Career Success: No Risk, No Reward

Jun 16, 2014 9:48 am - by Linda SinghThose who sincerely aim to improve their lives and
careers must continually test new branches, says Accenture Managing Director Linda Singh.
Although success may not be waiting on each branch, its critical to set goals, keep striving and
adapt to change and new challenges, even in the face of real or perceived failure. - See more at:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2014/06/16/career-success-no-risk-no-
reward.html#sthash.QDnNJTTU.dpuf
If Ive learned anything in the 35 years since I ran away from home, dropped out of high school
and built a career in the Army and the private sector, its that no matter how many challenges we
may face and no matter how many obstacles get in our way, success really is within reach for
those who seek change, welcome it and embrace it. That goes for men and women from all
economic and social backgrounds.
So it was heartening to learn from a recent survey by Accenture that the vast majority of
professionals we polled in 32 countries 91 percent believe the most successful employees
will be those who can adapt to the changing workplace. Nearly as many 89 percent say they
thrive on or dont mind change. And, 75 percent believe they are equipped for the future, which
makes me optimistic that todays workers are taking the right steps toward advancing their
careers.
The first big change I ever made was in 1981, when I stopped by an Army National Guard
recruiting booth at a mall in Frederick, Maryland the same mall where I was working at a
pretzel stand and where I often slept at night because I was homeless. A chance meeting with a
recruiter that day altered the course of my life. I enlisted in the Army National Guard, which set
in motion a whole series of events that gave me the grounding I needed to build not one, but two
extremely fulfilling careers: As a soldier and as a management consultant at Accenture, where I
have worked for the past 18 years. Along the way, I completed my undergraduate and graduate
education at the Army War College, rose through the ranks of the Army to Brigadier General,
became head of the Maryland Army National Guard and worked across many departments of
both government and the private sector.
My experience in overcoming what seemed to be overwhelming odds gives me hope that career
success is possible for those willing to invest the time and effort to build their career capital
the skills that differentiate, define and advance our careers. I was fortunate that the Army and
Accenture provided so much training in leadership, management, operations and technology, and
its encouraging to see that many more employers are helping their people develop career
capital.
Innovative training and development programs energize and inspire employees, challenge them
and provide them with the skills and confidence they need to define and advance their
careers. In fact, nearly all of those surveyed by Accenture 89 percent believe that building
career capital is essential to their success in the workplace, and 84 percent say they are working
to increase their career capital in order to enjoy more growth opportunities.
Employer-provided skills training is terrific, but those who really want to get ahead must take the
initiative to stretch beyond their normal roles, ask lots of questions, improve their analytical and
problem-solving skills, learn from the more experienced people around them and do all they can
to increase their knowledge base. The arc of my own career, which has taken me where few
African-American women have gone, has allowed me to work with people at every stage of their
work lives and in every rung of society. It has taught me that a good career path is filled with
what I call branches and many attendant risks. Those who sincerely aim to improve their lives
and careers must continually test new branches even those they believe may not be strong
enough to support their weight. Although success may not be waiting on each branch, its
critical to set goals, keep striving and adapt to change and new challenges, even in the face of
real or perceived failure.
Ive learned that building strong relationships over the course of a lifetime and seeking out
mentors can play a huge role in our ability to succeed. I am fortunate to have had many
wonderful mentors in both the Army and in my civilian life from a sergeant who helped me
improve my work-life balance to a great high school basketball coach and a substitute teacher
who not only taught me and prayed with me, but gave me all the support a mom would have
given her own child.
So it should come as no surprise that Im a tremendous advocate of mentoring. Ive mentored
people at all levels, but most recently Ive been mentoring a group of young African-American
and Hispanic analysts at Accenture. As Ive worked with these young professionals over the past
13 months its been encouraging to see how their on-the-job experience is transforming the way
they solve problems. The main reason theyre able to succeed is their willingness to adapt to
change their approach to problem solving and continue testing the branches that lie before them,
even if theyre not sure those branches will be able to hold them.
- See more at: http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2014/06/16/career-success-no-risk-
no-reward.html#sthash.QDnNJTTU.dpuf