As a society, we're obsessed¹ with achievement. But what happens once you're considered objectively successful, with a great salary and a job that energizes² you? It's easy to rest on your accomplishments³ and your way of getting work done, perhaps even feeling there's not much left to learn.

But in this economy, you can't afford to sit back -- even though it might be tempting⁴.

'Successful people fall into the trap of thinking they don't need to change anything because their behavior is working for them,' says Marshall Goldsmith, author of 'What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful.' 'Every time they get promoted...they get positive reinforcement even when certain skills are lacking.'

Know Your Weaknesses

But examining where you might have shortcomings can make or break a career.

David Hale of Columbia, S.C., quickly rose to the top of the military police force and was granted the highly sought-after position of polygraph examiner with the Army Criminal Investigation⁵ Command.

'I was my own biggest fan, and being cocky, I would try to force confessions⁶ from suspects either prior to or based on their exams,' he says. But he didn't take the time to understand that criminals are more likely to confess to people they like and trust. 'My results fell way below other examiners,' Mr. Hale says.

Mr. Hale didn't realize he needed to change until his boss transferred him and said that if his confession⁷ rate didn't increase, he would be fired. He studied forensic⁸ interviewing, worked on relating to subjects on an emotional level, and pursued courses in leadership, counseling and psychology⁹. Eventually, Mr. Hale began to rise again in his career, and he became known as one of the top polygraph examiners anywhere.

Necessary Skills

Becoming as successful as you can be -- after you've already climbed part of the ladder -- means you need two things.

For starters, you need outstanding people skills: Listen carefully, think before you speak, reciprocate¹⁰ favors and manage conflicts diplomatically.

Second, you must regularly take a hard look at yourself and address your weak points. For example, if you have a communication issue with one person or a group of people, step away from the blame game and ask yourself, 'How can I be better?' Make sure people are honest with you by requesting feedback anonymously¹¹ and confidentially¹².

If you're employed by a large organization, consider contacting human resources to see what training is available. You may have the opportunity to take leadership-development courses online or in-person for free.

But the most important thing to keep in mind is that just because you're skilled or talented in a particular area doesn't mean you should simply pass go and collect your $200.

I, for instance, was hesitant to work with a speaking coach because my audience evaluations¹³ didn't mandate¹⁴ it, but once I learned that the top speakers in the world -- from Tony Robbins to President Barack Obama -- have worked with coaches, I changed my mind.

Says Mr. Goldsmith: 'Strong leaders don't coast.'

在这个社会上，我们都热切渴望取得成就。但是，一旦你被认为是真正取得了成功，拥有高薪和让你活力四射的工作，接下来会发生什么呢？你可能很容易满足于你取得的成绩和你完成工作的方式，甚至感觉没有多少东西需要学习了。

但在当今的经济环境下，你不能停下脚步休息片刻，尽管它充满了诱惑。

今天不必以往：成功人士如何获得更大成功》(What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful)的作者戈德史密斯(Marshall Goldsmith)说，成功者往往会跌入一个陷阱，认为他们不需改变任何事情了，因为他们的办事方式行之有效。即便是他们缺乏某些技能，每当他们得到提 拔时，他们就会得到正强化。

了解不足

评估你存在的缺点决定了职业生涯的成败。

南卡罗来纳州的黑尔(David Hale)很快就升为宪兵的头目，并得到了很吃香的美国陆军犯罪调查司令部(Army Criminal Investigation Command)测谎员的职位。

黑尔说，我很自信，只崇拜我自己。我会在测谎前或根据测谎结果强迫嫌犯招供。但他并未从中了解到犯罪分子更可能会向他们喜欢和信任的人招供。黑尔说，我的业绩落到了其他测谎员的后面。

黑尔并未认识到他需要改变，直到有一天他的上司对他进行调动，并说如果他的招供率再不上升，他就会被解雇。他研究了法庭审问学，在实践中努力从情感层面切入审问话题，并学习了领导力、咨询和心理学课程。最终，黑尔在他的岗位上再度获得了晋升，成为了一名测谎高手。

必备技能

在你已经爬了一段职场阶梯以后，尽你所能的成功意味着你需要两件事情。

首先，你需要出众的人际交往能力：认真倾听，说话前应深思熟虑、回报别人的关心和能够策略地处理冲突。

其次，你必须定期认真审视自己，消除你的弱点。比如，如果你同一个人或一群人存在沟通问题，不要怨天尤人，而是要问问自己：我怎样能做得更好？通过寻求匿名和秘密的反馈，确保人们对你讲的都是真话。

如果你受雇于大型组织，可以考虑同人力资源部门接触一下，看看公司提供那些培训。你可能有机会参加免费的网上或面对面的领导力开发课程。

但应该铭记于心的最重要的事情是，仅仅因为你在某一具体领域才华出众并不意味着你就应该忽视学习，能够轻松过关享受职场胜过。

比如，我曾犹豫是否与演讲顾问合作，因为我的听众评价显示我不必这样做，但当我得知世界上顶尖的演讲者──从罗宾斯(Tony Robbins)到奥巴马总统──都曾与演讲顾问合作时，我就改变了想法。

戈德史密斯说，强有力的领导人不会飘飘然。