Path to greatness – what sets you apart
Image by Daniil Silantev
We encourage women to recognize their greatness and tout that they deserve more than average, but we haven’t addressed what such greatness consists of. What sets one employee apart from the next? How does one differentiate themselves from the rest? Some people think that in order to stand out, you have to be an expert in your field. Others might confess that it’s all about whom you know. While professional and personal networks carry a great value, you, first and foremost, have to offer something different and enticing in order for your connections to endorse you.
I have come across plenty of people in the professional world who occupy positions they ought not to be in, I have interacted with people who think they are great when in reality they are nothing but mediocre employees who have comfortably settled into the routine of complacency.
What does it mean to be above average? While certain skills sure do help to set you apart, the most important things have nothing to do with skill set. There are 3 things that differentiates people, 3 things that people are judged on, and regardless what interview questions you are fielding, these 3 things are the bottom line that hiring professionals are trying to get to. People who are admired and receive high respect from others have exemplified these traits, which are (in no particular order): character, curiosity and resilience. Let’s dive into each one, what they mean and how to get stronger in each area.
1. Character
“Character is who you are in the dark.”
Image by Jeswin Thomas
When nobody is watching, when you are left with your thoughts and ideals, but specifically it’s your unwavering integrity, positive attitude, and relentless pursuit of what’s right.
You are the only one who gets to define your character, and others see it in how you conduct business, your actions, your decisions, the way you treat others and demand to be treated yourself. Make no mistake, even if you haven’t spent time on your character, you have one. I strongly recommend taking a conscious inventory of what your character in the professional world exemplifies and ensuring it’s what you want it to be and what others would follow. You can’t be a good leader without people wanting to line up behind you, and if your character is that of grey integrity, moody attitude or constant race for the biggest gains to you then don’t expect a helping hand from others or for people to go out of their way when you need a favor or a helping hand.
2. Curiosity
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
Image by Tina Bosse
If curiosity has worked for Einstein, I guarantee it will work for you. If you are chasing certain skills, degrees and connections, hoping that will lead you to the next big idea or gig, please stop. It’s an exhausting and fruitless exercise for all parties involved. While you might get lucky, it won’t be permanent. Every skill atrophies if it’s not fueled by curiosity, because no field is stagnant, everything is temporary. In order to stay ahead of the game, you must be continuously and passionately curious. If you have that, no feat is insurmountable, no problem, however immense, is unsolvable, no obstacle is permanent. If you have a curious mind, you will be able to learn and evolve as a professional, you will never run out of ideas, and you will never be bored with what you do.
I have interviewed a fair share of people in my professional life, and I no longer focus on skills and experience. While it’s great to have some experience and be able to know certain software, I am much more interested in people who remain curious, because that’s a guarantee that they will be able to learn whatever comes their way, they are the people who remain agile throughout their career and are able to adapt no matter what the future holds in store. If you focus on mastering a certain software and don’t have a curious mind, you will become obsolete along with that piece of technology. If you perfect one style of negotiations and have no interest in learning others and staying curious, you will age out along with the styles that are popular during certain eras.
3. Resilience
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
Image by Matt Cannon
We all make mistakes, we all encounter defeats, and if you disagree, then you aren’t trying hard enough! But not everybody is able to get up, dust off, and march on. Nobody likes failure, some of us have a fear of it, and that’s human, that’s normal. It’s ok to take a minute after defeat and stay down, it’s ok to be heart-broken or disappointed. But you MUST get back up, and keep on going, because staying down is not an option for winners. Giving up is nothing but miserable. Some might consider it masochistic to keep getting up after numerous attempts of falling down, and while it’s not pleasant to encounter a defeat, to experience success afterwards is very much empowering and rewarding. There is no such thing as easy success, it must be earned and involves hard fights at times, but that shouldn’t scare you. If you want to be better than others, you need to be able to acknowledge defeats, extract lessons learned and then get back in the game!
If you possess strong character, are passionately curious, and infinitely resilient – you will stand out, you will deserve more than average, and one day you will wake up to find out that you no longer have to demand respect, you already have it!
Many people think that “No” is where negotiations stops. I would argue that it’s an opportunity to stay curious and discover knowledge that hasn’t been shared before.