Why are some people more successful than others? Why some
feel accomplished while others feel like they are stuck in career rut? The
answer is – their vocabulary. Though, granted, your vocabulary is heavily
dependent on your mentality and the way you see your life, both personal and
professional.
Here are the things you will probably never hear successful
people say and the reasons why that’s the case:
It’s impossible!
“This can’t be done” is just not in their DNA. Successful
people know that there is always a solution to any problem. Sometimes you’ll
have to get creative, but there is no such thing as impossible. And when the
goal seems too huge to accomplish, they tackle it in little pieces – they know
that a lot of small steps eventually lead you to the top of the highest
mountain.
I don’t care!
Passion, on the other hand, is in their DNA. You will never
hear innovators say “I hate my job!” or “I don’t care!” If you don’t have this
key ingredient – passion coupled with vision – you will never be able to
overcome challenges and take risks to push the envelope, innovate, and grow
your business.
Stop asking questions!
Smart people know that there is no such thing as a “silly
question.” They know that as soon as curiosity halts and we stop asking questions,
the radical innovation ends. Some of the most distinguished leaders, such as
Steve Jobs and James Dyson, encouraged their teams to consistently question the
way they should do things and challenge conventional wisdom. Their favorite
questions are” “Why?” “Why not?” “What if?”
Why should I be the one doing this?
In any business, especially in a growing business, multiple
people have to wear multiple hats. What’s more, those people to voluntarily
identify gaps and take on filling them are usually the ones that get the most
visibility internally, get to grow their responsibilities and teams the most,
and ultimately get to build something truly amazing. “But it’s not my job to do
this” is just not in their vocabulary.
I don’t think we should change the way we do things.
Visionary people always challenge the way things are done.
They find better, quicker, more effective ways to accomplish tasks and execute
on the right strategies. They push themselves into the areas they may not be
comfortable with just so that they could continue to evolve and help their
teams stay on the cutting edge. They understand that change is necessary and
that comfortably resting on their laurels is not the path that’ll lead to
continuous success.
Thank you, but I am not looking for any feedback.
To truly succeed one has to be open to new experiences, new
ideas, and new perspectives. One has to always be open to feedback: on how you
are executing, how you are shaping your vision, how you are leading. Those who
are constantly open to feedback not only get the respect of their teams and
colleagues, but also get an invaluable chance to look at themselves through the
eyes of others. None of us are perfect, we all can use feedback to help us
grow. At the end of the day you have to be yourself, there are some things you
might not want to change. But sometimes feedback and diverse perspective can
help shape the way you communicate with others or approach projects in a
positive way.
But what if we fail?
Failure is just a part of business as usual. James Dyson
failed 5,126 times before he created his famous bagless vacuum cleaner. Thomas
Edison failed 10,000 times before he invented the light bulb. For them, failure
was just another solid stepping stone to an amazing discovery, another
necessary checkmark of what not to do. Successful people are not afraid to
fail. They know it’s only the matter of time they do fail (everybody does), but
that doesn’t stop them from innovating and trying out new things.
I know better!
There is no such thing as a self-made man. Behind every
successful person is a smart team. Success is a team sport. Building a great
team around your vision means admitting that you don’t know everything and
hiring people that fill in the gaps in your knowledge, experience, and
perspective, and trusting them to help you build something extraordinary.
But that’s just too hard.
People who achieve the most in their lives never take an
easy way out at the times when it truly counts. They have the passion, the
perseverance, and the grit to shape the new path. Being the first and
conquering new roads is never easy. And sometimes you do have to learn from
other people’s mistakes and successes to help shape your path. But at the end
of the day, when the critical time comes to shape their own destiny, successful
people never chose the path of less resistance.
