Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Why everyone is looking for drive…

It is strange that regardless of the industry or company size, everyone seems to be looking for the same capabilities in their candidates. Capabilities that have nothing to do with technical skills but all revolve around personality attributes.

Every client is searching leadership, capability to deal with change, accountability but above all drive and energy.
The first 3 characteristics will be for next time, today it will be all about drive.

In preparation of this blog, I decided to go the scientific way and look for a definition on-line. This is what I found: drive - the trait of being highly motivated with as an example "his drive and energy exhausted his co-workers"

What a start…apparently drive is not always considered a good thing!

So why would companies want to hire leaders who have drive as a core capability? Does this mean that a successful manager cannot be an introvert?

Much more than what meets the eye, drive is about motivation to succeed. It can express itself in all shapes and forms but it comes down to this: the most successful people have an internal drive to achieve, develop and keep moving forward. It is what pushes them to complete something when they feel like giving up. It is about being pro-active instead of reactive, spotting and taking advantage of opportunities as they arise and persisting in the face of setbacks.

When looking at drive from this angle, it is obvious why companies value this characteristic.
Drive comes from within, it is the desire to achieve something out of interest, enjoyment or the inherent satisfaction you get from achieving a goal. It is not triggered by external motivation factors such as salary or approval from others.
Everyone can have drive, you just need to detect what motivates you. Usually, it is doing what you love.

But drive also needs to be nurtured. There are a few easy ways to remain motivated, even in the face of setbacks.
  • ·       You can surround yourself with enthusiastic people. Avoid negative impulses and seek out positive, well-motivated people. It is a lot easier to be motivated if the people around you are.
  • ·       Keep a positive attitude, see problems and set backs as learning opportunities
  • ·       Build on your strengths and work on ironing out your weaknesses

And last but not least DO IT...try not to focus on the risks or the problems but keep working toward your goals!




I look forward to hearing from you,
Isabel

Through a personalized and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company

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