Have you ever wondered how some people just keep winning...and winning...and winning?
They always manage to land on their feet, while other equally talented people stumble again and again. This seemingly magical ability is the result of the Halo Effect. The Halo Effect, first described by Dr. Edward Thorndike in 1920, is the impression people have of you. This impression significantly impacts how they judge everything else you do. When people view you as a winner, they give you even more opportunities to win -- higher visibility projects, more support, and more resources to work with.

When people view you as a winner, they give you the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes they even make excuses for you like, "He must be having a bad day," or, "You can't expect her to do everything perfectly all the time." Rising Stars pay close attention to developing a positive halo. They know that having the right image can put them on a winning streak and make their future careers easier and ultimately more successful. While your physical appearance plays some role in your "halo," it's not the most important thing. Far more important is the impression people get from what you say and what you do.

One of the most important things you can do to build a winning image is to add value to your company's bottom-line.

The way to do that is to:

1. Figure out how your company earns a profit
2. Understand how your job contributes to that process
3. Take action to increase the bottom-line value of what you do
4. Make sure that the people who matter most know about the value you deliver
Jack Welch used this very principle to put his career on the fast-track at General Electric and set himself up as a Rising Star. In his book, "Winning," he relates how he constantly looked for opportunities to make himself stand out, or, in his words, "get out of the pile." As a brash young chemical engineer, 5 feet 8 inches tall, already balding and with a heavy Boston accent, he hardly fit the image of a future corporate chief. Yet even in his first job, he was anxious to be seen as a winner. His first job at GE was as a chemical engineer responsible for developing a new plastic. One of his early tasks was to update a visiting company vice-president on the status of a new product Jack's lab was developing. Jack prepared the report his boss requested; however, he didn't stop there. He researched and reported on the competing plastics and their position in the marketplace. And, most importantly, he included in his presentation several ideas for how GE's new plastic could be positioned to gain a competitive advantage.

Jack's boss and the Vice President were bowled over! When the first round of promotions and bonuses were handed out, Jack was disappointed that he only got the standard raise. But when he decided to leave for a job that promised more money, his boss intervened. He recognized Jack's value to the company and got him the money and career opportunities he wanted -- all because the young engineer took the initiative to develop his winning image.

You can do the same in your career.Take time now to consider how you can structure your work to have a greater impact on your company's bottom-line. While it may mean some extra effort in the short-term, this approach will pay long-term dividends as you find yourself magnetically attracting the kinds of opportunities that accelerate your career.