly, teachers have been handcuffed into pushing students through and simplifying their curriculum to make sure “no child is left behind”.

Young adults have been scripted into thinking that simply showing up is enough to succeed because, after all, it has worked up until this point. But remember “what got us here won’t get us there.”

A quote by Mark Twain really speaks to the paradox of the education system and what is taking place in our counterproductive society today.

“Never let your schooling interfere with your education.” – Mark Twain.

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By Bruce Lund, NEXTPERT
Topic: Career Development, Emerging Leaders   www.nextpert.net

Simplified Success Strategies

Ask any ultra-successful entrepreneur or top performer what separates the good from the great and they will tell you consistency. 

Definition: steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.: There is consistency in his pattern of behavior.

Being consistent is all about holding yourself accountable. If you say you are going to do something then have the follow-through and do it. The biggest brand destroyers people or companies have are not delivering on a promise.

Now think about you and your personal brand -- How often do you do what you say you will do? If that number isn't 9 out of 10 times then you might want to re-evaluate. It starts with the little things – not hitting the snooze button; making your bed in the morning; exercising if you say you will; showing up to work on time; meeting deadlines.

The little things add up to big things over an extended period of time. Mini-victories turn into public victories and public victories turn into tremendous opportunity. Consistently delivering on your promise starts by holding yourself accountable. Progress is better than letting the fear of perfection stagnate growth.

Bruce Lund is the Founder & CEO of NEXTPERT, a training service that develops emerging leaders into the BEST of the NEXT! Bruce is an author and speaker on "Simplifying Success Strategies" for professionals looking to stand out by using his proven 3-step process to DISCOVER, DEVELOP, and DECIDE to LIVE the NEXTPERT in you! Every company needs a team of NEXTPERTs working the front-lines aspiring to be great leaders.

"Every day in your current role is an interview for your NEXT!" 

Simplified Success Strategies

By Bruce Lund, NEXTPERT
Topic: Career Development, Emerging Leaders   www.nextpert.net

One of the phenomenon’s that has been constant in my life is this idea that, “as soon as I get this then I will be happy with that.”

We either live in the past or for the future, but very rarely do we take time to stop and reflect and be happy with where we are at this very moment. Most of our time is spent with the mindset that if we are not happy at the current moment then we will be once we get (fill in the blank).

That very mindset is the problem. Until you are internally happy with who you are, what you do, and why you matter then there will never be ONE circumstance in your life that will make you happy. This is an arrival fallacy that if you can just get that perfect job, if you can just get married, or if you can just get that new house then you will be happy. These things may help but will not completely allow for life-long happiness.

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