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An experienced executive himself, Lyman MacInnis has guided the careers and affairs of successful executives and entrepreneurs as well as internationally renowned entertainers and athletes. An inspiring and practical book of career advice for everyone, from executives and partners, to mid-career professionals and even graduates looking to get in on the ground floor. For anyone ready to work their way to the top, Lyman MacInnis delivers the essentials. Advising on topics from networking, leadership, conflict resolution, negotiation, to never embarrassing yourself when addressing a crowd, and even how to give and take advice,How to Succeed in Anything by Really Tryingis a wonder of common sense and a wealth of simple knowledge.

For more than three decades, as a senior partner with international accounting firms, Lyman MacInnis has acted as a strategist and facilitator to corporations and professional organizations ranging in size from owner-managed enterprises to Fortune 500 companies. An award-winning author, he has written more than 300 articles and has authored and co-authored twelve books. He lives in Toronto.

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1. BASIC TOOLS AND FUNDAMENTAL STEPS

There are two basic tools and three fundamental steps involved in achieving success in any particular endeavour. The basic tools are knowledge and skills, and the three fundamental steps are

• identifying the knowledge and skills needed to achieve the success you are seeking;
• realistically assessing the level of knowledge and array of skills you already possess;
• acquiring the knowledge and developing the skills that you lack.

Let’s begin with the first of those two basic tools: knowledge. You acquire knowledge through study, experience, and being around people who know more about something than you do. All three methods are useful, but the one that’s most efficient, and most under your control, is study.

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. People who don’t read are no better off than people who can’t read. When he was a young man, even though he had to walk many miles to and from the nearest library, and had to read by candlelight when it was dark, Abraham Lincoln stayed up late reading every night. When asked why he went to so much trouble to read so many books, his reply was, “I will study and get ready; perhaps my chance will come.” Even as a very young man, the future president instinctively knew that one of the key elements in achieving success is the acquisition of knowledge.

At least one-quarter of your reading should be outside your field of work. This will broaden your horizons and make you a better-informed and more interesting person. Knowledge is rarely wasted. If nothing else, the more you know, the less you’ll be surprised. Sometimes it’s the things you don’t know that keep you from being successful, and sometimes it’s thinking you know something when you really don’t that’s the problem. The more you read, the less you’ll encounter these problems. It’s also useful to remember that the next best thing to knowing the solution to a problem is knowing where to find it. A few years ago my firm wanted to put on a business development seminar for partners and senior staff. We were a bunch of accountants and consultants, not salespeople, and this was back before professional services firms had sales and marketing departments. We didn’t even know what aspects of sales and marketing the seminar should cover, let alone who should lead it. But I remembered a book I had read a couple of years before entitledThe 5 Great Rules of Selling.By referring back to this book I was able to determine a general idea of what we needed and was able to contact the author.

And since you can’t learn everything in the library or on the Internet, try to learn something from every experience, keeping an eye open for better ways to do things and always considering why particular results, either good or bad, occur. If you aren’t already an observant person you need to become one. By paying attention to everything that’s going on around you, you’ll soon discover that there’s really no such thing as an uninteresting subject, just uninterested people. Until you fully understand something that may be important to your success, be completely open-minded about it; become interested before you become judgmental. The person who knowshowsomething is done may get a job, but the person who knowswhyit’s done in a particular way will be the boss.

The most overlooked method of gaining knowledge is taking advantage of being around people who know more about something than you do. Pay attention to what they do and say. Although you should do more listening than talking, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Even though there are sometimes stupid answers, there actually is no such thing as a stupid question. Never put a limit on your curiosity; when you’re curious, ask.

Excerpted from How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying by Lyman MacInnis
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying

How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying

0307357252

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