Former General Electric Chairman Jack Welch Visits Chengdu

Complacency — you’ve stopped growing. Deep commitment to continuous, lifelong learning is a MUST if you wish develop yourself, professionally and personally, to the max. What was the last non-fiction book you read? Personal or professional growth CD you listened to in your car?

Lacking the courage and conviction to (intelligently) push back on the system. It is important to pick your battles BUT every organization NEEDS effective change agents. Smart bosses know that. The key is to take the time to understand your boss’s job, the tasks she must accomplish, goals she is expected to hit, and constraints she operates under. There is (or was) a reason for every policy, procedure, rule and regulation. Generally something bad happened and no one wanted it to happen again. Time passes, conditions change, rigidity and gridlock set in, and the law of unexpected consequences operates. “All progress is due to dissatisfied men.” – Frank Zappa

Misfiring on performance or values — overcommitting, under-delivering. “Performance stands out like a ton of diamonds. Nonperformance can always be explained away.” Harold S. Geneen, (1910-1997), CEO of ITT from 1959-77.

Resistance to change — failing to embrace new ideas. “In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” – Al Rogers

Being a Problem Identifier vs a Problem Solver. 3 kinds of people: those who can identify a problem, those who can identify a solution, and oh diamond of diamonds: those who can execute i.e. implement the solution.

Winning over your boss but not your business peer group (or vice versa!)

Always worrying about your next career move versus focusing on the present. The point of power is always in the present moment. People get promoted upon what they do, not what they are going to do.

Forgetting to develop your own succession plan for when you get promoted the people who report to you, making yourself indispensable at your current level and thus challenging to promote!