It Takes Character
In the past couple of years a motivational posting has appeared on LinkedIn and other social media site stating the “10 Things That Require Zero Talent.” If you haven’t seen it, the list is:
- Being On Time
- Work Ethic
- Effort
- Energy
- Body Language
- Passion
- Doing Extra
- Being Prepared
- Being Coachable
- Attitude
And the posting is correct. None of these things require talent, but they are all or rare or inconsistently appear in the workplace (although I’ve noticed that people who don’t do these things at work seldom do them in their personal lives either).
Some blame management and culture. And I agree this is part of it, but it is not causal. You will find some people who possess these traits in almost any workplace. They are the “stars.”
So what does it require to manifest the “10 Things That Require Zero Talent”?
It takes INTEGRITY. The commitment to live life according to what is right, regardless of what is happening around you, or no matter how difficult.
It takes HUMILITY. The perspective that we are not more valuable than others, and our purpose is to serve each other, coworkers, customers, suppliers, bosses and shareholders.
It takes CHARACTER. The unwavering belief in right and wrong, the commitment to choosing right over wrong, and a pattern of behavior that demonstrates it.
Make integrity, humility and character keystones of your culture. Hire for it. Fire for the lack of it. And you’ll get the “zero talent” stuff as part of the deal.
Blessings.
“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. “
Albert Einstein