Success Is Not Final
Maintain a positive attitude
Enthusiasm and optimism are infectious, so see the glass as half full. Be realistically optimistic and demonstrate that by working together, the team can achieve its goals.
Focus on what you can control
As author Charles Swindoll notes, “Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we react to it.” The more time and energy you spend on things you can’t control, the less time you have to spend on those things you can.
Work hard
Everything that happens in life is the result of a person or group of people working hard toward a collective goal. The only place where “success” comes before “work” is in the dictionary.
Be persistent
Never give up and when you miss a step, get back up and ask yourself, “What can I do differently next time?” This is the mirror test. You learn a lot about yourself from your mistakes. Don’t be afraid to make one.
Continuously raise the bar
Success is not final and as leaders, you should always strive to improve yourself and your team. It’s important to celebrate success, but realize you can always do better.
You are the keeper of the “why.”
It is your job as a leader to ensure the people around you understand why their work matters and how it connects to a higher purpose or mission. Not all of your teammates will hear your message the first time. So repeat it. Repeat it again. And, once you think everyone has the message, repeat it one more time.
Be authentic.
Be honest.
Be human.
Always maintain your integrity and don’t take shortcuts. Do the right thing and do it all the time, even if no one is watching. Be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.
Be curious
Ask questions and listen to the answers with an open mind. It is the best way to build trust and to truly understand what is on the minds of your teammates and where there are opportunities to improve. Most importantly, take action and keep your team informed.
Hire a diverse team and trust them
Surround yourself with talented people and let them do their jobs. Be deliberate about assembling a team with diverse experiences that reflect the customers you serve and the communities in which you live.
Care
Care about others. Care about your work. Care about your community. Take the time to know the people you work with, both personally and professionally. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Chip Rossi
Bank of America
Chip Rossi is the Global Compliance and Operational Risk Operations Executive at Bank of America. He also represents the bank as the Delaware market president. Chip serves on the boards of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, the Grand Opera House and Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, as well as on the William Penn High School Advisory Board. He is a member of The Delaware Business Roundtable and a member of the Development Committee for Delaware Technical and Community College.