I was reading a book about the mindset of corporate leaders who are all amazing experts in their given career field, and all happened to be people of color.  The book is called Cracking the Corporate Code: The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African-American Executives by Price M. Cobbs and Judith L. Turnock, copyrighted in 2003.

This book has a great treasury of stories about executive people of color, their trials, and their successes.  The authors clearly take the stories beyond “surface political polish” and delve into what each of these people learned through trial and error.  The leaders did not use their race or gender as a crutch; instead they honed in on critical skills that helped them to become strong leaders.

Reading the book inspired me to revisit the essential mindsets article I wrote a few months ago for my blog, and I want to share with you what I have discovered to be common mindset themes within my circle of experience and resources for professional women in advanced careers.

Read on to find out if you can identify with any of these.

7 Essential Mindsets

• I am a life-long student of business

No matter what industry you are in, or what degree you bear, in order to be successfully branded in the corporate arena and beyond, you must have solid business skills.  To understand economic indicators, business strategy, and basic survival techniques be consciously invested in learning more about the business side of what you do.

• Authentic marketing is everything

I often hear that phrase used by one of my favorite “unconventional” marketers, Andrew Lock of the website, Help My Business Sucks, when he says “Everything is marketing & marketing is everything”.  Since I first heard Andrew use this phrase, I knew that it was true.  Just look at the number of ads and visual promotions you are exposed to every day.   The key is to ensure that you market only what you know you can deliver – thus, authenticity is a must in marketing your career brand.

• I establish relationships with key influencers and resources that are mutually beneficial

In order to achieve higher levels of career success, it is important to establish and maintain solid relationships with key influencers and resources in a way that both parties understand the advantage. When you surround yourself with people who are not like-minded individuals and non-supporters, it can significantly decrease your chances of  raising your “game” to be able to compete with others for the top positions.

• I choose where I invest time, energy, and money; therefore, I choose my results

Too many times I’ve heard professionals blames someone else for their lack of promotion, or even lack of motivation.  However, our investment of time, energy, and money is always a choice.  Learn who wields power in your organization and establish yourself as a go-to expert for them, someone who can get them and the company the results they are looking for.  Prioritize your day to get the most critical things accomplished in an efficient amount of time and you will be seen as a solution-driver.

• I am comfortable with competition

Understand that no matter what level you have achieved, there is always someone else right at your heels.  As a leader, and particularly as a woman of color, it’s important to know that you will face adversity and you will always be challenged to be more excellent with every task you take on. As long as you know this, and you learn to expect competition, you will be mentally prepared to watch for opportunities to excel above the norm.

• The outcome matters

You can do tasks all day long, but unless you drive results no activities really matter. Consider what your daily activities are, which of them add the most value to your company’s bottom-line, and what tasks need to be eliminated.  Decide on the outcome you want and order your day to get there.

• Change is a vehicle for my growth

It is the one thing that is constant and everyone knows it’s coming – change.  When you can look change in the eye and say, “I see you.  What lessons do you have for me today?”, you open your mind to opportunities instead of setbacks – jewels instead of blocks.  Learn to notice the signs of change coming and be prepared with your mental “emergency kit” so that you can swerve to a different path at a moment’s notice. Always keep your resume current and build on your personal brand daily.  Don’t wait until it’s too late to design a consistent, powerful career brand that will carry you to the next position or opportunity.

About the Author: Tanya Smith of Be Promotable shows ambitious working professionals how to get the promotion of their dreams. To get instant access to her free special report on surefire steps to getting the ideal job promotion stop by and visit http://www.bepromotable.com.