Begin with the end in mind, and enjoy the ride

Begin with the end in mind, and enjoy the ride

Part of the fun of being young is learning as you go and enjoying the journey, without any major preconceptions. Still, when I look back on my career, there are a few things I wish I had known, or perhaps at least considered more closely, when I was 22.

I believe that having a big dream – and beginning with the end in mind -- is really important. It’s crucial to stay humble and focused on your work, but you should also never stop saying to yourself, “why not me?” I started dreaming big early on. Even when I first joined the Royal Bank of Canada in my 20s, I wondered what it’d be like to be CEO one day. It definitely wasn’t something I dwelled upon in any great length, but it filled me with internal fuel to challenge and push myself to take on new and exciting opportunities.

Believing in yourself can be a tremendous springboard for jumping outside your comfort zone. Earlier in my career, as a junior executive, I asked for a lot of funding for a big project in the risk management area of the bank. It was something that had never been done in North America, and it presented a fork in the road for me: if this was a success, it could be transformative. But if I failed, it would be a very public flop and potentially the end of my time at RBC.

I went ahead anyway, and was confident that if it didn’t work out, I could use my skills and education to find a job somewhere else. I thought the risk was worth taking, and I was OK with the possibility of failure. In the end, the planning, collaboration and hard work paid off and it turned out to be a successful project which launched a new stage of my career.

I’ve always believed in my own abilities, even when not everyone else was as convinced as I was. I remember once someone telling me that I wouldn’t make it past middle management. It shook me up initially, for sure. No one likes hearing they aren’t good enough, and I could have said, “this person is right, there’s a limit to what I can achieve here.” Instead, I told myself that this was the view of just one individual, and that I needed to keep going.

Another important consideration is balancing your work life with perspectives from your personal self. The reality is that your view of the world becomes one-dimensional if you only think about work. The fastest way to develop a healthy range of viewpoints is to expose yourself to diversity of thought. Even if your co-workers are amazing people, your family, friends and personal interests are just as important, and I fundamentally believe that drawing inspiration from your personal life can make you a better leader.

I also liked getting to the point quickly when I was 22, and still do today. So, in a nutshell: don’t be afraid to dream, begin with the end in mind, but don’t forget to enjoy the journey. You won’t regret it.

Alex Kourykhalov, PFP

Regional Vice President At RBC Royal Bank

8y

Wholistic vision and realistically ambitious goals are at the heart of our success at RBC. Thank you Dave for sharing.

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thanks for sharing.............insightful and motivating!

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Atul Prasad (Moorishbblu)

18K+ LinkedIn Connects, Meditator, Poet and an accidental corporate citizen

8y

Beautiful.....very Motivating

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Anju B.

Program Manager at ReciPharm

8y

Beautiful!

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