There are millions of brilliant people pursuing aggressive careers who have their sights set on great achievement. While their efforts are surely nothing short of genius, many lack the soft skills that could really put them over the top. These are the qualities that make good people great. Practical and time tested, mastering the following fundamentals will make if difficult for success to elude you.
1. Out of Box Thinking
Many dislike this term but the concept works. All it requires is thinking about problems through a different set of eyes, or different dimension. Sit back and try to solve the problem from the eyes of a 6 year old, turn things upside down, and absolutely challenge the norm. Go outside and sit in a subway station (or somewhere you generally don't sit to work) and think about why other solutions have not worked. What has worked?
Remember the best ideas come from people who are hands-on with their work. When everyone thinks and recommends a lackluster approach, lackluster results will follow. Change your surroundings, change your views, change your thought process and come up with a killer idea!
2. Taking Ownership
When no one is willing to own it, be the first to grab the opportunity. A process involving various stakeholders normally loses momentum and vision suffers. A process with a good leader, input from others, and true direction, has a much better chance of success. Be the person that jumps in and takes on a new project (just don't over-commit). An ability to own a task and work towards success is a skill which gives long lasting returns.
3. Eagerness to Learn
After a certain period, a job becomes monotonous and people become bored and eventually even lazy. They lose all the zeal to learn new things and although they won't admit this, their actions would make you believe they have thrown in the towel and are satisfied with a status quo life and career. If you really want to move ahead, don't get into this rut. Don't tune out.
Always remain eager to learn; you never know what knowledge or capability will push you up in your career. Remember, you need an open mindset and positive attitude to approach work. If you are constantly learning, it will be tough to be or appear to be interested in mediocrity.
4. Willingness to Help
Much of life is give and take. Work is no exception. If you are the person that is constantly stepping out of your comfort zone in order to help others, people (most) will return the favor when you ask. That's the key though, you have to be willing to help someone and not too proud to ask them for help when you need it.
5. Solution Seeking Mindset
People love to talk about problems. However, when you ask for their solutions, they aren't willing to go on record with sweeping changes. The majority of employees lack an attitude to solve issues and prefer to keep them burning. A positive mindset can send the right vibe and give you a lot of attention. Don't avoid complainers, listen to them just long enough to hear the problem, then try to come up with a solution.
6. Humility
Arrogance never attracts more people than humility. When you know your work and are humble about it, there is no reason that you would not be appreciated. Humility needs to be pitched with much care lest people take undue advantage of you. Strike the right balance and you will see its real magic.
It is a jungle out there.You not only need to survive but flourish too. Develop a killer attitude for success and no one will stop you.
