In no matter what job you have now or in the future a good thought to have is:
“Not what can the company do for you, but what can you do for the company?”
It takes going beyond yourself from the “me attitude” to the “team attitude” which leads to success.
Going Beyond Yourself Means:
1) Seeing Beyond Yourself
“A person starts to live when he can live outside himself.” ~ Albert Einstein
People who fail to “see beyond themselves” are usually selfish, insecure, or both. They’re hyper-focused on personal advancement, persuaded the world owes them a living, and convinced that they are indispensable to the fortunes of their team. They stand in sharp contrast to leaders who seek to understand the diverse perspectives of others, see the needs of people around them, and realize that success means sowing seeds that benefit others.
2) Growing Beyond Yourself
“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” — Ghandi
Growing beyond your present capacities starts by discovering your purpose, clarifying your priorities, and getting passionate about life. It continues by learning from others who can do more than you can do. Seek out experts and admirable leaders and ask them for advice and mentorship. The fastest way to get better is to hang around with better people!
3) Giving Beyond Yourself
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘what are we doing for others?’” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Our leadership takes off when, instead of recruiting people to our cause, we invest ourselves in their development. We have to give to others before we can expect to reap their support.
4) Gathering Beyond Yourself
Leaders don’t necessarily gather the people they want; they attract the people most like themselves. To surround yourself with great people, you need to work at becoming a great person. Self-development precedes team formation.
From John Maxwell’s leadership blog post Traveling To Infinity And Beyond Means Leaving Self-Centeredness Behind
