When I interview other leaders about what has made them successful in their careers and organizations, one response I regularly get is some variation of, “I just kept showing up.”
Consistency. It’s a force multiplier. Whether you’re trying to get in front of a potential charitable supporter, a potential client for a sales opportunity, or to get on your boss’ radar for a future promotion or salary increase, showing up consistently is key to your success.
Early on in my career I was working towards a promotion. It meant a big pay bump, and it would put me into a leadership track for future key opportunities. I decided to do two things to help make myself an ideal candidate for the job. First, I asked for additional projects. I knew that my boss’ boss was running a new client project and she needed someone to do the grunt work on the project. So even though it was technically “below” my current role, I offered to do it so that I could get more face-time with her and prove that I was ready for bigger opportunities. Then I committed to showing up early and often to make sure the project went as well as it could. Over the next six months I was in the office by 6:30am most days to get this extra work done before I started my regular work for the day. The project was successful, and this level of consistent delivery on the project resulted in our client awarding us more work, and as a result, my promotion into this new role.
What are some ways you can increase your own level of consistency in your life to help you achieve greater outcomes?
Onward & Upward
Andrew