Climbing Your Professional Mountain
“You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.”
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
Climbing your professional mountain is a journey that requires dedication, hard work, and strategic planning. In today's competitive business world, it's essential to have a roadmap to help you reach your career goals faster.
My career has been a journey of transformation, starting as a high school football coach and culminating in achieving my ultimate goal: winning a Super Bowl. Along the way, I learned several invaluable lessons about career advancement and strategies to help you reach your professional goals.
In my case, the lessons were usually hard-earned. I had to fail to succeed because, though I knew where I wanted to end up, no one before me had blazed a path from the lowest level to the highest level.
So, follow along as I share the secrets to achieving success in your profession.
Set Clear Goals
The one thing I think I did right was to have a set of clear goals.
From the time I was 10 years old and told my buddy, Nate Low, that one day I would win the Super Bowl, my mind was set on becoming the best at the highest level.
My initial goal was to make it as a player. That plan was quickly scrapped, as I was blessed to be around players on my teams who I knew I would never be as big or talented as. I could “want to” all day, but the facts were clear. I was not 6’4”, could not hold 250 lbs. of body weight, and couldn’t hit like a Mack truck.
My goal then pivoted from the playing field to the coaching profession. The goal had not changed, just the vehicle I would use to obtain my goal.
Clearly outline what you want to achieve in your professional life and create a plan for getting there. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant goals will give you a clear direction and motivate you to keep moving forward.
Continue To Learn
Expanding your knowledge and skills continuously is crucial. Always take advantage of training programs and workshops, enhance your educational background, and networking opportunities to stay ahead of trends and sharpen your skills.
A big part of continuing your education is staying engaged with the changes in all professions. We can never sit back and think we have it all figured out. We will soon watch the profession move away from us the moment we think we have all the answers.
As I moved up the ladder, I found coaches and professionals in my lane that I had come to admire. I traveled around the country to listen to them, speak with them, and even visit them at their schools. These personal visits were the most valuable because I could watch the coach implement the ideas I wanted to learn.
By investing in continuous learning, you'll position yourself as a valuable asset within your organization while at the same time making contacts with other professionals in your business.
Building Bridges
When we visit and speak with other coaches, we build relationships with them. Remember the old saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know that gets you in the door?” I add the caveat "But it’s what you know that keeps you in the door.”
As I began building these professional relationships, I also built a network of information sources and people I could contact for advice. These two items helped me push my programming to heights few have attained. As my programs became tighter success soon followed.
Coaches such as Mike Woicik (winner of six Super Bowls), Vince Anderson (coach of Olympic gold medalists) and Dr. Robert Watkins (the top back surgeon in the world) became my professional mentors. This only occurred because they learned who I was, and how important it was for me to do things better than they had ever been done.
From these coaches and others like them, I learned from their experiences, sought their advice on career decisions and expanded my network of contacts through the relationship I had developed with them.
Take Calculated Risks
Suppose I had not left the security of high school teachers' salaries to become a Graduate Assistant (GA) at the University of Arkansas (UofA). In that case, I doubt I could have accomplished my professional goal of winning a Super Bowl.
Because I took a job that only paid $400 a month for ten months of the year, while rent was $450 a month for twelve months of the year, I would not have met Joe Spivey, Scotty Conley, or John Stucky.
Joe was responsible for me being offered the head football coaching position at Subiaco Academy. This position allowed me to build my training program, leading to success that I could enjoy for the rest of my career.
Scotty hired me as an assistant football coach and strength coach at Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC). In the one season, I was at TVCC, I was blessed to be part of the team he had built that went on to win a Junior College National Championship. Scotty, a true gentleman and amazing motivator, personally gave me a doctoral class every day I was with him on what it took to be a professional in the coaching world.
John hired me as his GA at the UofA and, five years later, as his Associate Head Strength Coach at the University of Tennessee (UT). I learned so much from John. But it was his connection to Pete Carroll that got me to the University of Southern California and finally to the Seattle Seahawks, which put me in the position to win a Super Bowl.
We can’t be afraid to step out of our comfort zone, take on challenging assignments, or pursue new opportunities that stretch our capabilities. By pushing yourself beyond boundaries and embracing uncertainty, you'll develop resilience, gain valuable experience, and position yourself as a fearless leader.
Leaving the teaching profession to go to the U of A was a win/win. I won because I made connections that allowed me to chase, and ultimately accomplish my ultimate goal. But if that hadn’t worked out, I still would have won earning my Master’s Degree, which would have allowed me to be paid more on the teaching scale.
Make sure whatever decisions you make professionally, the “step up” is worth the work and sacrifice, and the possible “step down” will not be a career killer.
Stay Focused on the Prize
Above all else, staying committed to your goals is essential for climbing the corporate ladder faster. Maintain focus on what matters most, persevere through setbacks or obstacles, and remain dedicated to achieving success in every endeavor.
By staying true to yourself and working diligently towards your aspirations, you'll continue to make strides towards reaching new heights in your career.
I have found most failed efforts come from a lack of focus. The person forgot why they were sacrificing everything. They allowed “life” to become a factor. By life, I mean financial difficulties, family issues, the balance of time and money, and work difficulties. The missed birthdays, holidays, weddings, funerals, nights out, family time and never having enough money will become a huge factor detracting your focus from why you once felt it would be worth it.
For those who keep their focus, you may never get that lost time back, but the future will be so big that those lost minutes were sacrificed so that you will be able to have vivid lifelong memories.
Recap
As you climb your professional ladder, you will find it a challenging journey, but with the right strategies and mindset, you can move forward and successfully reach your greatest career goals. By setting clear goals, building bridges (relationships), continuing to learn, taking a few calculated risks, and staying focused, you will become the top performer in any career you choose.
