The vast majority of people work for others, as employees.
From the perspective of the employer, employees are their asset and remain their asset, until they cease being an employee.
A select few employees, however, are able to win back their freedom and regain ownership of themselves, as an asset. They do this by consistently going the extra mile.
Going the extra mile is actually an investment you make, in yourself.
When you consistently do more than your job requires, good employers eventually take notice. They reward their extra-mile employees by giving them additional responsibilities.
These added responsibilities push them outside their comfort zone, forcing them to grow in knowledge and skill, with the added benefit of working with new people within their organization.
Growth makes you more valuable.
If you view yourself as an asset, think of growth as asset appreciation.
And this is why going the extra mile is a Rich Habit.
As you grow in knowledge, skills and relationships, you become more valuable and when you become more valuable to others, you put yourself in a position of strength.
But here’s the most important take away – going the extra mile shifts the ownership of you, as an asset, from your employer back to you.
The new knowledge, skills and relationships become yours, not your employer’s. You can take them with you wherever you go. Including the competition.
Employer’s know this, and will do everything to keep extra-mile employees.
When you make going the extra mile a habit, you become un-fireable.
One of the self-made millionaires in my study rose up the corporate ladder by going the extra mile. He volunteered his services as a member of an important pharmaceutical trade organization; one that his CEO was heavily involved in.
The trade organization work put him in constant touch with his company’s CEO as well as other pharmaceutical executives from other companies.
Eventually, his hard work at the trade organization got him noticed by his CEO. Once noticed, he was put into a management-trainee program and fast-tracked for management. He rose up the ladder and is now the #2 executive at his company. Today, he is worth in excess of eight million dollars.
If you want to be a success in life, you must invest in yourself. You do this by going the extra mile, taking on additional tasks and responsibilities which push you outside your comfort zone. Discomfort is a sign that you are growing.
When you go the extra mile, you are investing in yourself. And when you invest in yourself, you cease being anyone’s asset but your own. You call the shots. And when you call the shots, you become un-fireable.
My mission is to share my unique research in order to help others realize their dreams and achieve their goals. If you find value in these articles, please share them with your inner circle and encourage them to Subscribe. Thank You!
About Thomas C. Corley
excellent point