We keep trying (longing?) to veer back to the professional "career path" of old - a model of employment in which the Big Companies Ruled and we Genuflected on Command. Dazzled by the still abiding myth of security, we shy away from recognizing that new modes of enterprise require nothing less than the Re-imaginging of the Individual. Now we must take Immediate Charge of our new-fangled careers and identities, careers and identities that will consist of a string of WOW projects that we perform at a series of companies, small and large, over time. That's scary. That's cool. Whichever, it's life in a Brand You World

If you're going to light out for the frontier, if you're going to reinvent yourself as a Brand You enterprise, then you'lll need to pack some key traits in your old kit bag. (I say "if," but it isn't really an option. Remember: Distinct - or Extinct.) Here are 10 such traits:

1. Think like an Entrepreneur
2. Always be a "Closer"
3. Embrace Marketing
4. Pursue Mastery
5. Thrive on Ambiguity
6. Laugh Off Vigorous Screw-ups
7. Nurture your Network
8. Relish Technology
9. Grovel before the Young
10. Cultivate a Passion for Renewal