How does someone like Jack Dorsey go from a 14-year-old computer science nerd to serial entrepreneur, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter and Square? How does 3M consistently innovate, developing simple but iconic products like post-it notes? It’s not a matter of luck. It’s an algorithm.
I was 21 when I first moved to the U.S. from Europe. I spoke only broken English, and had no idea what I wanted to do or even where I would live. My coping strategy was to focus on fitting in to this new culture. I observed how people shook hands, how they dressed, how they made small talk. And I took notes. Literal notes. What started as a social survival mechanism had turned into a real interest: I was researching communications, psychology and strategic planning. I was looking for a pattern.
You might call what I found an “algorithm”, a formula that people use to achieve sustainable success. This algorithm can be replicated. It can be personalized. I call it ENGAGE — one, because that’s how the acronym worked out, but also because the point of this “secret formula” is engaging your potential, your purpose, and the people around you. It’s about spending more time on the things that really matter to you so that you get what you want out of both your personal and professional life.
ENGAGE is a six-step process for discovering what drives you and using it to succeed in your career. Many people’s careers stall because they see strategic, high-level thinking, like knowing what their purpose is or what values drive them, as a “soft skill.” They don’t prioritize it. But that kind of thinking is exactly what enables entrepreneurs to launch successful startups, executives to get promoted and politicians to be elected. You can progress in your career without following this model, sure. But you’ll eventually plateau.
