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I Care... The 5 Pillars of SuccessRecently I was asked
to provide the keynote address to a group of high school
students. While putting together my presentation, I reflected on
my days as a youth in Enterprise, Alabama. While picking cotton
for $10 a day, I remembered telling myself that there has to be a
better way to succeed in life. From that hot August day on, I
formalized a game plan to ensure my success. For some time my paradigm
for success has been an acronym I developed with the words ICARE…image,
commitment, attitude, responsibility, and enthusiasm. Anyone who has
had a relationship with me knows that I live the ICARE concept.
My five pillars to success are as follows:
Image: To have a chance at success, you must take pride in what you look like, what you wear, and how you present yourself. At some point in a career, a leader whether formal or informal, must demonstrate character, integrity, and credibility. One of my favorite Air Force Generals once stated, “Integrity is the inner voice and the source of self-control that is the basis for the trust that is imperative in today’s society. It is doing the right thing even when nobody is looking.” Leaders with integrity are honest and sincere…they talk the walk and walk the talk. When you are credible, you become worthy of being believed and are deserving of honor and respect. Image, is fundamental to a successful career. Commitment: To be successful, you must be totally committed to the task at hand. You must demonstrate complete dedication to your organization. No matter what task you are given, work at it as if it was the most critical assignment in the organization. Total commitment to what you are asked to do is the highest personal and professional standard there is in becoming successful. If you are committed to success, complete devotion to commitment and work ethics will provide you greater responsibility in the future. To ensure continued success, take every opportunity to improve your mind through education programs and on-the-job training within your place of employment. Attitude: Not everyone comes into a business with his or her ideal job or position, but that should not be a reason for not giving your all. If you don’t like your position and it is reflected in your attitude, your supervisors, your peers, as well as customers, will notice. Although you may think you have the worst job in the company, showing a good attitude and work ethic no matter what the task is, you will impress others around you who may be instrumental in assisting you in obtaining your desired position. If the organization’s leadership knows you give 100% regardless of the task, they will do everything they can to get you where you want to be in the future. Displaying a poor attitude will ultimately lead to your termination from the organization. Therefore, keep your attitude in check because nothing good ever comes from a bad one. Responsibility: As an individual, you have a responsibility to yourself; but to be more accurate, you have a responsibility for yourself. You must strive for self-discipline, have the courage to carry out your convictions, and keep yourself in good physical and mental condition. Some people have been broken by these responsibilities. It is okay to delegate responsibilities to others, but remember you are still responsible for all tasks delegated. A responsible person learns from mistakes and does what they can to ensure that the same mistakes do not occur in the future. If you’ve acted sincerely and according to your best judgment, you can cast aside any sense of guilt and continue to the next problem with a clear conscience. At some point in life everyone dreams of one day accomplishing a great and noble task. I say, your primary focus should be to accomplish each responsibility as if it was great and noble. Enthusiasm: Successful people sell themselves. The difference between bragging and self-confidence is enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm. Do not be negative about anything. People like to be associated with people who are positive. Who attracts the most positive attention in the workplace? Normally it is the people who display an upbeat attitude and are full of enthusiasm. Remember to always be professional and courteous to everyone. The result will be a successful career. Successful people must be good finishers. You should always perform all tasks to the best of your ability despite the relative importance of the task or who gets the credit. Image, commitment, attitude, responsibility, and enthusiasm have been a successful formula for me and can be for many of you out there in the workforce. Finally, lead with passion and people will always follow willingly. Joe A. Wilson, Executive Vice President of Training and Co-Founder of Wilson & Associates Consulting, is a retired US Air Force Colonel with over 27 years of honorable service. Joe holds a BS degree and a MA degree in Business Management and Procurement. He is a lifetime member of the Society of Logistics Engineers, the Air Force Association, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. His website is www.wilson-and-associates.com and his office number is (813) 818-0150. He can be contacted via email at jwilson@wilson-and-associates.com. |
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