6 Empirically Tested Rule Of Growth And Progress

So there I was, minding my own business, when I virtually stumbled upon a McKinsey & Company article that piqued my interest. The article, built around these Rules Of Growth, was written for businesses, but within its advice, I noticed how easily each point could be amended slightly to fit an individual.

Aren’t we all, at the end of the day, mini businesses that require nurture, investment, goals, vision and support?

So I did a little tweak on McKinsey & Company's proven rules (credit must go to the big guns) - and I think you'll find them helpful new prisms through which to view yourself in 2023.

1. Put your competitive advantage first. Focus on and communicate what you do best - and the value it adds; your ROI.

2. Make the trend your friend. Prioritise the parts of yourself that mirror external trends; hybrid working, tech, innovation…

3. Don’t be a laggard. It’s not enough to go with the flow — aim to outgrow your peers.

4. Look beyond your core strengths. Nurture growth in your adjacent skills and passions to broaden your progress potential.

5. Be a local hero. Commit to winning and growing your network and opportunities on the home front.

6. It’s OK to shrink to grow. Growth isn’t always linear, sometimes reducing our vision/goals/network/time spent working/project is the root to success.

There is such solid advice in this list. And the format feels fresh too. Remember, you are a business; a brand. Treat yourself more like that, and you'll find self-promotion, networking and all other seemingly 'icky' progression behaviours so much easier.

Be your own business, and it removes some of the emotions and makes it easier to objectively look at your win, stumbles and new opportunities.

Which point in my adapted McKinsey & Company list made you stop and think a bit harder? Tell me below in the comments. I'm obsessed with shapeshifting some of tired narratives within professional development.