How is Success
Determined?
The success of individuals is shaped by many factors and the
topic has been argued about for centuries. More and more,
however, researchers are focusing on 4 key elements that explain
most of the phenomenon of success.
These are: genes, development, career
choices and relationships. Let's briefly describe each one.
1. GENES - When we
are born, we are given genes that determine much of what will be
easy for us to do and what
will be gruelling. Our personalities, drive, athleticism, verbal
ability and so on all have a strong underpinning from our
genetic inheritance.
2. DEVELOPMENT - How we are raised and where we grow up are also
very important. It is not much use to have great genes if we
grow up as orphans in a Kenyan slum. We have to be developed
within a family, community and country environment where a
culture of achievement is nurtured.
3. CAREER CHOICES - The schools we go to and courses we study
are very important to our future success, as is where we work in
our first full-time job. A gifted person with right degrees
won't do well if he chooses an industry in terminal decline. On
the other hand, an average person with lower tier academic
credentials can be carried to great heights in a fast growing
industry.
4. RELATIONSHIPS -
Beyond nature, nurture and career choices, our relationships are
decisive in determining how far we go in our careers and
personal lives. Some of these, like our family and childhood
friends, might seem like flukes but the on-going maintenance and
quality of these relationships are very much within our control.
More decisive are the relationships we
develop throughout our lifetime.
It should become obvious that the first 3 of the above success
determinants are mainly fixed and beyond the control of most of
us by the time we reach our late 20's.
Genes are completely out of our control from
the instant of creation, as most
people would agree. Most of our development is
decided for us by our parents and our community. Later on, we
are able to take a more active role in our education and
employment decisions but with the support and strong suggestions of
others.
As for career choices, studies show that before age 30 most of us
are set on career trajectories that will carry us forward for
the rest of our working lives. Yes, we all know that some people
do make extreme career changes later in life -- like running away
to the circus, for instance -- but statistically they are a
smaller group.
Therefore, most of what determines our success is out of our
control by the time we reach early 30's. While that might sound
depressing, there is still one key success factor that is very
much within our control.
Relationships are
our only real choice
As we build our careers, our decisions and expertise in
developing the right relationships with the right people will be
the deciding factor for our success. And, our choices of
friends, colleagues,
subordinates, customers and industry partners are almost
COMPLETELY WITHIN OUR CONTROL.
As we manage larger and more complex
groups, the quality and the productivity of these
personal relationships become more and more important because
naturally the only way for leaders to do anything is
through other people.
In assessing the careers of roughly 20,000 leaders over the past
20 years from many different countries, professions and
industries, it is clear to this author that the quality of our
decisions in choosing the right people to work with, sell to and
buy from, as well as our personal friends and marriage partners,
is the most important factor in determining our lifetime success. Genes,
Development and Career Choices are important, yes, but they form
the foundations of us as people and become more and more
difficult to change as we move up in our careers and years as
human beings.
The key to success in life seems to be to find and attract the
right people to be all around us and then keep them there. While
this book is focused on sourcing, assessing and convincing the
best people to work with us, the same skills can be broadly
applied to our personal lives in finding suitable friends and
even lovers.
Hiring
Leaders
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get the best people on your bus and drive it to greatness.
A global manager's failsafe
guide to dominating any industry
by employing its dominant
people.
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Asia
CEO Forum
Asia
CEO Forum presented by PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is the largest
regular business event in Philippines and considered one of the
most important in the Southeast Asia region. The forum serves as a
hub for the spreading of ideas that help executive managers
overseeing enterprises across the Asia Pacific region.
Attendees are both expatriate and Asian management personnel
overseeing multinational and regional organizations. Held in
Philippines, presenters are leaders in their industries and
engaged in momentous pursuits of significance to the entire
region.
Asia
CEO Forum is operated as a CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) activity of Chalre Associates, one of Southeast
Asia's most prominent senior management executive search firms, to
promote Philippines as a premier business destination in the Asia
region.
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Asia
CEO Awards
Asia
CEO Awards presented by Aseana City represents the
grandest alliance of local and international business people ever
created to promote Philippines on the world stage. As one of the
largest events of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, it is
considered a must-attend occasion for business leaders active in
Southeast Asia.
The star-studded Board of Judges of Asia CEO Awards give
away 10 awards to many of the most accomplished leadership teams
and individuals currently operating in Philippines and the region.
The awards recognize extraordinary leaders who have demonstrated
outstanding achievement for their organizations and contributions
to others.
As one of the fastest growing nations on the planet, the world's
business leaders have their eyes on Philippines like never before.
The annual gala was established as a natural outgrowth of Asia
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business community in Philippines.
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SPECIAL DOWNLOADS:
Media organizations
throughout the world call upon the Principals of Chalre Associates for thought leadership.
Below are some examples of published material written by our
consultants or international journalists who refer to them. For a complete list of published work,
Click Here.
Getting Ready For The
Deluge: Outsourcing in Philippines
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 62KB]
The
Economist Intelligence Unit of the Economist magazine
asked Chalre Associates' Chairman, Richard Mills,
to write a chapter about the Philippine outsourcing sector
in its annual Business Guide Book. The material
provides a Executive Briefing on the progress and major
issues facing this industry that is certainly one of most
significant growth stories in the world.
more
Asia Pacific Mining
Conference 2007 - Report
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 28KB]
The 7th Asia Pacific Mining Conference put on by the Asean
Federation of Mining Associations was perhaps the largest
such event in the region. Richard Mills, Chairman of Chalre Associates
gave this report on what was said by the prominent mining
people who presented.
more
The
State of BPO in Philippines: Dan Reyes Speaks
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 31KB]
Richard
Mills, Chairman of Chalre Associates,
interviewed Dan Reyes of Sitel for ComputerWorld (US) recently to get
his views on the state of the BPO industry in Philippines. Dan
presented US readers with compelling information to support his view
that Philippines is currently seen as the "Number 1" option by global
companies sending BPO work to offshore destinations.
Dan Reyes is easily one of most experienced Business Process
Outsourcing (BPO) managers in the Asia Pacific region and the world. He
is head of the extremely successful Philippine operations of Sitel, the
world's largest call center organization. Among other things, he is a
founder and former president of the Business Processing Association of
the Philippines. more