Growing up in a home where my eclectic musical tastes were not typically indulged, I often ferreted away whatever money I earned mowing lawns or doing odd jobs around the neighborhood and found what I was looking for in the record store downtown. My budding collection of vinyl ranged from 45s of Wings and Chicago to LPs from AC/DC and Van Halen. But one album spoke to me in a way different from all the others: Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s eponymously titled 1973 release, BTO II.
To be fair, I had better albums, ones that I still listen to on replay to this day. Rush’s 1976 album, 2112, was one such example. Steve Winwood’s 1980 studio album, Arc of a Diver, is another. I listen to Bob Marley’s 1980 album, Uprising, during my morning commute a couple of times a week. BTO II just didn’t share their playability. It was good, not great. The last track on the first side of the LP, “Let it Ride,” peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. But the final track on the album – the spot where most songs go to die – jammed its way into my psyche like a lingering ear worm.
“Takin’ Care of Business” wasn’t even a Top 10 hit. It peaked at #12 in 1974, but somehow managed to survive inside my head for the next 50 years. For a blue-collar kid from a small mill town in northern Idaho, it was an anthem that inspired a work ethic that shaped my approach to life. I might not always be the strongest or fastest, the smartest or most gifted, but I could outwork anyone when I put my mind to it.
From that day forward, I was takin’ care of business.
Sunburns and Busted Knuckles
As a teenager, I often envied my peers who worked in fast food or had jobs in retail. My father made it clear to me from an early age that if I wanted something, I had to work for it. He provided for the basics, but anything more would come out of my pocket. He also set the expectation that college was a non-negotiable, but I was expected to pay for that, too.
By high school, that equated to holding down two or three jobs at one time. During the summer months, I would work harvest from sunup to sundown, then mow a lawn or two on my way home after a long day in the field. I would go an entire summer without seeing my friends – it was all I could do to get a hot meal and a good night of sleep before the alarm clock sent me on my way again. When college rolled around, my work ethic was firmly established. While I wasn’t always the best student, I worked as a firefighter and held down a second job working for the university.
Through it all, two key elements of my leadership style took root. One, I would never ask anyone to do anything that I wasn’t willing to do myself. Two, I never shied away from – as I would explain – “rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty.” A blue-collar work ethic goes a long way toward earning the respect of your team. The sunburns and busted knuckles weren’t just for show. They were the outward signs of an inner drive, a work ethic that – as my children say to this day – “doesn’t have an off switch.”
Hit the Ground Running
The first time it occurred to me that my work ethic offered a unique competitive advantage was in the wake of the Gulf War, when I was selected over more senior – and seasoned – officers to lead our battalion’s postwar recovery efforts. The ground war itself might have been short, but our readiness reflected nearly eight months of unforgiving operational tempo.
“You gotta hit the ground running, S-4,” was a common refrain from our battalion executive officer, Major Joe Frankie. During our nightly updates in his office, he never let me forget that there were others who wanted my job. “You can’t let up for a minute. You can’t slow down and look around.” And if I so much as showed signs of slowing down, he reminded me that regaining our readiness was only the first goal – he wanted us to win the Army’s awards for maintenance and dining facilities.
But we shared more than a common work ethic. We also shared the essential traits that transform someone with a strong work ethic into a high achiever. First, we held ourselves accountable to a higher standard of performance, taking ownership of our actions and decisions. Second, we were uncommonly diligent, committed to the hard work necessary to push the organization – and ourselves – to the next level. Third, we were reliable to a fault. We delivered what we promised and did so on time and on budget. Finally, we both shared a firm foundation of integrity. The values and ethical standards of the institution were non-negotiable.
gettin’ Stuff Done
But what truly separates high achievers from everyone else is the first of those traits – personal accountability. It isn’t just that they possess a seemingly inhuman work ethic and drive to succeed, they hold themselves to a standard of performance that necessitates a level of accountability that others often avoid. In a recent Fast Company article, authors David Rock and Chris Weller reflect on this: High achievers “get clarity in what they’re supposed to do, execute tasks deliberately and intentionally, and learn from the outcomes they produce, whether good or bad.”
Those traits elevate a strong work ethic. Rock and Weller refer to it as proactive accountability, where high achievers “see accountability as a way to grow, develop, and innovate.” They embrace risk, take ownership of their responsibilities, and learn from their mistakes. Their drive is fueled by three cognitive habits that differentiate them from others in recognizable – and measurable – ways.
1. Sync expectations.
One of the hallmarks of a high achiever is that they tend to exceed your already high expectations. They do this by creating a shared understanding of intent, clarifying expectations before they set out on a task. They ask the important questions and “eliminate any potential misunderstandings before moving forward.”
2. Drive with purpose.
For a high achiever, clarity firmly establishes the purpose underpinning the task at hand. “Purpose ignites motivation.” High achievers share one common trait: they find a deeper motivational value in that purpose that drives the energy that fuels their work ethic.
3. Own the impact.
It all comes down to accountability. High achievers hold themselves accountable for outcomes, good or bad. They “maintain a grown mindset, or the belief that mistakes are a chance to improve.” They don’t linger on failure; they use it as a springboard into the future.
Not all leaders are equipped to manage or even understand high achievers. They aren’t motivated by corner offices, impressive-sounding titles, or certificates of appreciation (“Suitable for framing!”). Rock and Weller summarize this perfectly: “When people always seem to get things done, it’s because they’re not getting mired in failure or basking in success… they’re focused on achieving the next set of goals in front of them.”
They outwork everyone else simply because that’s what they do.
