The start of a new year is a great time to put your career goals into action. “Zoom: Surprising Ways to Supercharge Your Career,” by Daniel Roberts and Fortune contributors, is a must read. It’s an inspiring book aimed at those who feel a desire to move past the traditional ways of doing business and look at things from a different perspective.
“Zoom” profiles 31 of today’s top entrepreneurs and business leaders that have made Fortune Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list. Their stories are interesting as each one has a unique way of reacting to changes in the marketplace and succeeding where others might have been intimidated by the challenges faced.
Daniel and Leigh Gallagher came up with the creative term “zoomer” for the book when identifying people who zoom pass by the status quo and on their way to success at an early age. When talking with Daniel, he described zoomers as those representing a generational shift in how business is defined and is not just about age per se but rather about people who are doing things in a unique way.
While reading “Zoom,” it can be tempting to start the comparison game with those who have reached the top to where you are in your career. The point is that anyone can be a zoomer if you develop awareness of yourself and are bold in a practical way. Daniel summarized zoomer boldness as a “willingness to suggest ideas and changes with those in senior positions, go for big ideas with an eye for the future.”
Here are a few insights gleamed by those in “Zoom” that are applicable to your career:
“Network, network, network” – is how Kevin Plank, turned his T-shirt idea into Under Armour, a company approaching 2 billion in sales and took on the top leaders in the sports attire field.
“Venture into the unknown” – is the advice Marissa Mayer took to heart when accepting the opportunity from Yahoo as CEO, “Do things you’re not quite ready to do.” The advice to choose the challenging path has kept Mayer moving forward in her career.
“Let your obsessions guide you” – for Jess Lee, she found herself unwinding from work in the evening by reviewing and putting together fashion collages on Polyvore. She then took her interest a step further and emailed the CEO, telling him how to improve the site. Lee is now CEO of Polyvore.
“Have a compelling story and tell it” – is the marketing strategy that Blake Mycoskie uses in promoting TOMS Shoes. Without a large advertising budget, Mycoskie resorted to talking about the compelling story of TOMS Shoes and his passion towards donating a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair he sells.
“Allow yourself to be groomed” – the desire to change jobs fast can be a challenge when zooming in your career however Dolf van den Brink, president and CEO Heineken USA, advises younger employees to “slow down and learn the ins and outs of a business.” Building a good relationship with a senior employee early on will benefit you in the long run.
“Trust your ‘eureka’ moments” – is what happened when Jennifer Hyman realized the need for a service when her sister showed her a $1,600 Marchesa gown she bought to wear at a wedding. The idea of starting a business were new outfits could be rented for every event helped her and Jennifer Fleiss launch Rent the Runway. Hyman is CEO and Fleiss is the company’s president, both credit their success to having a partnership where they can keep each other accountable and their spirits up.
“Zoom” lessons are helpful for companies as well as those on the fast track with ideas and drive. While the individual profiles highlight successes, there is a good mixture of those who have had to bounce back when things don’t go as planned.
How have you been influenced by a “zoomer” in your career?
