Success!Ezine
Volume 5 Issue 11-- November 2007
DrCarolWebster.com
Copyright 2007   All Rights Reserved

Success!Ezine  
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Dr. E. Carol Webster to help you get ahead in life
and enjoy your success. 

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E. Carol Webster, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in consulting practice in Fort Lauderdale, FL . Feel free to call or e-mail for more information.

Many people shrink from taking that next big step in their career because they intuitively fear that they’ll be saddled with a lot more work. They’re usually right about this. While there certainly are more perks and privileges associated with life at the top, these are not given to you for free and typically you’ll earn every bit of them. But rather than sabotage your success, brace yourself, take a deep breath, and get ready to take the challenges on. Yes, the new position will move you out of your comfort zone and probably will ratchet up your stress level, but you’ll learn how to deal with this. And you’ll have plenty of company. Lots of other folks have to figure out just how to handle all the new expectations they are encountering. Trust yourself. You can learn too.

When you’re the boss, the buck stops with you. Along with all the decisions and increased authority comes more scrutiny, critique and criticism. The higher you go, the more you can expect to live in the fishbowl – subject to close examination by your staff as well as the public. And, yes, expect your also-rans, competitors, and other rivals to take pleasure in watching you mess up. But learn to accept that this just goes with the territory. Critiques of your performance can’t be avoided, but you must put more energy into minimizing faux pas, mistakes and blunders. 

You may resist making that next career move because you are aware that with it you will have greater span of control and power. Many are not comfortable with this. You may unwittingly prevent your ascension because of ambivalence about becoming one of “them” who has the power to hire and fire, to decide what expenses the business can or can’t afford, or to get so much attention for all the wonderful things the company is known for in the community, in the country, or even in the world. Wow! That’s heady stuff and can cause you to sweat a little about your ability to handle it all. But chill. You can do this. Just remind yourself how you got this far and restore your sense of self-confidence. Yes, this means you must play the part of the “heavy” many times and make the tough decisions. It means that people will not always like you but once you accept that this is not the purpose of your job, you’ll learn to live through it.

The fear of success will hold you back and keep you from realizing your dreams. Fight it vigorously. Though this fear operates rather unconsciously, try hard to become aware of your worries so that you can take hold of them and nip them in the bud. Replace them with positive thinking and a clear view of yourself mastering any challenges because negative expectations only breed negative outcomes. Pursue the opportunities that are available to you and watch your success soar!

   About the Author: 
Dr. E. Carol Webster is a clinical psychologist in consulting practice in Fort Lauderdale, FL and is author of 
Success Management: How to Get to the Top and Keep Your Sanity Once You Get There and The Fear of Success: Stop It From Stopping You!

Ask Dr. Webster...

Dear Dr. Webster: I was recently promoted and now I’m traveling in some important social circles. I can’t believe some of the big whigs I’m meeting. I’m getting their home addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and even the personal cell numbers for most of them. I took the liberty of contacting some but got the brush off even though they remember meeting me. Should I keep trying?

-- Making Big Connections

Dear Making Big Connections: No. These people  didn’t invite you to contact them. You don’t seem to have a bona fide business reason to do this – and even if you do – they haven’t given you permission to cold call them at their homes or via their personal cell numbers.

 So what is it you want anyway? To develop a relationship with them? In that case, begin by identifying what you’re bringing to the relationship that’s of interest to them? You’re probably getting the brush off because your contact is one-sided and self-serving. Also, it’s presumptuous to assume that you can just sashay into their lives when you’re the “new kid on the block”. Even folks in sales who have to follow all leads in order to earn a living understand the importance of taking time to learn the needs of their prospects and cultivating the type of relationship that will result in their being selected to meet these needs. So pay your dues. Bring some value to the social circle before you look to cash in.

  --Dr. Webster

Got a Question?

Ask Dr. Webster

Success Motivator

To defend oneself against a fear is simply to insure
that one will, one day, be conquered by it;
fears must be faced.

-- James Baldwin

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Success!Ezine
E. Carol Webster, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology Consulting
DrCarolWebster.com
954.797.9766
Success!Ezine@DrCarolWebster.com