At some points in our lives, we have had heroes whom we idolized and whose lives we tried to emulate. They may be real people or comic characters. Of course, as regards the latter, we could not fly like some of them or defeat the enemies single-handedly but at least we admire their crusades to fight evil. To some of us, we have not really outgrown that stage. We still look up to great people whose lives influence us. We envision ourselves as like them.
Well, we may not exactly live out our heroes’ lives but we can develop some skills that will make our heroes proud of us. These skills and qualities can help us achieve greatness both in our personal or professional lives.
Be Punctual. This is an important trait especially in the business world. In these times of keen competition, punctuality may make the difference between winning a contract and losing a major transaction. Even in our day-to-day dealing with people, punctuality shows our respect and consideration of others’ time, giving them the impression that we are responsible a person and how committed are we in our dealings. This attitude towards others will, in turn, earn us their respect.
Tardiness on the other hand, gives a connotation of irresponsibility and unreliability which spell disaster in any business dealing. If we have developed the annoying practice of being late in our appointments, it is time we break this bad habit that may tarnish our image, lose the respect of our friends and business associates. Find ways to make punctuality a top priority in all our dealings.
Be Dependable. Be known as a person of credibility. Your always being true to your word gives the impression to others that you are dependable and someone they can always rely on to honour commitments both in your personal or professional dealings. It shows that you are trustworthy and people do not hesitate to do business with you — a very vital asset in the world of business. This applies to your observance of company policies to you overall attitude when working with your teammates or business associates.
Be Responsible. When talking to a client about his complaint or listening to someone asking for advice, show your sincere concern on what they are saying. Be attentive to them and show that you are not just a passive listener but an interested, responsible person who is ready to act on their problem. Show genuine concern on the matter at hand. Express your desire to help others by dealing on their questions and comments promptly.
Be respectful at all times. Disrespectful or insulting words have no place in any conversation with anyone. Unprofessional manners or belligerent actions must be avoided at all cost, even during arguments or debates, regardless if you are right. Except with very intimate friends, no vulgar or malicious jokes should be considered fun even for the sake of livening up the party, especially if elderly people, ladies, or minors are around. Levelheadedness and good manners are always admired in any gathering. Be respectful at all times so you will earn others’ respect in return.
Extend a helping hand. Doing charity work for the less fortunate, performing community service, supporting humanitarian causes, mentoring struggling new entrepreneurs—these are but among the few activities you can do for others. Unheralded little acts of kindness are never left unrewarded for they uplift your spirit and give you an overall feeling of self-worthiness. Lending a helping hand to others is an effective way to use your own success to share and give back to others the blessings you enjoy in life. “Give and you shall receive” says the Scriptures.
Be humble. Practice the virtue of humility, especially in times of success and triumphs. If you are right, you do not have to shout it out on the rooftops and look down on those who fail. Life is a revolving sphere and fate can bring unexpected twists to our lives. The possibility of our destiny to plunge from a dizzying height to a deep pit is always present so let us be humble at all times.
Let us be humble enough to accept when we are wrong. Do not be quick to pass the blame on others. Apologize promptly to those we may have harmed and immediately correct the situation. You are not expected to be perfect, but you are expected to be honest in your desire to satisfy your friends and clients.
Be forgiving. No one expects you to be perfect so do not demand perfection from others. Although you may expect a level of professionalism and hard work from your business associates, learn to forgive them when mistakes are committed. Identify and discuss the problem with them calmly and work out a solution to avoid repeating the same mistake in the future. We all commit errors one time or another and exaggerating them or use insulting words to embarrass the guilty party will not help the problem. On the contrary, it may even worsen it and delay its resolution.
Be guided by the above suggestions. They are among the skills of great people and statesmen whose lives we can emulate and be proud that we can be counted among them someday..