Bryan Kane has a deep understanding of how to enjoy a successful and fulfilling professional life.
In fact, the President of FCB Canada has a rich history of finding joy in the workplace.
Before he became a C-level executive, Bryan dove headfirst into the world of leadership by participating in the Student Works Management Program, where he honed his ability to focus and learned to exhibit the discipline necessary to become a top performer.
But how does a leader arrive at their dream job? Bryan sat down with Chris Thomson to talk on the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast where he discussed his professional trajectory and shared what he believes all leaders need to do in order to have a successful and fulfilling professional life.
Stay Open to Change
For Bryan, the path to his current position as President of FCB Canada was far from straight and narrow. In fact, his professional journey took many twists and turns before he arrived at his current position. While some entrepreneurs may have balked at the idea that their aspirations and reality weren’t aligning, Bryan believed that opportunity could be found everywhere.
“For people who are really goal-oriented and driven, sometimes the blinders get on and they miss opportunity by not being open to [taking] different paths,” he said.
Being open to redefining what success looks like can be instrumental in making or breaking a career in its early days.
“Three plus three equals six, but so does seven minus one. If you’re trying to get to six, there are different ways [to get there].”
Be Ambitious
A job that doesn’t feel like a job? That’s the goal. Bryan credits the strong enjoyment of his career to being one of the most important aspects of his success.
“There are a lot of people I know that are successful, and they ended up on a path that they felt that they needed to be on because their parents told them, [or] society told them. They don’t love [what they do].”
Bryan believes that if someone else is driving you in your career path, you run the risk of plateauing due to disinterest.
Exhibit Humility
While confidence is key, Bryan has observed over his many years running a business that great leaders are incredibly humble. When a leader fails to respect the value that different members of his or her team bring to the table, they limit themselves from growing past their own level of expertise. A powerful leader is aware that just because they’re at the top, there will always remain a world of information waiting to be discovered by them.
Be a Team Player
If you study top companies across the globe you’ll notice one thing: Few people are wildly successful without the support of a team. In fact, according to Bryan, the majority of formidable leaders are people who want to build and create teams, and who also recognize the unique role that they play within theirs. We couldn’t agree more!
Are you a student looking to further your development as a leader and enter the exciting world of entrepreneurship? Check out more stories from Student Works participants and alumni on our Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast!
