As Seth Godin said, “You are either remarkable or invisible. Make a choice.” The challenge is that it is almost impossible to stand out in the crowd if you do not know how to master your work.
In other words, you are stuck in a sea of competition unless you can show superior skills, bring sought after solutions, and drive changes that the market—desperately needs.
“But How do I master my craft?” you are thinking. Keep reading …
The secret is, to become a thought leader in your field, you need to develop indispensable skills, master the right technology, and create a framework to solve problems that keep clients—and employers—awake at night. But how do you get there?
Well, you can work with coaches, take relevant courses, and learn from the pros by reading their books and studying the skills you want to bring to the marketplace.
For example, below are 7 books on how to master your work that you can start with. I am not sure these books are for you. But look at the list to see if any title interests you.
1- Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson. According to Seth Godin, author of Linchpin, “This book is a breakthrough, a lyrical, powerful, science-based narrative that actually shows us how to get better (much better) at the things we care about.”
2- Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell discusses a vital question: “What makes high-achievers different? “
More Resources on How to Master Your Work
3- Mastery by The bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene. This book discusses the behaviors and habits of well-known masters and champions from a variety of fields.
4- The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. This book is like a business GPS. As Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired, said, “No matter what they tell you, an MBA is not essential. If you combine reading this book with actually trying stuff, you’ll be far ahead in the business game.”
5- Turning Pro. In this book, Steven Pressfield discusses the sacrifices you have to make to move from a novice to a pro stage. He also elaborates on how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to career progress.
6- Managing Oneself by Peter Ferdinand Drucker. This must-read publication focuses on why you must identify your strengths and weaknesses and acquire self-knowledge. It also demonstrates only a combination of both will help you achieve excellence.
7- So Good They Can’t Ignore You. In this book, Cal Newport explains what it means “to be so good” at your craft and how to reach that point. As Reid Hoffman, co-founder and chairman of LinkedIn, put it, “Entrepreneurial professionals must develop a competitive advantage by building valuable skills. This book offers advice based on research and reality—not meaningless platitudes—on how to invest in yourself in order to stand out from the crowd. An important guide to starting up a remarkable career.”
Do you need guidance to create a system to master your work? Email the CBL Team now. Please share this post with your smart friends.
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