Find Your Area of Expertise

Remember, however, it is never too late to engage in the process of skill determination. I can tell you story after story of successful careers that started after forty. Frank McCourt started his career as a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer in his sixties by turning an avocation into a profession. Colonel Sanders was almost fifty when he realized his talent for producing tasty fast food on a massive scale. The earlier you start looking, however, the more likely it is that you will find your field of excellence while you still have enough time to make a name for yourself.

It is a sad fact that there are millions of people out there who are toiling in mediocrity because they never discovered their great skill in life. According to a top Beverly Hills agent, Joel Gotler, the more you see or read, the more you learn, and the more you learn about yourself, the more likely it is that you will find some thing or things at which you truly excel. Unfortunately, few people make the effort to find their areas of expertise.

Look at it this way. There are so many fields of opportunity that there are bound to be a couple of them where you rank among the best. If you want to become the invincible executive, therefore, you must test your skills in many areas as early in life as you possibly can. Do not let the fear of failure limit your experimentation. I wonder how many middle managers could be in the New York Philharmonic if they had just picked up a violin. More than you might expect.