What is Career Intensity?
Career Intensity is the drive for continuous individual improvement that is the hallmark of successful entrepreneurs and top corporate executives. People with Career Intensity engage in strategic thinking and planning, create and market their personal brand, and consistently create exceptional value for their “customer” – whether the customer is the company for which they work or their client.
How did you develop the concept of Career Intensity?
Over the course of my 20 years in business, I have taken my experience and education and applied it to help create a climate of continuous improvement in the projects in which I was involved. During that time, I learned about the determining factors of success in many different industries. As a result, I helped many of these businesses develop processes of continuous improvement that would ensure continued success for the future. I began to recognize that companies had strategies and continuous improvement models that helped them chart a path toward success, but that there was no such model for individuals. I began to focus on the ways in which the factors of business success were applicable to individuals. I also carefully studied the characteristics and traits that those who are highly successful share. I learned to view the world through the eyes of executives, customers, and employees in some of the world’s best-run organizations. As a result, I formulated the personal strategies of Career Intensity.
What is the Career Intensity Matrix?
The Career Intensity Matrix is a tool I developed to help people visualize the four categories into which most people in today’s workforce fall. These categories are Workplace Warriors, 
Management Mavericks, Intrepreneurs, and Entrepreneurs. Because today’s business world places a premium on the performance of the individual, a person’s ability to create value for their customer is paramount. Therefore, the vertical axis of the Career Intensity Matrix is a measurement of value creation. The horizontal axis of the Matrix represents the level of risk tolerance with which an individual is comfortable. In the Matrix, the Workplace Warrior occupies the lower left quadrant; this nine-to-fiver creates little individual value and has a low tolerance for risk. The Management Maverick occupies the lower right quadrant; although he embraces risk, he creates little value for his customer. The Intrepreneur, who occupies the upper left quadrant, feels more comfortable in a low-risk corporate environment, but creates tremendous individual value for the companies in which he works. The Entrepreneur, who occupies the upper right quadrant, has a high tolerance for risk – expressed through starting her own company – and creates enormous value for her customers. All super-achievers are either Intrepreneurs or Entrepreneurs. In Career Intensity, I’ve outlined the strategies and tactics that will catapult you from being a Workplace Warrior or a Management Maverick into becoming an Intrepreneur or an Entrepreneur.
What are the drawbacks to being a Workplace Warrior?
A Workplace Warrior often has the perception of job security, primarily because there are so many people in his position. While he provides essential services to his organization, the Workplace Warrior is not creating much individual value. In truth, when his company seeks ways to cut back expenses through workforce reduction or outsourcing, the Workplace Warrior will feel the brunt of these efforts. With a little training and development, the Workplace Warrior is replaceable.
What are the drawbacks to being a Management Maverick?
The Management Maverick has a tendency to move forward and implement solutions without the support of her internal and external customers. Occasionally, this results in a huge success. More often than not, though, she creates an undesirable issue for the company – either internally or externally. As a result, she is often perceived as a rogue and has a limited career future.
What are the challenges faced by an Intrepreneur?
The Intrepreneur understands the value he creates within his company; he often develops new ways to improve the value of his company’s business. He should keep a watchful eye on the market value of his ideas and balance it with his risk tolerance. At some point, he may have an idea or a creative solution with significant market potential that outweighs the risk associated with starting a new business. An Intrepreneur should always be aware of how he is perceived within his organization. He needs to be careful not to fall into the position of being perceived as a Management Maverick. He must also work to develop strong advocates and take advantage of his knowledge that the social network in an organization is always more powerful than any form of formal communication. Similarly, he needs to continue to hone his influence and persuasion skills to make certain that his ideas are always at the top of the list for his internal and external clients.
What are the challenges faced by an Entrepreneur?
An Entrepreneur is the value creator for her customers. Her high level of confidence in herself and her team affords her a high risk tolerance. The Entrepreneur is never as successful as she could be. She views the future as unfulfilled potential. She often has a strong sense of urgency that allows her to get started before actually thinking through the consequences of her actions. This drive also propels her to work long hours, which could potentially lead to burnout or health risks. Balance is critical for the Entrepreneur. In addition, brand positioning is often missing from the arsenal of the Entrepreneur. Because she generally has a laser focus on the operational aspects of her business, she often neglects the process of positioning herself and her products and services. The Entrepreneur often develops relationships with her customers. An important challenge for the Entrepreneur lies in identifying her high value customers and converting them into advocates.
Comments