One of the most common questions
asked by an employee of his or her company is, “What can I do to get promoted?”
The thinking behind the question is
obvious: The employee assumes there be some key initiative, some specific
action, some high visibility project, or some critical role the employee should
take on, and if they do, promotion is almost guaranteed.
And maybe, just maybe, that is
occasionally true.
But there’s a much better approach.
The key to advancing — whether professionally or personally — is not based
solely on what you should do (although what you do is certainly important). The
key to advancing is based on what you should be.
Attitude informs action. Attitude
informs behavior.
Attitude is the driving force behind
every achievement, every accomplishment, every success, attitude, where
performance and therefore advancement is concerned, is everything.
Here are some of the attitudes and
perspectives that inform the actions of incredibly successful people — in all
walks of life:
1. Are humble, not arrogant.
Arrogant people think they know
everything; humble people are always learning. Humble people ask questions.
Humble people ask for help.
Humble people automatically share
credit because they instinctively realize that every effort, no matter how
seemingly individual, is actually a team effort.
Humble people are willing to take on
any job, no matter how menial, because they realize no job is beneath them, and
in the process they prove that no job is above them.
Ultimately, success is not limited
by how high you can stretch… but by how low you are willing to bend.
2. Are servants, not self-serving.
No one accomplishes anything
worthwhile on his own. No one.
Great teammates make everyone around
them better. Take an unselfish basketball player: He makes his teammates better
by delivering pinpoint passes in space, by boxing out, by setting solid
screens, by rotating on defense… all the things that don’t show up in the
statistics but definitely improve the stats of his teammates.
Great leaders focus on providing the
tools and training and culture to help their employees do their jobs better –
and achieve their own goals.
Even great businesses serve their
customers first; they know that by serving their customers they ultimately
serve the interests of their business.
The employee only in it for himself
will someday be by himself. The employee in it for others may
not get all the limelight, but trust me, the right people definitely notice.
3. Are optimistic, not pessimistic.
Optimists add energy to a situation,
or meeting, or business; pessimists suck energy away. Optimists try more things
and take more (intelligent) risks simply because they focus on what can go
right. Pessimists never get started because they’re too busy thinking of what
might go wrong.
Optimists don’t feel they need to
wait – to be promoted, or accepted, or selected, or “discovered” – they feel
they can, if they work hard, accomplish almost anything.
Optimism is infectious.
4. Think execution, not just
planning.
Planning is definitely important,
but countless shelves are filled with strategies that were never implemented.
The best employees develop an idea,
create a strategy, set up a basic operational plan… and then execute, adapt,
execute, revise, execute, refine, and make incredible things happen based on
what works in practice, not in theory.
Success starts with strategy — but
ultimately ends with execution.
Employees who advance are certainly
good at planning, but they’re awesome at execution.
5. Think forever, not today.
Real leadership isn’t situation or
short-lived. Real leaders are able to consistently inspire, motivate, and make
people feel better about themselves than they may even think they have a right
to feel. Real leaders are the kind of people you follow not because you have
to… but because you want to.
You'll follow a real leader
anywhere. And you'll follow a real leader forever, because she has a knack for
making you feel you aren't actually following – wherever you're going you feel
like you're going there together.
Creating that level of respect, that
level of trust, and that type of bond takes time. Great employees consider not
just the short-term but also the long-term – and then act accordingly.
And, in time, are placed in
positions where they can truly influence the long-term success of their team,
their unit, and their company.
6. Are volunteers, not draftees.
Sure, you have a manager, or a
board, or some higher authority. They may often ask you to do things.
Still: The best employees are
natural volunteers. They volunteer for extra tasks. They volunteer for
responsibility before responsibility is delegated. They volunteer to train or
mentor new employees. They offer to help people who need help – and even those
who don’t.
Why is that important? Volunteering
demonstrates leadership aptitude. Leaders are proactive, and proactive people
don’t wait to be told what to do. They’re already doing it.
Successful employees earn their
promotions by first working harder, just like successful businesses earn higher
revenue by first delivering greater value, and like successful entrepreneurs
earn bigger payoffs by first working hard, well before any potential return is
in sight.
Draftees expect to be asked.
Draftees expect to be compensated more before they will even consider doing
more.
Volunteers just do it – and, in
time, their careers flourish.
7. Are self-aware, not selfish.
Self-aware people understand
themselves, and that awareness helps them understand the people around them.
Self-aware people are more empathetic. They are more accepting of the
weaknesses and failures of others because they know how it feels to fail.
They can lead with empathy,
compassion, and kindness because they know how it feels to be treated with
disregard, disdain, and scorn. They do everything they can to help others reach
their goals, because they know how it feels to fall short.
Self-aware people solve for the
team, the organization, and the customer — not just for themselves.
Every organization needs self-aware
people in key roles. (What is a key role? Every role.)
8. Are adaptable, not rigid.
Things constantly change in
high-growth companies. Inflexible people tend to grow uncomfortable with too
much change and consciously — even unconsciously — try to slow things down.
Best practices are important.
Methodology is important. Guidelines, procedures, policies... all can help a
business run smoothly.
But anyone can follow guidelines and
procedures. Great employees are willing, even eager, to change. Great employees
respond to new circumstances and new challenges with excitement, not
hesitation. Employees willing to adapt and adjust tend to advance more quickly
because that is what every company — especially a high-growth company —
desperately needs.
Otherwise growth will be a thing of
the past, not the future.
9. Are teachers, not truant
officers.
The best people like to teach. They
don't hoard knowledge; they spread it. They share what they know.
A truant officer's job is to make
sure people show up. A teacher's job is to make sure peoplelearn.
Besides, truant officers tend to
give “advice”: Do this. Don’t do that. Go here. Don’t go
there.
A teacher gives knowledge. A teacher
helps other people gain experience, gain wisdom, gain insight, a teacher
willingly and happily gives other people tools they can use.
In the process a teacher build
teams.
And a teacher advances, because a
true team builder is a rare, precious gem.
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