Maybe the title is a bit strong–maybe not. The secret that is a critical part of almost all success, true and lasting success, is PERSONALITY.
It is personality that determines whether that boss across from the desk decides to hire you or not. He knows what makes work bearable from day to day is the personalities of the people who must work together. If you’re not going to be workable, guess what? You won’t be working.
It’s personality that determine if that next customer will buy from you, either in person or from the copy you’ve written for your personality is smeared all across everything you do.
The reason, IMHO, why personality is rarely addressed in corporate or any bureacratic setting, is because they cannot train you to have a good personality. You either got one or you ain’t, baby. Well, I’m not sure I believe what I just wrote.
I think one can change aspects of their personality.
It begins with focus and honest self-assessment. If we pay attention to our values, goals, attitudes, dispositions, etc., we then stand a chance of changing those things. Many of us live “the unexamined life” and can gain powerful, paradigm-changing insights by examining said life.
I had a student once in an introductory university class. He came to class unshaven, uncombed, and in wrinkled, less-than-fresh clothes. When I called on him, he would answer with a grunt. A year later, I passed through the outer office of my suite and saw him sitting and waiting for an appointment. I couldn’t believe my eyes. He was well-dressed, his hair was clean and professionally cut. He had a trimmed beard that flattered his face. Moreover, he had trimmed down and looked fit.
I sat beside him on the sofa and said, “What happened to you?”
He said, “I’ve been working on myself.” Boy, had he!
He went on to pursue a Masters degree in German through a cooperative program in Germany–something that would have never happened for the student I first met in the introductory class.
So I think a personality can change. I know I’ve changed mine in significant ways many times in my life. In fact, each new challenge seems to require some changes in that very-hard-to-define thing called personality. The change begins with focus and insights about the external challenges and the internal me.
In field internships, I sometimes had the occasion to tell an intern, “If your current personality is not cutting it, change it.” And–some did.
To your ever-changing and improving personailty . . .
-Rich
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