Focus on the Enterprise

Revisiting Market-Centred Principles

The enhanced capacity to see and make opportunities for yourself will again catapult you around the Spiral to the market-centred zone, which you reach for the third time.

But now you are at the productive extreme: you are not just focused on your job and your organization, you are also focused on the essence of the enterprise itself. Those early principles that saw you into your first job and that were enhanced as you became a chief executive, now reach their zenith.

• You will not cease to «work hard»,
but now you naturally work smart, using principles flexibly and receiving help easily.

• You will not cease to «make money»,
but now you see social life more realistically, and naturally discern and negotiate good deals more rapidly and more easily.

•You continue to «use your talents»,
but these are greatly expanded, in part because they draw on close, trusted associates and outside advisers.

•You still «grasp opportunities»,
but now not just those that are obvious, you can see opportunities where others see nothing—or danger—and, if opportunity refuses to knock, you can build a door.

•You have not stopped developing and «sustaining your network»,
but now it is far more efficient because you can assess people much more quickly and accurately.

•You have not ceased to «manifest integrity»,
but your character is now strengthened from the fires of adversity and failure as much as by success.

In general: your communications are effective; your presence is calming; exceptional individuals are attracted to you.

Integrating the 7 Modes

Tracing dependencies back up the ellipse: 

» the strength of the enterprise depends on
» the strength of the organization, which depends on
» the quality of those in positions of responsibility «doing their job well».

You therefore adjust the truism that success depends on «good management», as if that could exist impersonally, to success comes down to the «people in management».

You have now developed your career capability in regard to social interaction as far as it can go. Although reality-centred principles have their dangers, there is no further transition. You can and must now use all principles from all 7 Modes positively and wisely.

More …

• The reality-centred principles should help you see more deeply into those that you recruit:

- their attitudes (as well as their abilities),
- their motives (as well as their methods), and
- their character (as well as their intelligence).

• Your heart complements your head.
• Your soul provides the resolve to withstand social pressures and disapproval.
• You become an influence for the good.

Conventional wisdom is often wrong and, even when it is right, it is difficult to reap the advantages of being first whilst following others. You certainly do not prefer the comfort of the crowd and are not happy to accept failure when everyone else fails ("so no-one can really blame you" as Keynes pointed out).

You prefer to reach counter-intuitive conclusions and can hold convictions about the course of events when others are still uncertain. You maintain your self-awareness and self-control in rocky situations.

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• Review the career-development process.

Originally posted: July 2009