What drive Movers & Shakers

When you think of a mover and shaker, many people's reaction is to think of people at the top. But everybody has their own idea of making things happen and shaking things up. People who started something off from nothing, are movers and shakers. Florence Nightingale, a famous nurse who did so much to improve the condition of hospitals and the training of nurses in Europe, specifically the UK, in the nineteenth century, was a mover and shaker. She made things happen, no matter how many obstacles got in the way. She made an impact.

You could be a mover and shaker by taking a dream you have to set up your own business - let's say walking holidays. You'll have an impact on the community where you set up your own business, because you may be bringing employment to the area. You'll bring business to the area, because your walkers will need to be fed and sheltered and watered. You'll certainly raise the region's profile, thanks to your marketing strategy. Whatever the size of the company you've set up, it still makes a different and contributes something to the economy.

The boss who heads up a huge organisation dedicated to providing a service or product to large numbers of clients will also be a mover and shaker, but clearly on a different scale. He is likely to be responsible to a Board of Directors, and will have to report on his company's results at the Annual General Meeting. He'll also have to talk about his company's performance, perhaps, in the press. He may look to take-over another company to boost his own's position in the market or merge with one to pool different strengths.

He is also a mover and shaker, but it's probably taken him longer to get to where he was, than the person running his walking holiday business. And yet, both have their own dream and focused on getting to where they wanted to be and getting results. Each makes an impact - albeit on different scales - on the economy and adds to the choice available to the consumer. Both are fighting for their share in the market, to persuade customers to make them the preferred first choice over their competitors.

So how do these movers and shakers get to where they want to be? What do they have?

• A focus on what they want and determination to get it.
• A passion for and belief in what they're doing
• Achievement, performance and results oriented.
• Experience in the field
• Strong skills, not least these days emotional intelligence
• Knowledge of your sector, trends, developments, new products and services on the market
• Ambition, drive, tenacity, self-belief, self-confidence; the ability to instill confidence in people.
• An idea and dream which they focus on putting into practice if they're running their own business.
• The ability to spot an opportunity, to secure a deal.

Some may need qualifications such as an MBA to add credence to their career track record, usually if they work for large corporates. Increasingly, people at the top of large organisations have moved from one organisation to another, often incorporating a period of working overseas in these days of globalisation. They'll look at the bigger picture, yet be quick to spot the detail; they'll know who to call on for support and advice while driving their organisations to achieve their goals. They'll be well known among their peers and recognised by others; they'll be calling upon by the press to comment on this and that. They'll be leaders in their field. Some movers and shakers are brought in to implement changes to turn companies around in a short space of time, especially where there are problems. They won't necessarily be at the top of the organisation: they may be brought in to sort out a particular part of the business which isn't performing as well as it should.

Learn from movers and shakers

Read a book by someone who has made their mark on their field; it could be a businessperson, a politician; a sports person or philanthropist; anyone you can identify with and admire. Pick out:

• What makes them successful?
• How did they get to where they are
• What qualities enabled them to do it?
• What problems did they encounter along the way and how did they overcome them?
• How did they enlist the support of other people?
• How often did they seek advice from other people? Or did they have it all worked out for themselves?
• How focused were they?
• How do they spend their time out of the office?

Surround yourself by positive people

The more you're surrounded by positive, successful people, the better for your mindset. I'm talking about that feeling that you can do anything, you thrive on challenge, you're excelling and unlocking your potential. Because actually, once you've done that and you're using your brilliant self to its full (and yes, I'm talking about you), a new world opens up to you.

• Learn from people who've been successful - it's good practice. Save yourself time by benefiting from their advice and strategy - it worked for them - and learn from their mistakes.



• What's the lifestyle of movers and shakers like after they leave work for the day? Can you see movers and shakers going home to collapse in front of the telly for hours on end? No, they normally are out, networking with clients or socialising with friends who, like them are achievers; they're reading to improve their minds, open up how they think, build their knowledge and keeping their minds and bodies fit. Success breeds success; and the more you mix with like-minded, positive people who are achievers, the more that will rub off on you.



• Are you a mover and shaker? What have you done to implement change or shake things up in your career, in or out of work? What would you like to do to move and shake something up that's important to you?



• If you were to make an impact on one thing in the world, what would that be?