10 Lessons From Rules of Work

1. Walk Your Talk

Whenever you say something, live by it. Let people know you as a person who does what you say you will do. Always walk your talk.

2. Have a Plan

No matter what’s going on, always have a plan in life. Plan for the year. Plan for the next 2 years. Plan for the next 5 years. And plan for the next 20 years. Have a plan.

3. Carve a Niche For Yourself

Create a unique identity with what you do. Make sure you are known for doing something unique. Don’t get involved in what everyone is doing. Do something special.

4. Stay Focused on Your Long Term Goals

You can’t afford to lose sight of your long term goals for a second. For you there is not time off, no downtime, no lounging around, so slip ups, no mistakes, no accidental deviations from the script.

5. Learn From Others Mistakes

A clever person learns from their own mistakes, but a wise person learns from others’ mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others. Study how others made errors and commit to avoiding them.

6. Develop the Right Attitude

Be optimistic. Be positive. Share positivity with your colleagues, your friends and your acquaintances. The right attitude will attract you the right people to your life.

7. Cultivate a Smile

Smile when it’s getting tough. Smile when it’s hell. Smile when no matter what. And what sort of a smile? Friendly, genuine—make sure it extends to your eyes—sincere, frank, honest, open, happy.

8. Be Cool

At work you should retain your cool at all times and, no matter what, never ever lose your dignity. If there’s an office costume party, you can laugh and joke with everyone else, but let them do the dressing up. You remain apart from all that office nonsense.

9. Speak Well

You can keep your regional accent; that’s not the problem. Look at why we speak—it is to communicate, to convey information—rather than how we speak. Speaking well means getting information across clearly and effectively. It doesn’t matter how you speak, but it does matter that you speak clearly.

10. Know Yourself—Strengths and Weaknesses

If you are going to be a winner, you have to be incredibly objective about yourself. A lot of people can’t do this; they can’t turn the spotlight on themselves objectively enough or brightly enough to see themselves as others see them. And it’s not just how others see us; it’s also how we see ourselves. We all carry a mental image of ourselves—what we look like and sound like, what makes us tick, how we work—but how realistic is this image?

**If you enjoyed this, please check out the book The Rules of Work**