Taking the initiative to learn is probably one of the most important elements of becoming successful in business. I remember a story about an author’s typist who started out being just an ordinary employee until the day she decided to focus on her job and to step forward.
The typist, albeit a new employee, started responding to emails the way the author would. She studied how her boss would handle letters and that initiative to learn allowed her to develop the necessary skills that made her stand out. She became more than just a new comer, but rather, she became an indispensable person for her boss.
When a position opened up where the author needed a new secretary, the same typist took another initiative. She wanted the job and so she learned all the qualities that he was looking for and she eventually got the post. Over time, the humble typist has received up to four salary increases from her employer.
The lesson from this story is simple: in order to become more valuable, we must all take the enterprising road and learn new skills and practice them.
As you start to focus and as you start to improve, you will start to take that initiative to become a better leader. And that was the key when I started in this industry. I took the initiative to learn. I would read the books on salesmanship; I would read the books on how to overcome procrastination because I was taught that you must be able to create that habit of doing it now or taking action.
