Lessons from Dad:
3 Simple Secrets to Success if You Want to Lead and Succeed
I read a lot and I often see an overlap between what I read and what my father taught me as a child. It’s funny the things that stay with you through the years. Dad had a lot of good advice and when he spoke, I listened. And even though he’s been gone for more than 15 years, I think about him all the time, not only because I miss him, but also because, as a child, I knew I wanted to follow in his business footsteps.
What little gold nuggets of advice did he give me? I’m happy to share them with you so you can reflect and see if you live by these already in your job, career or business. And maybe the next time you speak with your children, you’ll give them the same or similar advice… only it will come from your personal experiences, stories and perspectives.
1.) Have a positive attitude
Sounds simple, right? It depends, really, on who you are, who your role models were/are and what you’re used to thinking. Well, it’s possible for everyone to have a positive attitude. You are capable of changing the way you think. That’s not to say that you won’t have bad days. We all have bad days, but for the majority of the time, looking at the glass as half-full is something you can practice, even if it doesn’t come naturally.
I believe it all starts with gratitude, as do many other people. My father never framed it this way, but he did make sure to give me a certain book at a young age so I didn’t stay the sensitive and sometimes moody little teenager that I was. (But don’t all teens go through that?) The book he gave me was called “Born to Win” and it was written by Muriel James and Dorothy Jongeward, Human Relations and Communications consultants in the 1970s. It contains powerful messages about taking responsibility for your own life and how important authenticity is.
2.) Do your best
Dad taught me a great work ethic. He said to me more than once, about the employer/employee relationship, “If someone tells you to dig a ditch, you need to dig the very best ditch you possibly can… and someone will notice.” In other words, do your best and be your best. If you are persistent and consistent, an employer will notice a job well done and offer you more opportunities for advancement and growth.
If employed, it’s best to master the job at hand before expecting to move on or move up. If self-employed, this applies as well. If you’re delivering consistent, high quality services or products, customers and clients will notice. Before I started my business more than 7 years ago, I applied this to every job I ever had, starting with the little internships and summer jobs I had during college at McCormick & Co., Inc. and Black & Decker back in the ’80s. It always paid off.
3.) No complaints! Only solutions…
Dad always said, “If you ever have a problem, don’t just dump your complaint on your boss. Always, always, always bring a solution with your problem.”
He wanted me to know that thinking through a challenging issue or less-than-ideal circumstance would expand my thinking and make me a good problem-solver. Nobody likes a chronic complainer. It brings people and environments down and it doesn’t couple very well with #1 above about having a positive attitude.
A boss or leader will value you more as an employee if you’re not a whiner and instead you bring solutions to the table. Clients and customers will appreciate your problem-solving skills too.
