Developing a Strong Work Ethic

Guest: Will May

Proverbs 14:23 - Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!

Will - my dad taught me the value of hard work and the value of taking responsibility

How do you develop a strong and consistent work ethic? By working.

Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…

What’s your “motivation” for work?

• External motivation - money, fame, power, etc…
• Internal motivation - I work because God has given me gifts to employ and has called me to work, therefore I work because that’s who I am and how I demonstrate God’s calling in my life

Great Commission - Matthew 28:16-20

Go and make disciples - or could be understood as “as you go” - so you can “make disciples” in whatever you’re doing!

What kinds of things are you looking for when you hire someone?

• “Nobody ever looks better than the day that you hire them”
• ICCE
  • Intelligence - IQ, EQ, and curiosity (what questions are you asking?)
  • Character - how do you treat other people?
  • Coachability - do you listen well and make adjustments? Do you read?
  • Experience - what have you done, have you been promoted before?

Intelligence and Character - at this point in your life, you’re probably not going to get much more of in your life!

Dan - the sign of intelligence is the ability to ask a good question

Are there dumb questions? YES!!!

Work ethic - starts with working hard…then can move to working smart. Are you engaged in your job and company, are you a self-starter or do you need to be told what to do?

Hard work includes understanding the value of REST…and recharging. 

Will - try to figure out how to stick out a job for at least 12 months - don’t always look at the proverbial “greener” grass on the other side.

Will - think “cross-functionally”

Leadership Development Pipeline - learn how to lead yourself, then learn how to lead people, 7 different layers of leadership. Think about how to not only improve my role, but how my role can improve the overall company!

Things I can control and Things that matter - Venn diagram - where those two concepts overlap, that’s where you can get involved in making things better that aren’t specifically your responsibility

Will - do the “little things” - think about how what you do affects others - look to not only make yourself successful, but what makes others successful as well?

Recommended resources:

Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool for Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future by Cameron Herold

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jacko Willink