Lugar de Potência - Ricardo Basaglia

Do you believe that successful people are able to stand out only because of their innate personality traits?

According to the author Ricardo Basaglia, his main objective in writing the book “Lugar de Potência” is to demystify this idea that there is a profile predestined to succeed.

Based on his extensive experience working as a headhunter (talent scout) and consulting various sources, he developed the content of the book, which brings valuable ideas for those who want to succeed in their career.

In this summary, we will provide you with an overview of the main aspects highlighted in the work. Read to the end so you don't miss anything!

The book “Lugar de Potência”

Released in 2022 by Editora Alta Books, the book provides many insights and teachings for the reader, ranging from personal development to best practices in leadership and management.

Throughout its 484 pages, the work has several examples and reports of people who have had great success in their careers, which helps to validate the importance of the teachings passed throughout the book.

In addition, the author points out that the work should be seen as a guide, providing many checklists and practical applications, also facilitating reading fluidity.

Who is Ricardo Basaglia?

Master in Business Administration from FGV/EAESP, Ricardo Basaglia worked with technology and participated in digital transformation projects in large companies.

In 2007, he joined Michael Page, a British human resources consultancy, a world leader in the recruitment and selection of middle and senior management professionals.

It was there that Ricardo acquired much of the knowledge disseminated in the book “Lugar de Potência”. He currently serves as CEO and leads Michael Page's operations in Brazil.

Why should I read “Lugar de Potência”?

The book's content is valuable to professionals at different stages of their careers: for those starting out and wanting to enter the market, for those who want to evolve or make a career transition, and also for those who are already managers of high-performance teams.

In addition, the author presents his overview of the job market in the digital age, highlighting the scenario and career trends for the future.

Main Lessons from the book “Lugar de Potência”

• Self-knowledge is essential to reach maximum potential;
• The pursuit of disruption requires a mindset open to learning and experimentation;
• A leader's self-management is a very relevant factor for the team's success;
• Executing a strategy is the hardest part, but it's also what will bring the greatest results;
• There is no single method for success, it will always vary according to the internal and external environment;
• Overcoming obstacles requires planning, results orientation, ethics and knowledge.

How important is self-knowledge?

In the early part of the book, Basaglia discusses the evolution of the job market and how knowing your own strengths and weaknesses helps you to establish yourself in the midst of so much change and volatility.

Even if you follow a technical career, the author states that it is very important to understand the business world, as this will give you information about the paths the market is following, which will help you to position yourself in the best way.

Considering the current context, he argues that technology destroys jobs, but not work. And besides, usually afterwards it helps to create new jobs.

For this reason, it is essential to develop skills that are intrinsic to human beings, such as empathy, creativity, critical thinking and adaptability.

In fact, he comments that the biggest cause of job loss is a lack of emotional intelligence. People who are hired on the basis of their technical skills alone are likely to be fired for their behavior.

In this sense, the author presents the tripod of skills demanded by the market today:

• Updated hard skills;
• Well-developed soft skills;
• Social skills to generate positive impacts on society.

Balancing these three factors is the key to winning. And to find that balance, self-knowledge is essential.

As a practical activity to determine your main talents, the author suggests asking the following questions to different people in your cycle:

1. What do I excel at?
2. What do I do with ease?
3. What do I do with pleasure?
4. In your opinion, what do I usually learn easily?
5. What do you think I do naturally?
6. What would you say are my talents?

It is worth mentioning that you should choose the people to whom you are going to ask the questions not because of their friendship, but because of their ability to analyze and be sincere in their answers.

Next, list all the responses received and evaluate which responses were most recurrent and think: are the mentioned talents related to which area?

In this way, it is possible to have a broader idea of what you stand out for and cross-reference this information with what the market is demanding, facilitating your career positioning.

How to make a career transition?

Let's say that when analyzing the responses you received, you realize that your perceived talents are not very related to your area of expertise. Now what? What to do?

Following the book, Basaglia talks about career transition. To put this into context, he brings up troubling research-based data:

• About 90% of people are unhappy in their jobs;
• In Brazil, in 2020, more than 11 million people were diagnosed with depression;
• According to the WHO, depression is the second leading cause of sick leave from work.

Thinking about the connection between this information, it is possible to realize how destructive and dangerous it can be to follow a career that doesn't do you good.

Therefore, changing careers should be seen as a fresh start, the beginning of a new cycle.

The author states that the biggest obstacle to a successful transition is stress. It seems counterintuitive, as the vast majority of people decide to move out of need to get a job to survive (which is stressful).

However, the focus should be on your well-being during the process, as this will give you peace of mind to trust your choice and follow the best path. According to the author, the best career transitions he's seen have been made by people who took great care of themselves.

In this sense, the book provides a roadmap for making a career transition in the best possible way, divided into five steps:

1 - Know yourself

Once again, self-knowledge is treated as an essential factor. Know your purpose and understand how you want to impact people. That way, you are able to prioritize what is most important.

2 - Find out and define what you want

The author says that he has often seen people who knew what they didn't want to do at all, but had no idea what they actually wanted to do. So think about why you want to change and visualize what you want.

3 - Identify the skills and knowledge you need

Knowing what you want, now think about what you need to evolve to achieve that goal. At this point, you can rely on the answers that other people have provided to identify your biggest gaps.

4 - Find out who can help you and how

Get the most out of your relationship network. Don't be ashamed to ask for help, share your feelings, and seek opinions from different people. It is interesting to talk to people from different areas and perspectives to broaden the range of knowledge.

5 - Know your plan

Create a one-page plan, containing information you've collected in previous steps and breaking down what you need to do at each stage of the transition. It will be essential in times of doubt and difficulties.

How to build my resume?

In a more hands-on part of the transition period, Basaglia also teaches you how to craft your resume in a way that makes it stand out. The first section must contain the following information:

• Name;
• City where you live;
• Updated contact information.

He points out that no full address or document numbers are required. Then present:

• Education (do not put interrupted training);
• Languages and fluency levels (if the level is basic, no need to mention);
• If you can be classified as a PWD, information about the disability.

In the qualifications summary part, it is important to cite keywords, such as segments and projects in which you worked. In the description of experiments, add the most recent ones first, as follows:

• Company name, start date and business segment;
• Your position and main responsibilities in generating results (between 5 and 10 lines).

In addition, it also demystifies some ideas that many people have about resumes:

• The resume can be more than one page, depending on your experience level;
• Photo does not add value during the recruitment process;
• Backlinks can appear on your resume;
• It is not necessary to include the desired position and salary expectation;
• You don't have to put all the companies you've worked for, just put the experiences that make sense in relation to your objective;
• A simple, objective layout is what works.

Also, in today's world it is essential to keep your LinkedIn always up to date, expand your network of contacts and feed it with relevant content about your work, projects and goals.

How to be a successful leader?

In the final part of the book, the author presents his views on leadership, seeking to help professionals who stood out, had a relevant trajectory and aim to remain at the top.

It seeks to summarize the main points of leadership development, in addition to providing elements of analysis to help those who have doubts whether following the management path is the most appropriate.

In this way, the teachings contained in the last chapters are relevant both for those who have just been promoted to a leadership position and for those who already have a lot of experience as a leader.

The first highlight is about the change in habits that must occur, because before leading you needed to manage only yourself, now your role involves knowing and facilitating the work of other people.

A good leader is one who manages to balance the interests of three fronts: team, customers and shareholders. In other words, it is necessary to meet the needs of the team to keep it motivated and deliver the best product to customers, which generates profit and satisfaction for shareholders.

For this, management can be divided into four parts:

1. Self-management: managing your own routine efficiently, in order to be available to take care of other people and deal with unforeseen events;
2. Team management: definition of the number of people needed, what each one will do, to whom they will report and what are the metrics for evaluating the results;
3. Routine and results management: monitoring and ensuring that tasks are being performed;
4. Vision and strategy management: knowing where the company wants to go and how it will happen. In this sense, it is essential to clearly pass this on to the team.

More books on career and leadership

Dale Carnegie, in his book “How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job” also highlights the importance of well-being for the accomplishment of work. To achieve this, he provides tips to remove emotional barriers and helps you build connections with your career.

In the book “So Good They Can't Ignore You”, by Cal Newport, the author teaches you how to identify and develop the skills you need to be so good that you can't go unnoticed.

Finally, the authors of “Conscious Leadership” provide a more modern approach to leadership, which seeks to have greater empathy with all the company's stakeholders.

Okay, so how can I reach my potential?

• Develop your self-knowledge;
• Seek information about market trends;
• Get to know and apply storytelling tools to tell about your trajectory;
• Learn to communicate objectively and pleasantly to interlocutors;
• Ask for feedback;
• Focus on networking and foster interaction in your network of relationships;
• Take it easy and don't rush the evolution of your career;
• Appreciate discipline;
• Adapt your career plan according to your personal needs and market demands.

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In addition, if you want to know all the exercises proposed by the author throughout the book, purchase the complete work by clicking on the cover of the book below: