To be successful, you must grow.
Many times, we hear stories of people who get stuck in jobs they like versus having a career they love. The main difference between the two is growth. You don’t grow on the job, you grow in your career.
If you are a leader of a team, or a member of a team, and you want to be successful, here is my advice – think like an iPhone, act like an Android.
The iPhone was first introduced to us in 2007. And fast-forward 11 years later, and the iPhone is a story about evolution. Each year, Apple made the decision to make the iPhone bigger and faster while at the same time increasing its capacity for productivity. But the iPhone still performed it’s basic phone functions, and has become more popular every year with each new release. We’ve seen people camping out the night before to be one of the first people to get their hands on an iPhone, and now you can even pay someone to stand in line for you.
The Android platform, developed by Google, is the world’s most popular mobile operating system. As of the second quarter of this year, 88 percent of all smartphones sold to end users were phones on the Android operating system. With Android, you have hundreds of devices to choose from, and each device adds some new capabilities with each release.
No matter if you are an iOS person or an Android person, we can agree that both platforms have their positives. They both also are two examples that leaders and team members can learn from in order to grow in their careers. I want to share with you five ways leaders and team members should act like an iPhone, and think like an Android:
#1 | Develop new skills. When mobile phones first hit the market, they were just meant to make phone calls. Then text messaging was introduced. And then designs started to change and we got flip phones and phones with keyboards. Then we got internet services and apps. But at the heart of it all, was the ability to still make phone calls. As a leader or a team member, you should always be looking for ways to evolve your skills, while maintaining your fundamentals.
#2 | Embrace change. When iPhones first came on the market the display screen was 3.5 inches, internal storage was 4GB and there was no front camera – only a rear 2-megapixel camera. The newest versions of the iPhone, being the XR, XS and XS Max have a minimum 5.8 inch display, a minimum of 64GB internal storage and a front-facing 7-megapixel camera and rear-facing 12-megapixel camera. As a leader, you should be creating and leading the change within your work environments. As team members, whom have less control over change, it is important to always embrace change. Change doesn’t mean forgetting who you are, change simply involves growing your base skills and adapting them to current market conditions. Change happens, and change is inevitable.
#3 | Expand your knowledge. When mobile phones first came out, there were no passwords to remember or to sync across devices. There were no apps, there were no social networking sites – nothing. But iPhones and Android devices have expanded their knowledge to understand how all these things work together on a device. Their open platforms allow developers to create new apps and games for everyone, regardless of the developer’s skill level. As a leader, you can never rest on your laurels. You should always be increasing your knowledge, not just about your industry, but other industries that have indirect connections. As team members, you should be looking for ways to increase your knowledge within your industry, to learn about opportunities that relate directly to your current roles. Skills and knowledge go hand-in-hand, you won’t be successful using just one.
#4 | Find your “cool” factor. I will admit, that I am an Apple guy. All of my devices are Apple, as I have a MacBook, an iPad, an iPhone, AirPods and an Apple watch. Android makes devices that are just as cool. Sleek designs, camera functionality, internal storage are some of the cool factors that drive people to select a phone. What is the cool factor that you bring, that will result in someone selecting you? All of us have a skill or personality trait that other people love, we just need to identify it.
#5 | Remember who you are. All successful people know who they are at the core. They know their strengths and they know their weaknesses. iPhones and Android devices are, at their core, just phones. And while the market has changed dramatically for mobile devices with the addition of apps, cameras and storage space, you can still rely on them to make phone calls.
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