Many don’t see what’s behind the veil of grand ideas. They think of visionaries as sexy and charismatic but don’t know they are very hardworking too.
What people call success is a result of many concepts, meetings, documents, brainstorms, prototypes, strategies and so on. Some boring, repetitive and tiring. It’s why some people who always look for activity, excitement and stimulation rarely follow through on anything great. They scarcely deliver on lengthy projects unless sustained by brilliant administrative support. The behind-the-scenes process of achievement can be sheer tedium.
The principles that worked for me in my corporate career were hardwork, creativity, diligence and determination.
God blessed those things. I never had a “supernatural breakthrough” where I attended a meeting and miraculously got a billion Dollar contract. You will hear no such stories. I can recall exactly how I made my first million because I documented it.
My main strength I think, is tenacity. I can do incredibly monotonous and hard things quietly. As long as there’s an envisioned end, I stick to stuff. I especially like those things people say cannot be done. I can be stubborn about breaking tradition.
People saw the results over the years, but didn’t realise that I wore many hats. I would proofread documents, write presentations and go from table to table to harass people to work faster. I would keep my phone on till very late and do solo brainstorms in my room on weekends. I served my organisation’s mission, though stewardship seems uncommon nowadays.
I rarely attended flashy meetings. My “deals” were done by coming up with brilliant ideas and being bold enough to sell them without doubt. I didn’t believe there was anyone more brilliant than me in the room or more creative. I also trusted that my ideas would work, of course. Even now, I can’t recall creating any notable wealth from photo worthy moments.
Maybe Sanguines get off on public displays, but not me. My path was independent and lonely. I did extra assignments I got no credit for.
It was my nature to focus on results, so oftentimes no one knew the actual amount of effort required to get there. I took initiative. This meant I would come up with an idea, structure it and then execute it. My mentor taught me early to never seek an opinion unless I first proferred one of my own. Sometimes, I would finish briefs alone, because my collaborators’ plates were full and I had a deadline to meet.
The thing is, all of that produced an excellent spirit. And incredible faith. I now know I can do many things. I developed capacity.
I am unsure I can work closely with anyone who doesn’t like or enjoy hardwork. Because a lot of effort goes into everything I do. I am constantly creating, refining and making things better. I love to take an existing piece of work and make it more profitable. I tinker.
I also expect results. Perhaps, even more importantly, I respect those who have the courage to ask for help and to take responsibility for personal progress. Too many people want to be taken care of but don’t want to share the burden of producing the wealth that will feed everyone.
I dislike people who hide mistakes and who have no ideas on how to fix them.
And, handholding wearies me. I am a treasure trove of information. I will show you the way. I will teach you. But I will refuse to carry you. I no longer enjoy admin work, so micromanaging stresses me.
In all, I view my work as service to God and humanity. It’s not something I primarily do to make money. There are less stressful ways to turn a profit than what I do. My work is my calling and cause. So, I do it with single-minded focus. I don’t do it to fund a life or to fill a void. I am already living a rich life.
In 23 years of work, I have discovered what it is to produce excellence. If it was easy, excellence would be more common. But as you know, it is not.
For more, please read Inertia Kills Dreams.
[bctt tweet=”What people call success is a result of many concepts, meetings, documents, brainstorms, prototypes, strategies and so on. Some boring, repetitive and tiring.” username=”@subomiplumptre”]
