Never fail due to a lack of effort. Go down swinging. If you’re not skilled enough to do something or if you’re not smart enough to grasp it, that’s a capacity issue that can be addressed. With the right coaching, determination, and attitude, you can improve on those things. But effort requires no skill, no intelligence. You either give it your all or you don’t. And if you’re not trying, you deserve to lose.
Tag: smart
Are you smart?
Being good at school is not the same as being smart. You can memorize the right answers but not understand how something works. I was very good at memorizing growing up. But I mistook memorization and good grades for being smart and knowing something. I knew the right answer, but I didn’t always know how to get there. I wasn’t thinking critically, and there is a big difference between knowing an answer and knowing something so well that you not only know the answer, but how to get the answer, can explain it in different ways, and understand the concept.
Hiring rules
When you’re hiring, look to hire someone who is teachable, has a good work ethic, is trustworthy, and has a good attitude. They need all four of those qualities.
If they have a poor work ethic, the work won’t get done.
If they aren’t smart enough to actually learn (or they aren’t willing to listen/be teachable), the quality of the work will suffer.
If they aren’t trustworthy, you will never be able to fully concentrate on what you need to do, because you’ll constantly be wondering if that person is doing what they’re supposed to do.
And if they have a bad attitude, it will make your workday worse, it will give your company a bad reputation with customers, and it will slowly erode your company culture.
This is why your employees need all four of these characteristics. Don’t necessarily look to hire for someone who already has the specific skill sets you need. As long as you have the time to train them and they possess the four qualities listed above, they will do well and your team will grow.
A simple tip to lead to success
Have you ever been unsure of what you want to do, of what goals you would like to achieve? Or do you have a vague idea of “what you want” but are overwhelmed when thinking of how to get there? Here’s something you can work on every single day…
Go to bed smarter than you woke up.
Now, having more knowledge/information doesn’t guarantee success. But it is at least a step in the direction towards becoming an expert in your field. Once you have the information, you can act upon it.
So ask yourself when you wake up…What will you learn today? How will you improve your mind, your body, or your relationships in any way? There’s no such thing as equilibrium – just tiny adjustments, up or down/better or worse…will you improve yourself and your knowledge today? Or will you get worse?