I spent this past week with a client company who, each year, treat their top performers to a reward trip in Cancun. As I spent time with these great people, I was reminded that high performers always have a few things in common:
Top performers…
- Figure it out
- Hit targets
- Are focused on their own job
- Are upbeat and positive
- Make their own luck through hard work
The rest…
- Want constant help
- Make excuses
- Stir up trouble and create drama
- Are gloomy and negative
- Are victims of their circumstances
In short, top performers have cultivated attitudes that all but ensure that they will be successful. They don’t allow themselves the luxury of being down for long, or for looking in the rear-view mirror in the hopes of creating a brighter past. They look forward, and take full responsibility for their own lives. When things go wrong, they own it, learn from it, and move on. Quickly.
As one guy on the trip remarked to me, “In my life, I don’t care so much about getting knocked down, which happens to everyone. What I care about is that when I get knocked down, I get up, every single time, dust myself off, and get moving again.”
The best mantra of successful people is written on a sign hanging in the New York Jets locker room. It reads:
- Expect nothing
- Blame no one
- Do something
I can’t think of better career advice for anyone who wants to be a success.
As the saying goes, “The battle is won (or lost) before it’s begun”
