The Achilles Heel of the Driven, Ambitious Professional: How Your Drive to Achieve May Be Sabotaging Your Career

By: Thomas J. Delong

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Synopsis: If you're a successful leader, you probably have a hard-charging, high-need-for-achievement personality. Yet those very traits that have made you successful can sabotage your career without your even knowing it. Sticking with your proven strengths instead of risking exposure of your weaknesses can hold you back from higher levels of success. In this chapter, organizational behavior expert Thomas DeLong introduces eleven traits that characterize high-need-for-achievement professional--and will probably have you saying "I do that!" After describing each trait, DeLong provides a detailed questionnaire that will help you pinpoint which ones are impeding your career progress and job satisfaction. Once you understand how your own drive to achieve can cause you to stall, you'll have taken the first step to understanding how you can rise above these behaviors to find the achievement and fulfillment you seek. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 1 of "Flying Without a Net: Turn Fear of Change into Fuel for Success."