Recently, I had the opportunity to hear from Peter Roberts, CEO of the Chicago based Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, about his rise to the top in one of the nation’s leading real estate investment and management companies. Though I pondered not attending the early breakfast presentation to continue enjoying the comforts of my new sheets, I’m glad I went. He had some wise words for his audience of young professionals and his closing four suggestions on how to succeed at your organization were incredibly valuable.
One point struck me, as it’s something that can make or break you in a job and is also incredibly difficult because requires a skill that many of us have yet to develop: managing your attitude under stress.
Mr. Robert’s called on listeners to breed confidence in superiors at work in order to remain top of mind when it’s time to draw straws for special projects or promotions, his reason being that if you become your manager’s go-to person, you’ll likely be the lucky duck.
Sound advice. Why is it so difficult? Because it requires you to be “always on”.
What’s “always on”? It’s being on point and ready to go every time you’re called on despite the negatives that may be going on in your life or the stressors that can sometimes make it hard to roll out of bed in the morning. Unfortunately, major career moves are often based on a single decision, and that decision is usually someone else’s to make. Maintaining the can-do attitude expected of a top performer will increase the likelihood that you’re on the business end of those decisions.
Luckily, attitude is a choice. Sure, it’s easy to be snarky when life gives you lemons, but that’s because focusing on the lemons is so much easier than thinking about what you’re going to do with those lemons (sorry, that saying is far too overused for me to actually finish it.)
Are you going to grumble all the way to work in the morning or be thankful for your job?
Will you focus on the last time you dropped the ball at work or move on and do it right next time?
If you’re unemployed, is a string of rejections going to make you quit or are you going to be self confident and persevere?
Focus on the right attitude and I guarantee it will manifest itself, even on your worst days. With a little practice, “always on” is easily attainable, and with it: easy progress.
Tip: When you need to regroup, focus on your desired mindset by writing it down. The pages of my To-Do book are littered with words like “gratitude” and “proactive”. It works.
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