PIE a recipe for long-term career success

A graduate recently asked me what advice I could offer regarding long term career success and I shared with him what a senior leader once told me:

The key to success is PIE: Performance, Image, Exposure (in that order).

Performance alone might be enough in some organizations to progress to the higher levels, but having a great Image or personal brand and Exposure to the right people will increase your chances substantially.

The order (i.e. focusing on Performance before Image before Exposure) is absolutely vital. Focusing too much attention in the wrong area (e.g. Image) may lead to short term benefits and promotions, but could lead you to long-term disaster.

As I’ve mentioned previously you never want to get into a position that is above your skill or experience level, otherwise you’ll become what my Brazilian colleague calls an “elephant in a tree” - no one knows how it got there, but everyone knows that it is going to come down”