|
|
Lessons For Success |
||||||||||
Enduring MotivationUnmotivated Employees
Motivating Yourself
|
|||||||||||
|
Success |
Success From Scratch
Lessons For Success
Success Secrets
Successful Life Choices
10 Keys to Success
|
Management |
Building A Better Boss
Skills of an Effective Manager
Fortune Cookie Management
Managing Fairness
Management & Training
|
Leadership |
Unifying Leadership
4 Lessons for Leaders
Take Action
Leadership Behind the Walls
Leadership Pitfalls
|
Goal Setting |
Commit To A Goal
Work Smart
Choosing a Profession
A Determined Will
Be A Goal Getter....
One Race at a Time
For Ten Years I
worked as an independent market maker in the Eurodollar Options pit at the
Chicago Mercantile Exchange. During those years, I excelled in one
of the most stressful and demanding professions around. My work in
the pit taught me some very valuable lessons about succeeding in life and
in a profession. I share two of those with you here:
1.
Find a job that fits well with your personality and God-given talents.
If you want to be successful at what you do and enjoy doing it over an
extended period of time, your personality and natural talents must mesh
well with what your particular job requires you to do. For me, for
example, the ability to deal with and thrive off extreme competition and
chaos was critical.
I repeatedly witnessed capable individuals wilt under the pressure present
on the trading floor-they just were not cut out to thrive in that type of
an environment. One example of this was a brilliant young man who
had graduated from MIT with a degree in math. He was capable of
performing the most complex mathematical calculations alone in a quiet
classroom. On the trading floor, however, with people shouting and
rushing about, and where split-second decisions had to be made without
hesitation, it was as if he had left his brain at the front door.
I do not share this story in order to show that this young man was better
or worse than anyone else, but rather to make the point that God has made
each of us with specific gifts and talents. Whereas I relished the
hyper-competitive environment found on the trading floor.
I firmly believe that the individuals who achieve
professional excellence tend to be those who have identified their
specific gifts early in life and have been able to match them to their
profession.
2.
Learn from experts.
Despite all the shouting and screaming that goes on in the pit, I fount
it surprisingly easy to pick out the truly top-notch traders from the rest
of the pack.
The significance of this for me as I began my trading career
had to do with my desire to tap into the wisdom of these superstar
traders. As a rookie trader, I received invaluable advice and support from
several successful veterans.
There are multiple benefits from meeting with an expert.
Every successful person hasn't simply arrived in that position. If
you ask the person about his or her journey, you can probe for his or her
good decisions as well as false turns, then use the advice and support
from several successful veterans.
But you have to ask and be proactive in seeking advice
from a mentor. Don't assume that because they haven't offered unsolicited
advice they would be unwilling to share when asked. It's a rare person who
doesn't think his or her story is worth telling.
You
might be saying to yourself, "Yeah, but he'll think I am trying to get
something from him -- a job or money." Maybe you're right.
Freeloaders are always trying to get to people in these positions. It is
your task to convince this expert that you are looking neither for a job
nor a handout. Since the person is probably waiting for your request for
money or a job, it's best to exclude this possibility from the start. You
will be amazed at how it will change the receptivity of the expert.
Simply make it clear that you sincerely
want to learn about his or her personal story, training, and experience.
Remember, the real jewel, the true pearl, in a
person is the wisdom he or she has gained through experience.
If asked, the expert will impart this wisdom, and no price tag can be
placed on these insights. v
|
Back - |
Print
Article
- |
|
