How can you be successful in your career?
This is a very open-ended question, given success means different things to different people. Depending on what your dream role is, the WHAT you need to do can vary. (More on that further below.) Regardless of what success is for you, the HOW remains the same:
Define what success is and how you will measure it
Define specific steps to reach your goal
Be open to growing through some amount of discomfort (no pain, no gain)
Identify allies to help you reach your goals
Remain authentic and self-aware
Interested in moving into a more senior or management level role
If you’re currently in an individual contributor role, keep doing what you do well and strive to regularly learn new skills. If you have your eye on management, start thinking (and acting) less like an individual contributor and more as a leader.

Interested in moving into senior management or a director level role
If you’re already a successful manager and looking to break into that next level of leadership. It’s going to take more than just ‘more of the same’ to get ahead. Areas of focus: delegation, strategic thinking, and empowering other leaders.

Interested in moving into a partnership, executive or board level role
When seeking to break into this level, delegation, strategic thinking, succession planning and executive presence will be most critical. How you lead, communicate, carry yourself and how you treat and are perceived by others, carries great weight.

Desire to find more fulfillment in current role
For many of us, myself included, success isn’t defined by a title. It’s much more about balance, fulfillment, and a sense of accomplishment. For some, that sense of accomplishment can be monetary. Feeling successful in your current role will be a lot more personal. This means defining your motivators, metrics, and success rate will also be much more specific to you. Pick two or three key objectives and have that be your starting point.

Whatever your definition of success is, work smarter (notice I didn’t just say work harder), be kind, and stay persistent!