It’s funny (or maybe sad) to think about, but after 13 years of school and another 4 years of college, I had no blueprint for how to build a successful career as I started out in the real world. Sure, I could rattle off extravagant mathematical equations or maybe entertain you with labor economic theory, but I had no clue how to structure my time or work in order to be a top performer in my first or second or even third job out of college.

And, after having a crazy boss early in my career, I mostly built my work roadmap around what not to do (you know, things like don’t make comments that will send people complaining to HR within 45 seconds of meeting you — that kind of stuff).

That was until a few years ago when I got the best career advice ever. It was during my stint at AirWatch when our CEO and founder, John Marshall, kicked off a sales meeting and as part of his speech, rattled off his keys to building a successful startup that ultimately sold for $1.54 billion.

That moment is still clear as day in my mind.

As it happened, I couldn’t believe my ears! Then I furiously scribbled down every bit of it. People pay thousands of dollars and travel all over for this kind insight, and there I was, Einstein bagel in hand, taking it all in by simply being in the right place at the right time. It’s a list I cherish and refer back to often to ensure I’m still on the right track.

 

Let’s do a quick recap

If you’re ready to elevate your work game and take your career to the next level, here are your keys to success straight from the man who built a billion-and-a-half-dollar company:

• Take good notes
• Research thoroughly
• Have the will to practice to win, not just the will to win
• Build rapport with people by communicating in person rather via email or text
• Plan your day and week —
  • Don’t let your inbox plan your time
  • Realize it’s okay to put off less important tasks to accomplish BIG things instead
• Lead by example —
  • Invest in yourself
  • Prioritize your time
  • Do the basics right
  • Learn new skills
  • Stop bitching
  • Be a mentor
  • Get a mentor
  • Stay humble and hungry

Of course, it’s easy to read through a list of ideas, nod your head, close out of the page, and simply move on with your life. But what if you took the time to internalize the details of the list and then took action and actually did the work?

I guarantee that if you put in the effort, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else who would rather digest boatloads of information than implement any of it. Heck, if you take even one of these points to heart and do the work, you’ll outshine the rest of your competition. In fact, to avoid overwhelm or analysis paralysis, I’d recommend starting with one point. Once you’ve solidified that, come back and tackle another and then another.

They say it’s lonely at the top, but I promise the view will totally be worth it!

Time to dive in and deconstruct

Take good notes

This is rule number one and undoubtedly is the easiest on the list. It’s also very often overlooked.

The first step to taking good notes, of course, is to come prepared. So many people don’t do this — it’s incredible! I can’t think of a reason you should ever come to a meeting, training session, or company update without something to write with.

Always carry a notebook and pen with you. Then write things down. See how simple this can be?

Why it matters:

• Taking notes shows the people around you that you’re engaged in the conversation. It adds a level of trust and respect to the discussion. If you’re taking notes, you can’t simultaneously be checking your email, playing with your phone, or doing any number of distracting things that indicate you either don’t care or aren’t paying attention.
• Having notes to refer back to will serve as a refresher down the road as there’s no way you’ll remember the details of the meeting two days, weeks, or months from now.
• You can write down your action items instead of relying on someone else to tell you what to do or trying to remember what you’re supposed to do (see above).
• If you’re learning something new, write down the step-by-step process once and then you’ll never have to ask the person who trained you ever again. Trust me, they will love you for not interrupting them with the same questions over and over after they’ve already shown you the way.

And while taking notes in some fashion is better than doing nothing, if you’re thinking about using your laptop, consider reviewing the findings from recent studies that highlight the effectiveness of writing over typing. Cue music: The more you know…

 

Research thoroughly

Even though you’re done with school, you still and will always have to do your homework. You thought you were done with it? Think again!

In 2016, I had the opportunity to see the world-renowned entrepreneur, Daymond John (yes, the one from Shark Tank), speak about getting FUBU up and running. One of the key moments in FUBU’s success story was getting massive free advertising thanks to the wonderful folks at Gap not doing their homework.

If you were alive in the ’90s, you probably remember the commercial I’m talking about.

You see, Gap failed to realize that the man they were featuring, LL Cool J, also had a relationship with Daymond John and FUBU, and they let him perform his piece unscripted. So on the surface, it’s LL Cool J freestyling about Gap and their clothes, but if you look and listen more closely, you’ll notice he’s wearing a FUBU “FB” cap and slips in “For Us By Us, on the low” at the tail end.

Boom — just like that, FUBU won thirty seconds of free national advertising courtesy of Gap. The best part? Gap didn’t even know it!

Well-played, FUBU. Well-played.

How can you apply this lesson to your day-to-day?

• When buying a new piece of software, it could be something as simple as doing in-depth research — asking for recommendations, reading reviews, signing up for a free trial, getting references — before locking in a long-term contract and shelling out any money.
• If you’re going into a customer meeting, it means having done extensive research on the company and understanding who their customers are, who their leaders are, and what’s important to them.
• Or, perhaps you’ve stumbled on a problem within your own organization. Rather than pointing out the problem to your boss and moving on with your day, take a different approach. Can you clarify the issue, come up with potential ways to solve it, and then make a recommendation on which option you think is best? Everybody points out problems. Few people try to solve them. Do the extra work — it will leave a great impression and your boss will appreciate it.

Have the will to practice to win, not just the will to win

Who goes into any endeavor hoping to lose?

Man, I really hope we get mercy-ruled 25-0 tonight — that would be awesome!

— OR —

I can’t wait to get booed off the stage when I give my speech tomorrow!

That’s right: Nobody.

Of course everyone wants to win, but wanting to win is only the start. In fact, that’s the easy part because getting your ass kicked sucks. The hard part is putting in the work up front to be able to reap the benefits later, the joy and glory of winning it all. The hard part is wanting to practice and then showing up day after day to actually do it.

Think about professional athletes and the work it takes for them to outshine their top-tier competitors. A pro athlete wouldn’t even dream about lounging on the couch all week long and then show up to a game or match expecting to win. They certainly don’t “hack” their way to the top. Nope. They’re dedicated and focused on doing even the tiniest things right, all of the time.

Allow me to share some examples:

• Steph Curry shoots 2,000 shots a week with at least 250 per day and 100 before game time
• Following her 2-hour tennis court sessions, Serena Williams spends another 1-2 hours on strength and cardio training, mixing in yoga and Pilates 2-3 times per week
• In addition to regular practice, Tom Brady follows a strict diet, focuses on regular brain training sessions, and even has a fitness regimen while on vacation

The best in the world aren’t simply born with it. They work hard day-in and day-out, understanding that diligence and discipline will lead them to the ultimate outcome they seek.

Why don’t we all work like this?

You can’t think or read or hack your way to the top. You have to focus and put in the time. You have to practice. And through hundreds and eventually thousands of repetitions, mistakes, and continuous feedback, you’ll get better and better until one day, you’ve “magically” arrived and you can finally pull off that big win.

Go ahead and take the first step today.

Open up your calendar right now and block out an hour or two each week so you can hone your own skills. Struggling with solidifying your knowledge of Excel? Practice VLOOKUPS, SUMIFS, and pivot tables until you can do them in your sleep. Need to hone your Salesforce admin abilities? Hit up Trailhead and methodically work through your weak spots until you can build validation rules and formulas blindfolded.

Sure, it won’t feel like much at first, but an hour a week compounds over time and is more than you (and most others) were likely doing before. Time to get started!

Build rapport with people by communicating in person rather than via email or text

These days, it’s so easy to communicate through any number of channels. We have email, text, Slack, and tons of other tools where we can simply ping someone, sit back, and wait for a response.

As social creatures, however, humans want and require interaction with other humans. Not only does getting face time help with building rapport, it also helps people understand your message better. According to research done by UCLA psychology professor emeritus, Albert Mehrabian, “7 percent of a message was derived from the words, 38 percent from the intonation, and 55 percent from the facial expression or body language.” That’s right, communicating with only words means that 93 percent of your message isn’t being properly conveyed.

Let’s stop hiding behind our computer monitors and work on truly connecting with the people around us. Personally, I struggle with this point, but it’s something I’m quite cognizant of and continue to work on. If you’re like me in the least, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• If you have the option of dialing in to a call or psychically showing up, join the group in the conference room
• While grabbing your morning brew in the breakroom, ask the person next to you about their weekend or the big project they’re working on
• Make the next meeting you schedule be an in-person one
• Invite a co-worker to grab lunch one day
• Have a standing or walk-and-talk meeting

See? Nothing too crazy — just a few small steps you can take now to start building relationships with the folks you work with every day.

Plan your day and week

Similar to taking notes, planning our weeks and days is something each of us should be doing on a regular basis, but laying out a game plan is yet another easily overlooked exercise. When it comes to managing our days, most of us tend to be reactive rather than proactive.

For this point, John Marshall provided two sub-bullets:

• Don’t let your inbox plan your time
• Realize it’s okay to put off less important tasks to accomplish BIG things instead

Let’s tackle these in reverse.

Realize it’s okay to put off less important tasks to accomplish BIG things instead

A common issue with not planning is that you often end up spending your limited time on low-value tasks, focusing on the urgent rather than the important. Sure, knocking out dozens of small to-do list items may feel productive, but it’s not leaving a noticeable mark on your team or organization. This happens to the best of us from time-to-time — that’s why laying out your day proves ever more important.

Knowing what needs to get done and having a blueprint in place for achieving those goals keeps you focused. Start by identifying the one or two BIG items you should be working on, the ones that will have the largest positive impact and potentially negate the need to do other items on your list. Then block off large chunks of time to focus on those high-impact, high-value projects instead of spinning your wheels putting out fires all day.

When you’re focused on tackling major projects, you’ll be forced to let the occasional smaller requests slip through the cracks. It’ll definitely feel uncomfortable at first but try testing the waters here. Usually, you’ll find that the horrible outcome or backlash you imagined never materializes.

I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. — Mark Twain

Need help with outlining and prioritizing your to-do list? I use the Productivity Planner daily and weekly to help me keep track of my list of projects, what I’ve completed, how long it took, and ways to improve moving forward.

   

Once you start using a tool like this, you’ll notice trends over time like the fact that meetings are eating into too much of your day or that many projects take 2-3 times longer than you originally expected. Great — what a wonderful learning opportunity! Take note and iterate. Rinse. Repeat.

For me, I’ve seen those small tasks show up repeatedly on my to-do list, but now they fall to the bottom “if-I-can-get-to-it” portion of the list. Week over week, these tasks, where I normally would have spent my time, seem stay on my to-do list. The funny thing? Nobody ever asks about them again.

Don’t let your inbox plan your time

Many of our work days get derailed before we ever truly start working. We show up to the office, open our inboxes, and proceed to power through emails, checking boxes off other people’s to-do lists rather than our own. And for some godforsaken reason, we even leave Outlook open with notifications popping up as new messages stream in. It’s as if the world will implode faster than the Falcons during the 2017 Super Bowl if we don’t respond to the latest alert within seconds.

Ready for the truth? Email can wait.

One image that really drove this point home for me comes from Tim Ferriss’s Four-Hour Work Week. Remember that old Drug Free America commercial with the fried egg? “This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” Now replace the word “drugs” with “email” and see how constantly checking your inbox will wreak havoc on your day. Without having a plan in place for managing your inbox effectively, it literally becomes impossible to focus.

As Tim points out in his book, the key here is still being responsive but in a deliberate way instead of haphazardly clicking into your inbox every few minutes. His recommendation? Set regular times to check your email, batch the job so you can answer them all at once, and then close the program and move onto your bigger goals. This is how you drive results while simultaneously avoiding overwhelm.

What a relief it was to hear our CEO actually utter the words, “Don’t let your inbox plan your time.”

Lead by example

This was John’s last and most emphatic point. In fact, he laid out eight key ingredients to being a better leader, providing a solid starting point for self-reflection and improvement for everyone in that room. Some of his points are closely related, so I’ve combined them where appropriate.

Invest in yourself and learn new skills

The best in the world invest constantly in themselves, so why should we be any different? Whether it’s books, classes, podcasts, coaching, or building relationships, continue pushing to become a new and improved version of yourself. Even if you feel like you’re too old or tired or stressed or [insert excuse here] to learn new things, remember the world continues to innovate and evolve. If you’re not keeping up, at some point, you’ll get left behind.

As Tony Robbins says, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

Prioritize your time

Not to belabor this point, but we all have the same 24 hours in any given day. Get the most out of that time by planning and prioritizing your day, letting little bad things happen, and learning to tune out the noise. A constant feeling of busyness or overwhelm likely indicates a lack of priorities. Fix that feeling by figuring out what’s most important to you and what has the biggest impact. Then focus your energy there. Ignore the rest.

Do the basics right

How you do anything is how you do everything. Reaching more advanced levels starts with having the right building blocks in place. Those blocks serve as the foundation for future growth and success, but if they’re not properly laid and maintained, your whole endeavor could be threatened with even the tiniest bit of stress.

John Wooden, a former UCLA basketball coach who won 10 titles in 12 seasons, would start each season teaching his guys how to properly tie their shoes. That’s right — no dribbling drills or layups. Shoes! You see, improperly tied shoes meant the possibility of blisters or sprained ankles, which meant missing games as a result. That’s why John Wooden started his sessions with the most basic of tasks. Even if it seems remedial, the foundation counts.

At work, getting the basics right could include any number of “trivial” things like:

• Coming prepared and having a plan for your day
• Showing up to meetings on time
• Connecting with your internal/external customers
• Being kind and respectful
• Learning how to listen
• Valuing your and other people’s time
• Proofing your work for accuracy, clarity, and conciseness
• Doing what you said you were going to do

Stop bitching

Not gonna lie, I was a little shocked when I heard these words, but they definitely make sense. People love to complain. In fact, research shows that complaints can be rattled off as frequently as 50 times an hour. That’s nearly one complaint per minute!

Whining provides a great way to vent about frustrations, to get something off our chests. And let’s be real, venting can also be a great way connect with others who are upset about the same issue.

On the flip side, though, there are also harmful side effects to constantly voicing discontent. Dr. Travis Bradberry, author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, points out that complaining rewires your brain for negativity, causes your body to release stress hormones, and also infiltrates the moods of those around you. It’s no wonder that a CEO would want to put that fire out in a hurry.

Need help with tempering your criticisms? This Fast Company article outlines 6 steps to successfully lessen complaining. Give it a shot!

Get a mentor, be a mentor

For many, the word mentor tends to conjure up a stilted, formal relationship as if you need to craft an application for mentorship, submit your portfolio of accomplishments, and then wait to become “the chosen one.” While that could certainly be the case sometimes, in reality, mentors can come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, you don’t even have to know someone personally for them to be a mentor to you! How awesome is that?

Most importantly, finding mentors doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating. The key is simply connecting (in person, through blogs, videos, or books, etc.) with others you can learn from. Pick someone you look up to, whether they’re a few steps ahead of you career wise, a financial guru, travel afficionado, or productivity genius, and start learning from them. Allow yourself to be exposed to new, often uncomfortable ideas and be open to challenging your own deeply held beliefs and assumptions; it means you’re growing.

Not everything your mentors suggest or do will work for you, and that’s okay. That’s the beauty of it. Take the bits that resonate, cobble them together, and craft your own journey.

On the flip side, it’s great to give back to others around you as well. One of the best ways to solidify your own knowledge and understanding of a subject is to teach it to someone else, hence becoming a mentor. Regardless of title, leaders come in all shapes and sizes. You, too, can help others learn and grow and become better versions of themselves along the way. Are you up for the challenge?

Stay humble and hungry

Lastly, don’t get complacent.

No amount of success today can promise continued success tomorrow. To climb to the top and stay there, you have to keep your head down, focus on the task at hand, and never rest on your laurels believing you’re untouchable. No one is.

Think about all the once great companies who have tanked in recent years because they got too comfortable or failed to innovate:

• Blockbuster couldn’t hang with Netflix
• Kodak missed the digital camera boat
• Taxi companies are being crushed by Uber and Lyft
• Borders shuttered its doors thanks to Amazon

The list goes on and on with one key point underscoring the overall lesson: Stay humble. Stay hungry.