Brett Mooney is the president and chief executive officer of American Express Canada.
When it comes to your career, you want to be in the driver’s seat.
This means you need a roadmap. Early in my career, I developed my roadmap. I call it my ‘ARC’ approach. It stands for agility, risk and care and it has supported me on this journey – through the ups and downs and even a couple left turns.
Whether you’re just starting out or well on your way, these guiding principles can be used to refine your vision and focus on the career goals that will lead you to success – whatever that looks like to you. After I identified what my career ‘ARC’ looked like, I was able to navigate the route that led me to where I am today.
But before you begin your journey, let’s look at the three core pillars of this philosophy and why it is important to lean on them to help guide your decision-making process and ultimately determine your roadmap.
Agility
There is always going to be some degree of uncertainty about the future in any line of work. With new technologies, ways of working, customer preferences, market fluctuations and other factors emerging all the time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the faster pace of change in our world.
If you can embrace this change and use it to your advantage, you will have a competitive edge over those who choose to resist it.
You must put aside your ego and be prepared to pursue a learning agenda. You must accept that you don’t know everything and there is always more to learn. Adopting this learning-first mentality has allowed me to pivot faster when new information emerges.
During my career, I’ve had the opportunity to lead agile technology delivery teams, which has made me understand the importance of agility in driving business success. Creating small teams, asking them to challenge the status quo, removing any fear of failure and empowering them to make decisions not only delivers exceptional outcomes, but it’s also a rewarding and energizing way to work.
Instead of being a “know-it-all,” you should strive to become a “learn-it-all” and harness the power of learning – and failing faster – to grow and develop in your role. Remember, with the right mindset, failure equals learning and represents opportunities to develop faster than you would have by playing it safe.
Risk
On the topic of pushing boundaries, you can’t reach the top if you’re too scared to take some risks in your career. By going outside your comfort zone and trying something that may fail, you’re more likely to discover the most significant learning opportunities.
I remember early in my career when I made the decision to move from marketing to risk and analytics, the counsel I received from many of my peers (from marketing) was to never leave the department. But, I decided to take a leap of faith and it paid off. After two years in risk and analytics, I returned to marketing in a bigger role, with a broader skill set and as a much more effective marketer.
While it may seem daunting at first, taking risks in your career is one of the fastest ways to develop as a leader. True development as a leader isn’t possible without some risk, and risk isn’t possible without the support of an organization that has your back during uncomfortable or challenging times.
I don’t regret any of the risks I’ve taken on my career journey because even if they didn’t succeed, I was able to learn and grow from those experiences – something that wouldn’t have happened had I never tried in the first place.
Care
Finally, and perhaps the most important tenant of all, is that you must care – and care deeply – for those around you.
You must think carefully about selecting the leaders and organizations you’re going to work for because when you look back at your career, what matters more than promotions or titles will be who you were fortunate enough to work with along the way.
The best leaders are those who lead with humility and care. Those who care more about supporting their teams, rolling up their sleeves to provide support regardless of the task than managing up. I personally believe the best leaders have ‘dirty fingernails’ – meaning they dig in and help the team with whatever deliverables are required to achieve success.
It’s not just about caring for those around you, it is also important to find an organization that cares for their people and the communities they serve. I believe the best career you can have will be one in which you have shared values among your team and organization. That has been the case for me and I’m so grateful to have worked with people and companies that have values deeply aligned with my own.
The ‘ARC’ approach has guided me and kept me focused on the vision I set for my career. That’s not to say, however, that your path should look the same. That’s why I urge you to create your own career ‘ARC’ and consider what each pillar means for you and how you can action it.
It’s always easier to reach your destination when you know the route – and when you come across unforeseen obstacles, be sure to lean on your principles and the career map you’ve created to guide you on your journey.
This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.