Do your job precisely as if you were your own boss, and sooner or later you will be.
The American system of free enterprise is based upon the premise that every individual may profit in proportion to his or her labors. In today’s hectic, highly competitive, global environment, however, you may feel that you are not adequately recognized and compensated for the contribution you make.
The next time you feel overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated, remind yourself that you really are in business for yourself. Your product is you. Are you the kind of employee you would like to have if you were the boss? When you are considering a difficult decision or when you are thinking about how to avoid an unpleasant assignment, ask yourself, “If this were my company, how would I handle this situation?” When your answer is that you would take precisely the same action you are considering as an employee, you are headed for bigger and better things. You will soon be the boss. ~ Napoleon Hill
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And this is precisely how I became a business owner. My thinking was focused on improving the systems and processes around me. And, yes, I admit to wanting to improve the people, too, but soon learned they were more difficult to work on than systems and processes.
A couple of the jobs I had allowed for great autonomy, so I could implement the improvements I saw were needed. The other companies I worked for were more interested in having ‘worker bees' rather than independent thinkers. In all of the jobs, I was committed to doing the best work I could do. I really disliked the whining and complaining from other employees about the work they were being paid to do. My thinking was simple – “do something about it”.
Back to doing your job, now, as if you owned the company. It's the attitude of doing your best regardless of how you feel about the task at hand. Let's face it, some tasks stink and while I would rather push it off to someone else, I'm the one that needs to do it. It's those times that benefit from the attitude of doing the work as if I owned the company – because I know that what I do today is a small part of the greater vision.
Always looking forward,
Charlene Burke
