Success Attitudes

I have often been asked why I have been so lucky in my career. While I sometimes flinch at the suggestion that my success, such that it has been, is the product of luck, I must admit that I have been an “opportunity magnet” as one friend labeled me. That still begs the question: “Why?”

Here are some of the attitudes that I think helped make me an “opportunity magnet”.

1. The glass is never half empty. It is not half full. The glass is always full because half is water, and the other half is air and we need them both to live. Take it all in as part of the journey, as part of your growth – the wins and the losses. Recognize that you can often learn more from the “losses” than the wins.

2. Treat EVERYONE with respect and compassion (and give them a moment of your time). No matter their job or status, they are worthy of your consideration. Learn the names and a little about the people that make up your world: colleagues, support staff, security guards, maintenance personnel, etc.

3. Support your coworkers. Even those who appear to be in competition with you. If they “win” the competition be genuinely happy for them. Celebrate and toast them. Let them know you recognize their achievement. Then go to work figuring out how and why they won and what practices you can incorporate into your bag of tricks.

4. Failure is rare. Failure only occurs when you don’t achieve your goal and you learned nothing in the process. You can always learn from the experience, even if that learning is to never stick your hand in that fire again.

5. Pure luck rarely happens. That kind of luck is the cartoon safe falling from the sky at your feet opening to display a bag of money with your name on it. What most call luck is when an unexpected opportunity meets preparation and performance. Be prepared and ready. Then perform when you get the chance. You never know when that opportunity will come your way again.

6. Be willing to take a chance. Not any chance, and certainly not every chance. Take a thoughtful and informed chance believing that if this opportunity doesn’t work out you will be able to learn from the experience, pivot and try something else. Most people who look at my career in retrospect think each step made sense. But at the time, half of the decisions I made caused my closest friends to try to dissuade me. For example, I left the US Attorney’s Office to become a private investigator. Later, I left as the Deputy GC and Special Assistant to the Director of the FBI to be an attorney at an insurance company in Hartford, Connecticut. No one thought those moves made any sense. However, they suited a particular need I had at that moment … which wasn’t advancing my career. I was willing to take a chance knowing I would learn, have some interesting experiences and be able to pivot to another job in due time.

7. Treat the unexpected as an adventure. Learning is the lifelong adventure. Adventures can make you interesting. They can make you fun. They will make you smarter. Collect and embrace the unexpected.

8. Work hard without complaint. At least without complaint to your co-workers (that is what your significant others and friends are for). Believe me, no one cares. I can only tell you that some of the opportunities and assignments I received were explicitly given to me because I was viewed as a non-complaining hard worker. Not because I was the smartest in the room (that only happens when I am alone). Not because I had an unending string of success but because I would work hard until the job was done well. Then I would go home and complain to my wife.

9. Get smart. Spend extra time taking a deeper dive into your area of expertise. Read a newspaper or magazine that carries content about your profession. Attend conferences and lectures (now made extraordinarily easy with online content). Do something extra every day. My boss once told me that if I spent one extra hour every day building and strengthening my learning muscle at the end of one year I would be 9 weeks (360 work hours) of learning ahead of my peers. While I know it doesn’t quite work like that, reading those extra articles and passing that information along will simultaneously expand your knowledge base and help those around you see you as a knowledgeable, valuable, hard-working resource.

10. Do great work every time. When it leaves your hands, you should think it is the absolute best work you could do. At the end of the day, no one cares about your (truthful and heartfelt) explanation as to why your work product was below standard. Keep your standards high. Especially about your own work. Be honest with yourself. Train your criticism muscle to focus inward. If it is not up to your very high standards, your work is not complete. You get partial credit in 8^th grade algebra, not at work.

11. Learn to pass credit along to those that deserve it. Do that honestly. Everyone recognizes and hates false modesty. You should never play that game. But when your success is being recognized always make sure those who assisted in that success are appropriately highlighted and praised. You don’t need to point the finger at yourself.

12. Learn to accept the criticism and blame when things don’t go well. Appropriately deflect it from your coworkers. Admit to your role in the matter that did not go as expected. Never take on blame you do not deserve, however, if you were the boss or the lead on a project start from a perspective that you are mostly responsible. Take the lion’s share of the heat, after all you get the lion’s share of the credit when things go well.

13. People treat you how you let them treat you. Learn when and how to stand up for yourself. Notice I said when and how. Sometimes that sandwich you just had to have (or comment you had to address) will cause indigestion later. Make sure you are willing to confront the potential heartburn. My rule: confront when the slight cuts to the core of who you are, your basic humanity. Be honest about that. You can’t rail about being called a liar when in fact, you are a liar.

14. Bring joy to work with you as much as possible. Obviously, this won’t be every day and you shouldn’t fake it. But try to find a sliver of light you can pass along. Perhaps promoting or complementing someone else’s achievement. Perhaps sharing a light and a joyful story. This too is a muscle you build. Learn to be a firefly.

Tell me one of your magnetudes in the comments.