Seven steps to make a leap in your career-Step 2 Vision Viewpoint careers advice blog

Seven steps to make a leap in your career-Step 2 Vision I hope you all enjoyed my previous article Step-1: Identify your passions. Now you know what you are passionate about, it’s time to build your vision. What is driving your vision? The answer to this question must come from deep inside you. If you want to be the CEO of your company. Fine. But why? If your reason is related to the power, money, and status, then there are plenty of other ways of acquiring those. But, if your answer is related to the positive impact that you would like to make on your companys employees, customers, partners, shareholders, and industry as a whole, then this is a cause worth pursuing. You should also consider this: Your current environment and daily life constrains you from developing a career vision which involves your true passions. Go back to your childhood and work out what you really liked. If you did not enjoy playing cricket, you wouldn’t have played it, but if you loved football, you would have pursued this hobby. During your teens and during your college years, you definitely wanted to change the world and had strong views on issues affecting the world around you.  Has that passion waned as you’ve gotten older? Do you still believe you can challenge the things that frustrate you? You need to think about the causes and frustrations that you care about now, and rekindle that rebel thinking a little bit. How could you make the change? If money was no object what three things you would do to support the causes that you care about? There are a hundred things that are wrong with the environment that you operate in, with the society, with the politics, and with the world in general. But what are you doing about it? What tiny role you could play to make a difference and make it better? Get some inspiration from the worlds most influential leaders, and know everything there is to know about people you admire. Research some famous people and how their vision changed the world; Martin Luther Kings I have a dream speech,  President Kennedys vision of sending man to the moon, Bill Gates’ vision of putting a computer in every home and Steve Jobs vision of turning powerful technology into easy to use every day tools. Tell anyone who will listen   “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want”â€" Mark Twain, Novelist Big leaders have big visions and they have the ability to articulate it with clarity and conviction. Ordinary people like you and me also have a big vision, we just do not have the courage to talk about it. Find that courage and tell whoever will listen, what you would really like to do. Talk about your vision and plan with the passion that it deserves. It will help bring clarity to yourself and to those around you. If you believe in it and talk about it a thousand times, you will bring it to reality. If you demonstrate true belief, passion and drive while talking about your vision,  the right people will engage and rally around you to help you achieve it. Research the roles that play to your vision Think about the roles and opportunities which relate to your vision; whether its going it alone and setting up your own business, finding a role elsewhere, or staying in your current role but taking a new approach. Your big vision can easily relate to your current job. You can make a big difference with doing what you are doing currently but doing it with passion and enjoying it as it supports your cause. Once you have worked it out, your vision will be solving certain problems and making a positive change. Those problems may relate to your team, your department, your customer, your organisation, the society or the world. Whatever small impact your vision will make, it will be your impact. Have a rolling five-year vision and one-year road map. Then create a rolling 30-60-90 day plan. Your 30 days plan starts today, not tomorrow. Look out for Step 3: Understand your chosen subject and stay current. Step 1: Identify your passions What Ive learnt during my career about success How can you prepare your career goals for the upcoming year? Take control of your job satisfaction How can you find a truly great place to work?   Three steps to perfecting your personal brand The hidden ingredient to look for in your next employer This series of articles has been created as part of a research project that I am currently undertaking with help from a number of renowned authors, business leaders and HR professionals. The name of the project is ‘Ordinary Champions’. The objective of the project is to create a set of resources, tools and techniques that will help people to achieve their full potential in whatever field they choose to operate. If you are interested in this cause and would like to participate or benefit from this project, please visit the  â€˜Ordinary Champions’ Facebook page. A number of useful resources will be published via the FaceBook Page.