Create Your Own Luck: How an Intern Became a VP
Here are my corporate career tips from the heart of adidas.
It all started as a six-month internship at the adidas Headquarters in Germany. Fast forward 15 years and I’m now the VP of Concept to Consumer for adidas Global Football.
Young people always ask me how I was able to do it, expecting some hard and fast hacks that will give them a shortcut to the top. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. I don’t have a magic trick that will instantly boost your corporate career, but I do have four main pieces of advice that I learned along the way that will certainly set you up for success.
1. Put your hand up and trust the process
You need to put your hand up and ask for challenges. Don’t expect others to bring you what you want. Unless you ask for it, it’s not going to come. We create our own luck. Once you make the ask, it’s important to be patient and give space to whoever you spoke with to support you in making it happen.
I have the philosophy that things happen for a reason, even if you don’t know what that reason is. Every move I’ve made came when I was ready for it, which is easy to forget because we’re the hamster in the wheel that just wants to go faster and higher. Be assertive and ask for challenges, but be sure to balance that with patience and trust.
2. Open your mind
I see an open mind in two ways: firstly self-reflection and secondly diversify your world view.
You need to be able to ask for feedback and you need to be able to take it. And gosh, that’s not easy. However, hearing it, digesting it, and taking the time to go through it is such a beneficial process. Feedback is critical for growth!
As far as broadening your world view, travel is the best way to do this. Since travel isn’t always possible, you can always take small steps. Watch the news from all sides, particularly from sources that you disagree with. You don’t necessarily have to change your opinion, but it makes you more aware of different schools of thought. Educate yourself about the issues surrounding you and hopefully you’ll become a better and more aware individual. This is critical for succeeding personally and professionally.
3. The risk is never as high as you perceive
I was told that we have about 80,000 thoughts per day, 75,000 of which are negative. Now I’m not certain that those figures are exactly right, but I can completely relate to this. There’s always a little voice in the back of my head that tells me, “That’s not good enough,” or, “You can do better.” I would say, especially for women, that we tend to highlight what we can’t do as opposed to thinking about all that we can do. This is what I mean when I say the risk is never as high as you perceive.
When it comes to either making a move to a different work location, changing departments or being the new kid on the block, break down the challenge into smaller parts to keep you feeling positive and motivated.
It’s like in business. If you want to achieve net sales of $100 million, that may seem daunting. But if you break it down into something you can digest, such as earning $1 million in the first year, and build from that, you’ll be more likely to embrace the challenge instead of shying away from it.
4. Don’t plan so much
I’ve never had a plan. I originally started with adidas on a six-month internship and now I’m here 15 years. I never had VP as a target.
You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do right now; it’s not necessary for success. Focus on the smaller, day-to-day tasks and projects; your hard work will be recognized and rewarded. And above all believe in yourself without being cocky… Trust me, I am proof.
"Watch the news from all sides, particularly from sources that you disagree with."
It is not always about the big things... Personal development starts with small actions/gestures... and making it a regular practice !
1. Your alternative solutions when travelling isn't possible (reading news, etc.) - I totally agree. Not everyone who travels have bigger perspective and not everyone who doesn't means not having a great knowledge.
2. Your last sentence "… Trust me, I am proof." is a superb ending. The article isn't a theory, it isn't fake, it's true from personal experience.
Nice read.
I am indeed the proof and like to remind myself to never forget where I come from...
Loved this "The risk is never as high as you perceive", specially for all of us who dare to take challenges! Reminds me on how important is to always work in our C - Confidence!
thanks for being so candid. I love what you said about having an open mind. It's not that easy especially when your confidence is blooming high and you know what you are doing or where you are going. It's a great reminder for aspiring leaders.
thanks.
I really liked that you included the concepts of patience/trust and consistency. Us millennials are often so hungry for success that we tend to set up the bar very high and get frustrated if we don´t achieve our goals right away. This article is a reminder that a bright future starts from working hard in the present, definitely a good read for any ambitious person starting off his/her career.
Thank you again!
One thing I may not fully agree with you about is planning. Indeed, you probably shouldn't build detailed plans. It might be a waste of time if something unexpected or external comes and ruins it.
However you obviously should come up with some alternative scenarios in which you want to develop yourself and be clear what you need to start/stop doing to get there. And moreover, I think it is important to share your aspiration with people around you (this is anyhow linked with your first point) to be noticed.
on planning however, sometimes the plan is not allowing you to see other paths, that could actually lead you to new paths and allow for self development....
Thanks for the input!