Use early achievements to propel you forward
Success breeds confidence, and confidence leads to more success.
Before we start, a quick word. I’m starting a different newsletter format from today, so make sure you read the whole thing through the end. Enjoy!
Last week, I talked about how I ended up flying to a new continent to rescue a failing project when I was only 25.
I had little industry experience and didn’t know much about the tech that the client was using.
I didn’t think I was ready, but, still feeling nervous as if I were about to go on a first date, I jumped on the plane and went for it.
On my first day in Hong Kong, I met some big-shot clients. They treated me like I was some sort of expert parachuted there to fix everything.
I kept thinking: “How the f- did I get here?”
Well, here’s the backstory...
Always perform at your best
While in the UK, I worked regularly with a Director at my firm who knew a ton about Finance. She had taught me virtually all I knew about the subject.
We worked together for hundreds of hours, and she liked how I was doing. I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I always worked hard.
If she asked for something, I would make sure I’d deliver that and some, always a couple of days earlier than when she was expecting the material.
Then, one day, this chance to work in Asia came up out of the blue.
My mentor’s friend, who was running a massive program in Hong Kong, needed someone to help with the engagement.
That’s how my name came up.
I was doing well in the UK, so my boss recommended me for this big, new, more complex challenge.
Yes. Doing your best work always pays off.
I still remember how the whole thing happened.
It was during the Christmas break, and I was on a trip to Poland with a few good friends.
Right out of a bar in Krakow, I get this phone call from the person who would become my new boss in Hong Kong:
“I’d love for you to join the program. I know you are on holiday right now.
I’m happy to pay for your flight directly from Poland. I just need you here in the next 48 hours”
What the actual f-!
I wasn’t ready to do that to my friends, so I asked for a few more days, returned to London, packed my stuff, booked a cab to Heathrow, and off I went.
Before I could really realize it, I was on a new continent I had never visited before.
Suddenly, I was dealing with important clients, staying in a fancy 5-star hotel with actors and famous businessmen (a story for another time)… and I didn’t have much to offer in return.
Or so I thought.
It turned out I was wrong.
I was ready to learn. I was full of energy, and I wanted to show that my mentors were right to trust me.
Yes, I was young and had many things to improve on.
But sometimes, being young means you are willing to take risks on big challenges because you are naïve (and a bit reckless).
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The first few months in Hong Kong were intense.
I worked 12-14 hours a day for 55 days straight trying to meet a stringent deadline.
Was it hard? Yes. Do I recommend it? No.
What exercises like these give you early in your career is: perspective.
You learn a lot - about what you are doing, about what you want to do, and most importantly you learn a lot about yourself, your limits and how far you can push them.
By the end of the streak, I was tired, no doubt, but I had picked up much about the industry and the technology, immersed in a fantastic environment, surrounded by world-class experts who were available at my fingertips.
After those initial couple of months, I felt like I could really make a difference.
In last week's newsletter, I presented the pep talk that my boss gave me to suggest I should act more mature so I wouldn’t seem too young.
That advice really helped.
I felt more confident.
I wasn’t the new kid who had just landed anymore.
I was a proven professional who had weathered the storm and emerged stronger.
I remember talking to Max, the Head of Transformation, and feeling a new-found confidence in me.
It was like I was telling him: “You have to listen because I know what I’m talking about, and by now you should have realized I know my sh*t.”
Confidence builds on itself.
The more you achieve, the more confident you become.
Success breeds confidence, and confidence leads to more success.
What I learned is that being young isn’t a bad thing. If you perceive it the right way, it shows how much you have achieved early on.
It becomes proof that even in the early chapters of your career, you can rack up achievements that some spend a lifetime chasing. It sends a powerful message to everyone around you: “Look what's possible, even now”.
It is inspiring and convincing for others.
It also motivates you.
You ignite a belief in your own potential.
It is a bit like flipping a switch. Suddenly, the doubts and fears take a backseat, and what you are left with is a drive to push even further, to reach heights you once thought were reserved for the seasoned veterans.
Before you know it, you’re leaping.
To all the young consultants out there, remember this:
Your youth is not a handicap.
Use it.
Let your achievements, no matter their scale, be the fuel that propels you forward.
And when you hit those inevitable bumps in the road, remember the small and big victories you have already claimed. Let them remind you of your capability and your resilience.
You will meet your goals. Then you will surpass them. And in doing so, you will inspire a whole new generation to do the same.
When you see what you have accomplished in a short time, you start to feel - really feel - that you can do even more.
And, almost by magic, you do it.
✍ The Management Consultant
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🎯 INTERESTING STUFF
A few things I found on the internet this week that you may like…
As I’m writing my first book, this was a very timely read from
:
This article from HubSpot on 70 small business ideas is maybe click-baity, but it got me thinking (no, I’m not planning to become an online dating consultant…)
One of my favorite books, summarized by its author. If you didn’t read the book, watch this. And if you read the book, watch it anyway:
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