EED Classic: What Makes An Extraordinary Career?

Twenty years ago, in ExchangeEveryDay, Roger Neugebauer shared the following considerations on career success:

In an article, "Definitions of Success," on the MSN web site, James Citrin and Richard Smith, consultants with the global executive search firm Spencer Stuart, ask, "What does it mean to achieve an extraordinary career?"

This is their answer:
"After thousands of interviews and countless hours of analysis, we've developed our own idea of what constitutes career success. Here's a hint: It's nothing like what many people imagine. For many folks, getting top dollar for a top position is about as far as they think. We're talking about something else. For us, an extraordinary career depends on three critical elements:

"You must:

1. Play to your strengths.
2. Set your passions free.
3. Fit in naturally and comfortably with your work culture.

"Attain these three things in your working life and contentment will reign within your borders. Our research revealed that extraordinary executives lead careers that leverage both their strengths and their passions more than six times as often as average employees. The implication of these findings is profound: Not only is it possible to leverage both your strengths and passions in the same job, but success actually requires it."

Thankfully today, many leaders understand the third critical element is a work culture issue, not solely the responsibility of the individuals in the organization. While I couldn't track down the original article, Critin and Smith went on to write the 2005 book, The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers: The Guide for Achieving Success and Satisfaction.

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