Inspired by The Apprentice on the BBC here are 10½ top tips on how to stay in the boardroom, add more value to your business and enhance your reputation with key stakeholders - internally and externally.

1. Don't operate in a silo

You will increase your personal share value by collaborating with colleagues and finding ways to solve problems and win business together. For fee earners in professional service firms this means helping colleagues by making introductions and spotting cross-selling opportunities. HR can play a key role here in encouraging behaviour that creates a stronger team ethos. What gets measured gets done, so suggest reviewing key performance indicators and accountabilities - financial and non-financial. Measure activity and the results will follow.

2. Be visible

Being technically brilliant is great but it won't be enough to ensure a successful career. You need to get noticed and stay on the radar of key stakeholders - not for being gobby (like one or two contestants on The Apprentice) but for adding value and getting involved. In recent weeks I have received two emails out of the blue from personal contacts that I had lost touch with. In one case I was able to provide help with a job search and in another provide a business lead. Had George and Caroline not taken the initiative and increased their visibility those opportunities would have gone elsewhere.

3. You must be able to sell

All too often I meet technically proficient professionals who struggle to win new clients. They prefer other fee earners to find these instructions for them and focus their energy instead of delivering the work. You will have seen in the fictional boardroom that selling is a prerequisite. It's the same within professional services. Learn how to pitch; get better at networking; improve your presentation skills; and become more effective at influencing the people around you. Apply the Size 10½ Boots key ingredients: Confidence, Focus, Action.

4. Implementation is more important than strategy

The bookshelves in the business section at Amazon are full of texts on strategy. My perception of many businesses is that it's not the strategy that's lacking but the implementation. Focus on how you are actually going to translate your ideas into practice. In my opinion a half-baked strategy executed well is better than a robust strategy that is poorly implemented. Start with the big picture and work back to decide the 1000 ½ steps you need to take to get there. Then agree accountabilities and make sure you have a system to control and measure progress.

5. Personal style and 'bedside manner' matters

Have you noticed a theme in the early contestants to be fired by Lord Sugar? What they had in common is a tendency to irritate colleagues by their self-centred approach and pig-headedness. They have all (with one exception I recall) been brash, loud and plain bloody annoying. Even if you are an outstanding professional, if your colleagues can't stand being in the same room as you your promotion may be a long time coming!

6. Get high profile sponsors

The smarter contestants on The Apprentice have endeared themselves to Lord Sugar's aides, Nick and Karren. These connections have helped one or two escape the dreaded 'You're fired' exit. It's a good idea to map your personal stakeholders, both internally and externally. How will you get closer to those that can help you achieve your goals? It's as much about marketing yourself to people as it is promoting your services to the market place.

7. Listening is more important than talking

Most weeks I wince when I see contestants pitching to buyers. Time and time again they demonstrate a total lack of client empathy and behave like bulldozers. The best way to influence is to listen attentively, identify the need and then position your product to plug that perceived gap. Remember the Size 10½ Boots maxim, Stop Selling, Drink Coffee. There is little value in trying to sell shower heads to Debenhams when they sell clothes and fragrances!

8. It's all about the clients, not you

A trap that we have seen people fall into on The Apprentice is that they have focus too much on how they come across and not enough on the client needs. Sell the right products. If products and services are not taken up by the market it's all a vanity exercise. Listen to what the market is telling you and respond accordingly. It doesn't really matter what products and services you like, it does matter what people are prepared to buy. Who would pay £50 for a babygrow anyway?

9. Gain the respect of your peers

Don't overlook the importance of getting a personal buy-in from your peer group. Your peers can either support you or hinder your progress if you get the wrong side of them. You may have seen many contestants over the years on The Apprentice fail to recognise this and be bullied out of the boardroom. How can you increase your share value with colleagues? Try helping them achieve their goals; it might help you achieve yours in the long run.

10. Take personal responsibility

Don't blame others but accept responsibility for mistakes, learn from them and improve your personal offer. Personally I have gained more from the insight gleaned from career mistakes than from the successes. People will respect you more if you have the confidence and integrity to own up when things don't go according to plan. People buy from people and honesty is an admirable trait.

10½. Your next step

When you watch The Apprentice, think about how this applies to your own business. Do you listen to your clients through an independent Client Service Review programme? How adept is your team at pitching, networking and presenting? How might training and 1on1 coaching help you to grow your business? Is your client value proposition focused on the pains in your target market?

If any of the above rings true then please get in touch.

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David Beckham
Footballer
Shoe size: 9