Show Notes
Status – it’s a fact of working life that’s uncomfortable to talk about yet can have a tangible impact on your career. Hierarchies of power, prestige, and rank exist in every professional context we enter, and learning to navigate these dynamics is crucial. But what are the common status hazards, and how can you gracefully step around them?
On this episode of the Startup of You Podcast, Reid and Ben get honest about the role of status in careers. They explain how to show you value a higher-status person’s time; they discuss why interactions with peers require a different kind of finesse than interactions with superiors; and they tell the story of how The 48 Laws of Power author Robert Greene lost a power battle early in his career, and what we can learn from him.
Follow Reid Hoffman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman/ Follow Ben Casnocha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencasnocha/ Check out the Startup of You Website: https://www.startupofyou.com Please rate/review us on your favorite app – and be sure to follow or subscribe.
Thanks for listening.
More from The Startup of You Podcast
Building your network matters not just for career success but because the friendships you form along the way shape your overall sense of happiness, connection, and meaning. But how many of us actually slow down to assess our friendships and reflect on how to deepen them?
Remote work, the creator economy, and peer-to-peer gig services have given rise to the modern “portfolio career.” This approach is exciting: by diversifying your income stream, the types of work that you do, and the people you work with, you can forge a unique and versatile career path. But you must be very strategic.
There’s a common misconception that world-class careers are the result of slow and steady progress – a gradual climb of many small successes accruing over time. In fact, remarkable careers often benefit from “breakout opportunities,” singular moments that radically transform your professional trajectory. But how do you recognize them, and how do you increase the chances of creating game-changing opportunities for yourself?
How do your friends and colleagues describe you? What would *they* say your top strengths and weaknesses are? The answers to these and other questions define your professional reputation—your own individual brand. But you shouldn’t leave things up to chance. You should be authentic and thoughtful about shaping how you are perceived.
If you aren't pained by the risk involved in a potential career move, it's probably not a breakout opportunity. In fact, one of the riskiest things you can do in your career is try to eliminate risk altogether. Risk is omnipresent. You need to know how to evaluate it, and to build resilience against risks you can't anticipate.