Act Like You Own It
It’s all about mindset.
If you want that job, or that promotion, or that raise, it’s not going to happen until you 100% believe it will happen for you. If you have a heart full of gratitude, and an energy that says “of course it would be me! I’m ready! I’m here and I own it!” you will attract what you are looking for.
If there is any negative energy around what you are seeking, that negativity will suck the possibility of success right out the window. People can feel your energy. How you show up determines how you are perceived. And if you want to be perceived as the person that’s right for what you’re asking for - then show up like you were meant to be there!
What does this look like in practice?
1) Dress the part. If you want to be the boss, dress like the boss. Find an authentic way to do this so you feel super confident doing it. There is no need to be someone you are not. But if the role you want calls for stepping up your game, you can find a blazer you feel great in (a little stretch makes it feel way less stuffy - pro tip), you can wear wedges instead of heels, you can find blouses or pants in fabrics that feel great and make you look like a million bucks. If you aren’t sure where to start, Nordstrom offers free personal styling, and Stitch Fix is relatively inexpensive while providing styling at low-cost to free.
2) Make the time. If you are too busy doing the work of your current role, you will never have the capacity to rise above that role to get to the next level. You need to delegate, elevate, cut out all the fat and focus on results. Can your team or your process handle everything even if you step away? What if you stopped contributing to the hands-on work altogether - could they handle everything without you and feel empowered and excited about it? If not, getting that is the next summit you need to reach before you can get to your ultimate goal.
3) Focus on results. All the time management tricks in the world are wasted if you are spending that uber-efficient time on the wrong things. Get out of your inbox, get off the hamster wheel of “busy work” and feeling “productive.” Take that energy and pour it into the 20% of work that gets 80% of the results. What is the most profitable way to spend your time, right now? What is the most important achievement you can focus on today? What are the results you can deliver that will make the biggest positive impact on your business/team/goal? Do that. The rest is fluff. The rest is WORSE than fluff - it’s a band of sneaky squirrels stealing your time, energy, and life force. Don’t get sidetracked. Being busy is not the same as getting maximum results. They are often counter to one another.
4) Impressions matter. Typically the role you want requires leveling up as a leader. The way you navigate through the world, how you make other people feel, the way you carry yourself - these things all carry 100x more weight as a leader. You set the tone. You put your energy into the room and show people how you’d like to be perceived. Are you portraying yourself as a leader? Are you setting the standard for what greatness looks like? Are you exceeding expectations? Are you a “take no excuses, results no matter what” (within ethical bounds) kind of person? If not, it’s highly unlikely you are ready to level up. Focus here before you ask someone to open the doors for you to the next level. You need to show you should already be there before you’re invited in. Show them why you deserve it. It’s not by being excellent at your job. It’s by already doing the job above you and proving you’re already capable.
5) Take those opportunities disguised as work. The opportunity IS the payment. If you are being asked to contribute outside your job description, don’t complain that you aren’t getting paid for it. You haven’t proven you can do it. Would you pay for something half-baked? I didn’t think so. The chance to try on the role is HUGE so don’t squander your long-term success looking for the short-term payout. If the boss has you sit in on a presentation, then take notes, provide feedback, offer to do part of the presentation. If the boss asks you to review a spreadsheet, optimize it. Find ways to do it better, faster, or better yet, teach their team to do it better and faster so the boss never has to review their work again. Exploit the opportunities to make magic happen wherever you go - if you can make things easier, faster, cheaper, more profitable, more fun, and do it by LEVERAGING the resources out there (read: NOT by making yourself the doer - then you’re stuck doing the grunt work you want to rise above)… you are showing you are ready for the next level.
6) Leaders lead, they don’t do. They don’t have time to do the work. They SHOULDN’T do the work. They should be empowering their team to do it. They should be training, leading, trusting, motivating, bettering their team so they can be excellent at the work. If you are doing the work, you don’t have time to lead. Pick one and be super clear on which path you are taking. Are you going to be an expert doer? That’s also a great path for highly specialized, skilled professions. But if you’re looking to be the leader, then you have got to get out of the weeds and starting looking from 50,000 feet. What is the most important thing your client, your CEO, your boss wants to see from you? What are the results that the work is all really pointing to? Focus on that end goal, and how you can be the catalyst that helps to make that happen better than anyone else - through leveraging the resources at your disposal. Lead the process to optimal results.
7) Build relationships. This isn’t just fluff. This isn’t just social. Relationships matter. They are the heart of everything. If you don’t know and trust the people you work with, they don’t know and trust you. What do you think that means come time for you to make your ask for the account or the promotion or the deal? People work with people they know and trust. A lot of action happens and decisions are made based on influence, not positional power or authority. “Office politics” gets a bad rap, but it’s really just social skills and understanding the dynamics of power, influence, and how things really get done. Build relationships with sincerity and genuine interest in understanding your stakeholders and what their needs are, help them get there, and you will prove your value. They will genuinely care about helping you in return.
8) Never underestimate the power of humor and charm. People want to have fun! They want to like the people they work with! They want to think highly of you and enjoy the time they spend with you. Make yourself a people magnet. Lighten the mood. Add interest and fun to the work. Relieve the tension. This doesn’t mean be class clown. But the thoughtful use of humor and charm can help channel energy into more productive, more positive, more effective ways. If there is tension or frustration, that blocks profit. That blocks success. Unblock it by breaking the ice and helping to get to authenticity, warmth, fun, and relaxation. The energy and the money flows in that environment. Success lies here.
Now go out there and kill it! That which you desire is already out there, waiting for you. The universe wants you to win. Act like you already own it!
