Get Ahead In Your Career With This #1 Trick

Key Concepts:

• Reliability and Follow-Through
• Initiative and Proactiveness
• Anticipatory Thinking
• Completing Tasks

The Core of Success: Doing What You Say You'll Do

The primary skill or trait identified as crucial for achieving significant success, as exemplified by a background including Stanford Business School, Blackstone, SACE, and running a hedge fund, is the ability to "do what they say they were going to do." This encompasses several fundamental actions:

• Follow up: Ensuring that commitments are tracked and addressed.
• Do it: Executing the promised tasks and responsibilities.
• Be there: Demonstrating presence and commitment.
• Be early. Early is on time: Emphasizing punctuality and a proactive approach to being present and prepared.

This principle is presented as a foundational element, even for individuals who have achieved high-level positions, with the speaker noting they have held roles previously occupied by others.

The Importance of Completion and Initiative

Beyond simply following through, a key aspect highlighted is the ability to complete things. The speaker observes that it can be surprisingly difficult to find individuals who consistently finish what they start. This leads to the point that one doesn't necessarily need to be a "star" to succeed; often, the basics are what are lacking.

• Taking initiative: A lack of initiative is identified as a common hurdle. Even a small amount of initiative can be a significant differentiator.

Going the Next Level: Anticipatory Thinking

To advance beyond basic competence and reach the "next level," a more advanced skill is recommended: anticipating what a boss would want. This involves:

• Empathizing with leadership: Putting oneself in the shoes of a superior ("if I were working in her or his shoes") to understand their priorities and concerns.
• Proactive problem-solving: Considering what the boss would be thinking about beyond the immediate task assigned.
• Adding value: Identifying and executing "one more thing" that would be particularly helpful, even if not explicitly requested. This demonstrates a deeper understanding of the team's or organization's goals and a willingness to go above and beyond.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The core message emphasizes that while impressive credentials and ambitious ventures are notable, the bedrock of sustained success lies in fundamental professional behaviors. These include unwavering reliability, the consistent completion of tasks, and the proactive demonstration of initiative. For those aiming for higher achievement, the ability to anticipate the needs and priorities of leadership by thinking from their perspective is a critical differentiator. The emphasis is on the power of executing the basics exceptionally well and then layering on proactive, anticipatory contributions.