Get out of your comfort zone to advance your career

Article originally published in the Philadelphia Business Journal on April 1, 2019

In your professional career, have you ever wondered what the future may bring? Have you thought about how to manage your career, and whether you should develop a detailed career plan?

I am about to enter my fourth career as an author of a book with the working title, “Be different! The keys to business and professional success.” I recently signed a book deal with Business Expert Press who will publish my book. I never expected to have four careers!

The book is based on my experiences during my first three careers: as a corporate guy rising up through 11 positions at my company to the position of CEO; as a director on public company, private company, trade association, nonprofit and educational institution boards; and as a nationally syndicated columnist for the Philadelphia Business Journal and its 42 sister publications across the country, writing about leadership, entrepreneurship and corporate governance. I have been able to accomplish all this because of how I managed my career, always looking forward toward the next opportunity.

Each year, I address the graduates of the College of Medicine at Drexel University and share with them the following remarks:

“Be open to new opportunities that come your way and embrace change – the only constant in life. In addition to taking advantage of opportunities that come your way, I encourage you to be proactive and create your own opportunities. You never know where these might take you.

“I am a chemical engineering graduate from our University, who just happens to be the vice chairman of its board. Now, how does that happen? How does an engineer become the vice chairman of the board of his alma mater?

“I can look back to the first day after my commencement and recall the steps along my career pathway. I took advantage of opportunities and accepted assignments outside of my comfort zone to learn and to broaden my knowledge and experience. I took risks. Sometimes I failed, but I never let that stop me from moving forward.

“Tomorrow is the first day after your commencement. Take risks and step out of your comfort zone. Always take advantage of opportunities to do something new and different. And someday, you may have the honor of addressing graduates at their commencement ceremony, as I am doing today.”

I got out of my comfort zone when:

• On behalf of my company, as a young business manager, I decided to file a lawsuit against a global French chemical company who was dumping product in the U.S. below their home market price, taking market share from my company.
• I was promoted to the presidency of our Canadian subsidiary in Toronto and moved my family there, for what turned out to be a three-year assignment.
• I was named to the position of CEO of my company, PQ Corporation, and needed to implement a significant change in organization and strategy to deal with a significant loss of earnings due to a forced price reduction at our largest customer, in addition to moving off a plateau of sales and earnings for the prior three years.
• I accepted the request of the chairman of the board of Drexel University to assume the role of chairman of the board of the university’s College of Medicine, where I learned the business of medicine.
• Without formal training as a writer, I decided to do something new and become a columnist, writing about how people can become better leaders, successful entrepreneurs and more effective board members, as well as help their company become the preferred provider of products and services to its market.

Many people have asked me if I had a detailed career plan in place – if I expected to achieve a specific position by a certain date. I did not. Since one can’t control the opportunities and the timing of what might come their way, I decided that putting in place a detailed career plan with dates would be a source of frustration. My career plan consisted of the journey that I felt would lead me to the destination.

After earning my B.S. in chemical engineering, I had a goal to earn an MBA, which I did while working as an engineer full time and going to school during the evening. Once I earned my degree, I had a goal of becoming a profit center leader – an individual who had full responsibility for the P&L of a business. I achieved this when I was promoted to the presidency of my company’s Canadian subsidiary. Once this goal was achieved, I aimed my sights on becoming the CEO of the company, which I achieved some years later.

I was more concerned with what I could learn on the journey and the results I could achieve that would qualify me for the next promotion, rather than following a career plan that would be out of date shortly after it was developed or modified.

I recommend to my readers – take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way and make your own opportunities. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. You never know where the future might take you.

Stan Silverman is founder and CEO of Silverman Leadership. He is a speaker, advisor and nationally syndicated writer on leadership, entrepreneurship and corporate governance. Silverman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and an MBA degree from Drexel University. He is also an alumnus of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. He can be reached at Stan@SilvermanLeadership.com.