5 Tips for success from a CEO
BY CAROLINE NJUNG’E
I tell everyone who asks that before I became the CEO of Centum, I was what you would call a Jack of all trades. Being an intern, I was asked to do everything, from filing to drafting letters – all the mundane duties that everyone else in the company did not want to do.
I immersed myself in it though, and would volunteer to do even more. I had no intention of being an intern forever, so I studied the CEO – how he dressed, how he talked, how he carried himself. He wore very good suits, and with my small salary, I went shopping and bought presentable suits – I ensured that I was well groomed.
During board meetings and other gatherings, I would offer to help mount the projector for him, or do the projecting – he could not help but notice me. Four months later, he offered me a job. A couple of years later, I became the CEO.
If there is that one person you admire or would like to become, study them and emulate them – you are what you project yourself to be.
THE BOOK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE:
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I have probably reread it 30 times.
This book me taught me to be more patient and sophisticated in how I deal with people; it also taught me how to influence and make a positive impact amongst those around me. I’d recommend it for every young person starting off in life, because how you interact with those you come across will determine whether you succeed or not – to succeed, you need to work with others.
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MY FIVE TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Have a positive attitude about yourself – you become what you believe you are.
- Remain focused in what you are doing, don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the successes of others.
- Build valuable relationships along the way because these relationships are what will move you to the next step.
- Do what you really love, something you would do without pay.
- Prepare for opportunities that don’t exist because you have the capacity for more. You accomplish this by constantly developing yourself – read and learn something daily.