Everyone wants to build a successful career: To get promoted, to gain new responsibility and authority, to earn a higher salary…. Here are 5 ways to build a remarkably successful career

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5 Ways to Build a
Remarkably Successful
Career...
Everyone wants to build a successful career: To get
promoted, to gain new responsibility and authority, to earn
a higher salary….
(Well, maybe not everyone, but you get the point.)

2. Even though I held a number of responsible positions, I also
made a number of missteps (one of my nicknames was
CLMJ, for Career Limiting Move Jeff), so I’m probably not be
the best person to give career advice.
So I found someone a lot better: Jim Whitehurst. Jim has
gone from management consultant at Boston Consulting
Group to Treasurer of Delta Airlines to Chief Operating
Officer of Delta Airlines… and is now the CEO ofRed Hat, the
$1.1 billion open source software company.
Jim definitely knows how to build a successful career—and
just as importantly, what smart leaders look for as they develop
and promote talented employees.
Just don’t be surprised that the road to success requires
dedication, commitment, and hard work. If building a great
career was easy we’d all be a CEO.
Here’s Jim:
1. Be deeply curious.

3. When I look for people to place in leadership positions,
especially senior leadership positions, I look for people who
deeply understand the business. Probe deeply into most
companies and you’ll find way too many senior executives
understand their role and their division… but not the overall
business, much less the broader economy.
An outstanding executive: 1) Deeply understands her
specific areas of responsibility; 2) Thoroughly understands
the aspects of the rest of her company; 3) Has a solid
understanding of her industry, other industries, and macro-
economic forces and trends.
Sound like a lot to know? It is—but it’s knowledge that will
separate you from the pack. Most people work hard to check
the “I’m doing a great job in myjob” box, but to be a leader
you need to be able to step up, care about, and truly
understand the larger issues of the business.
For example, at Delta I was treasurer but I was also very
concerned about our then-poor on time record. I dug into the
data, met with peers, learned what people did in different

4. departments… I wanted to know everything possible about
everything possible.
It takes time, but it’s also easy: People readily talk about
their frustrations, issues, and concerns. All you have to do is
ask questions and listen.
In time I became known as a guy with broad skills… and
one day our CEO said, “Okay, since you’ve been complaining
so much about our transportation network, it’s yours.” Even
though I had never held an operations job I became the
COO.
People instantly recognize when you truly care about your
business and truly care about learning. That always shines
through—and will always take you far.
2. Learn how to get the people around you to do the
best they can.
I phrase it that way because different people have different
leadership styles and different ways they influence others.

5. Authenticity is the real key to leadership at any level,
especially the senior level. The goal is to be authentic and
learn to work within the framework of your personality to
get people to follow your lead.
Be yourself and leverage your strengths. Don’t try to act like
someone else; people can instantly tell. If you’re casual and
easygoing, don’t try to switch personalities and become
refined and polished. You’ll just come across as insincere
and plastic.
People like, respect, and follow real people. Be yourself and
learn how to get people to do what you want them to do—
as yourself.
3. Find a work-life rhythm you can maintain.
You can’t treat your career like a crash diet: Cut your
calories in half and exercise like crazy and you will lose
weight, but eventually you won’t be able to stick with a
program like that… and you’ll gain back the weight you lost.

6. A career works the same way. While there will be periods of
intense stress—like in my case when Delta was preparing for
bankruptcy or during my first 100 days at Red Hat—in general
you must find a business and life rhythm you can maintain over
the long term.
Find a rhythm where you can have enough time for family
and friends, feel satisfied emotionally, and still excel at
work, because building a great career is a marathon, not a
sprint.
4. Care deeply.
Don’t kid yourself: Everyone knows when you’re only in it
for yourself.
Unless you truly care about the company you work for and
are personally invested in its success, you will never work as
hard as you need to work to truly succeed.
Every great leader is deeply invested in the success of
others; every great business leader, regardless of position or
level, cares deeply about their company and the people

7. around them. If you don’t care deeply now, find something
you do care deeply about: Another function, another
mission, another company, etc.
You can only reach your full potential, both personally and
in a career, when you truly care.
5. Build your team.
Outside of work we all need a broader group of people we
can rely on to provide advice and guidance—people who care
about our success the same way we care about theirs.
My “team” includes ex-partners from Boston Consulting Group,
ex-colleagues from Delta, great friends from B-school… they all
care about my success and freely give me advice, perspective,
support, etc. They’re on “Team Jim,” and I’m on “Team Chris,”
“Team Rob,” etc.
The people on your team don’t need to be older, grizzled sages
—they just need to know you and care about you.

8. Make sure you have people in your life you can always turn to…
and for whom you will always do the same.
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