By: Mark Hopkins
Reviewed by: Glain Roberts-McCabe
The Overview: Just being good at what you do doesn’t cut it anymore. Mark Hopkins, first time author, former Fortune 500 leader and entrepreneur has taken observations of successful people made over two decades and distilled it into this easy-to-navigate career guide. The book is divided into three main sections: field of play (figure out who you are and what you love to do); develop an unfair advantage (figure out how to set yourself apart from the competition); and recruit allies (don’t try and go it alone). Each chapter provides an inspiring “real world” story, backed up with stats, observations and self-reflection exercises to help the reader get forward momentum. Every chapter is neatly wrapped up with a “Finding the Shortcut” and “Do Something” set of tips leaving you with practical strategies to take action. Hopkins has a nice conversational writing style that makes this 200 page book an enjoyable, quick read.
The Bottom-line: Regular readers of the Roundtable Recap know that we have a strong bias towards individuals taking charge of and managing their own careers. Mark Hopkins book is another resource for your toolkit. It provides a solid road map to help you bust through things that may be blocking you. I personally enjoyed his prosperity cycle, which is a spin on how to build confidence. Essentially: decide to DO something (because of either a compelling vision or personal hardship), then apply focused effort, which yields a win or learning moment, which builds confidence and perseverance, which enables a decision to do something… and so the cycle continues. Career change starts with one small step. I also really enjoyed some of the self-reflection exercises peppered throughout the book. If you’re stuck on the “what’s my passion” question, there are some helpful things in here that might move you towards clarity. But, as with all promises of “quick solutions”, in my own experience and to Hopkins’ admission, there really is no “shortcut” to prosperity. It’s 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. Afterall, as Malcolm Gladwell pointed out, it takes at least 10,000 hours to be an “overnight sensation”.
Roundtable Rating: A good, quick read and helpful resource for those looking to take some action with their career.
Check out the book and the author’s website: www.shortcuttoprosperity.com.
