Four ways to stay ahead of your game

“Your strength doesn't come from winning. It comes from struggles and hardship. Everything that you go through prepares you for the next level.” ― Germany Kent

WHEN one piece on the chess board moves, the whole game changes.

Behind that one move, is a whole lot of invisible strategy and practice that creates a series of tactics that will ultimately make a winner.

Keeping ahead of your own game is a critical requirement in today's rapidly changing world of work.

The true winners know that it's not simply about beating the competition. Being your personal best is really at the heart of true authentic success.

Asking yourself: Am I better today than I was yesterday? is the true benchmark of self-improvement. As Lao Tzu summed it up, "Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom."

How can you stay ahead of your own game?

Here are four things you can do right now to make yourself absolutely the "go to" person in your field of expertise, and secure your future in the evolving world of work.

Stay future-fit

Those who can thrive in the new economy will be able to acquire the essential skills necessary for future success.

Author of Future Fit: How to Stay Relevant and Competitive in the Future of Work, Andrea Clarke (pictured below), says that those who take the human skills to the next level will be powerfully differentiated in a dynamic new market.

She is optimistic about the impact of technology. "When robots 'take our jobs', what do we have left? A remarkable opportunity to be more 'human' than ever before.

"We need to build reputation capital, sharpen communication skills, be adaptable, nurture creativity, actively network, redefine leadership and problem solving, and embrace continuous learning," she says.

Build a network of collective brainpower

As a spiritual master once said, it's better to give than to receive.

Organisational psychologist and professor at Wharton Business School, Adam Grant revealed in his book Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, that givers help others freely thereby building goodwill, reputations and relationships that enhance their success.

So get a mentor, exchange ideas and grow and develop. It's a great way to keep up-to-date and nurture the collective wisdom of your colleagues.

Even your friends can be sources of wisdom when you're not meeting them simply to share small-talk and laughter.

Co-creator of Google's Career Guru program, Jenny Blake, says that your friends can be what she refers to as friendtors. Connect with friends who inspire you and help you expand your knowledge and insights. Have deeper conversations that are mutually beneficial.

Mentors don't have to be older and more experienced than you either.

Author of Wisdom at Work: Stay Relevant in the Second Half of Your Career, Chip Conley, was able to contribute his many years of knowledge and experience in the hospitality sector to his budding younger CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, who in turn taught him about the new world of digital intelligence.

Be and stay curious

Be aware that curiosity is what propels successful leaders to the top of their game. They never stay still and become complacent with what is happening.

Always looking for new ways to do things and seizing opportunities is what drives them. We need to be always looking around corners for that unexpected disruption and always be alert.

Kodak began to struggle financially in the late 1990s, as a result of the decline in sales of photographic film and its slowness in transitioning to digital photography, despite developing the first digital camera.

It had become stuck in its old ways and refusal to see the latest trends. As a once dominant market-leader, it had rested on its past success to the detriment of its future.

Business author Stephen Shapiro, says that opportunity knocks often, but sometimes softly. "While blindly pursuing our goals, we often miss unexpected and wonderful possibilities," he says.

Walt Disney famously said, "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Develop your creativity and empathy

“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” - Meryl Streep

In a world that has become impersonal and fast-paced, it is all too easy to neglect the most human of skills - that of creativity and empathy with others.

According to a report (20 December, 2018) by Natalie Brett in The Guardian, in an age cited as the “fourth industrial revolution”, she claims that "soft skills" are highly sought after and will continue to be into the future.

With the rapid evolution of technology, a focus on technical skills leaves people vulnerable to change, as these often have a shorter shelf-life.

People will need to unlearn and relearn technical skills rapidly, but people skills can be honed throughout one's career and become more polished and proficient.

As artificial intelligence and robotics advance ever further into the day-to-day lives of everyone, those who have the capacity to reach out and touch others with their ability to empathize will be in high demand and stay on top of their game.