Seng Tiong Ho is an entrepreneur and professor of various academic publications regarding lasers, and photonic technology. In the following article, Send Tiong Ho discusses the importance of personal development for success in business, and how improving oneself improves the chances of entrepreneurial success.
Life often feels meaningless without an urge to pursue ongoing personal growth, but the benefits of personal development extend far beyond a simple sense of purpose
Seng Tiong Ho explains that personal development provides opportunities for business success by demonstrating a willingness to change in the precise ways that often lead to promotion. As an employee rises through the ranks, the practice they receive setting personal goals will also help them set goals for the company while inspiring colleagues.
In short, personal development paves to way to success at all employee levels. To better understand this, it helps to understand just what "personal development" really entails.
What Personal Development Means
According to Seng Tiong Ho, personal development means an overhaul in both actions and mindset that leads to more responsibility, increased accountability, and a general ability to support one's own endeavors to learn and change in positive ways. Employees and leaders can achieve this personal growth through several means, including:
- Reading literature on both personal change and business savvy
- Watching inspirational and informational videos such as TED Talks
- Reading blogs that offer first-hand accounts of business success
- Listening to podcasts or other audios about personal growth
- Attending workshops or seminars on relevant topics
- Hiring a personal development coach to guide the way
These materials may cover a wide range of topics, including business-related subjects such as client interaction and leadership, or more personal issues such as confidence and spirituality explains Seng Tiong Ho. The overall goal is simply to choose subjects that, when taken to heart, will lead toward positive change that can be experienced on the inside and observed from the outside.
Personal Change is the Road to Promotion
Most advice on getting promoted is usually so intuitive as to go without saying. Most workers in the business world know at this point that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and that they need to
showcase their accomplishments. However, accomplished employees get passed up for promotion every day. What are they missing?
In a word: presence. Seng Tiong Ho explains that while C-level staff may want those joining their ranks to boast a healthy resume of achievements, they also look for several other qualities including:
- The will to take initiative
- The ability to mentor team members
- Competent networking with stakeholders
- General communication skills
- Understanding of conflict resolution
All of these qualities demand both confidence and emotional intelligence. While a person can achieve a lot through business savvy alone, only true personal development will lead to the attributes most likely to result in high-level promotions.
Personal Growth Allows for Practice Setting Goals
Whether aiming for promotion or trying to lead a successful business from the top of the ladder, Seng Tiong Ho says that
goal setting will prove invaluable to the endeavor. Fortunately, personal development assists in the natural development of this very skill.
Much like the employee in search of a pay raise, every business must constantly move forward in order to truly succeed. Seng Tiong Ho says that stagnation too often paves the way to failure. This means that successful leaders frequently set goals to increase profits, acquire new clientele, and so on.
Likewise, personal growth often comes much easier when setting benchmarks. A person aiming for better time management, for example, might set a goal to get a certain number of tasks done in a day with so much free time left over. If reasonable, they'll raise the bar in subsequent days or weeks explains Seng Tiong Ho.
Of course, goal setting sometimes results in failure. Those truly dedicated to personal change will reassess their goals and get back on the horse. This, too, is an absolutely vital skill to develop in the business world. Not everyone can sprint up the corporate ladder, but they must hang on with at least one hand if they wish to continue the climb.
Personal Development Can Inspire Colleagues
As previously noted, those who get put up for promotion often have what it takes to mentor those working under them. However, mentorship does not always necessitate one-on-one interactions. A truly strong leader can lead by example.
Seng Tiong Ho says that those who seek personal development tend to lead more successful companies in part because their presence creates a ripple effect. Not only can they teach employees more about time management, stress relief, communication and more, but some employees will pick up on these skills simply by watching them.
Additionally, the confidence and emotional intelligence developed through personal growth will also impact others within the company. In this way, one strong leader can seek to create an even stronger team.
Conclusion
Personal development is an excellent life goal, but it serves extra utility for those looking to improve their business sense. With an inspired team, a more solid understanding of goal setting, and a smorgasbord of desirable qualities exhibited by most C-level leaders, anyone can transform their business simply by transforming themselves.
