Written by: Simon T. Bailey, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
A thriver is a person who has found their inner trampoline and then decided to jump into their future.
They can be parachuted into any situation with a mindset to add value and leave things better than they found them. They can seamlessly move from the front line to the boardroom, with ease and edge, to move things forward.
It’s not about making millions of dollars, it’s understanding how to use their brilliance and release it. Thrivers use their gift of brilliance to help others find it within themselves.
After writing my new book, Resilience@Work: How to Coach Yourself into a Thriving Future, I realized that I had more to say and needed to connect the dots for those navigating the new world of work. Thriving is about transforming the workplace from the inside out, which means starting with themselves.
I know what you’re thinking: “Is this thriving the new social media meme catching on fire or does it have real substance?” Gallup recently discovered that engaged workers who are not thriving in their lives are much more vulnerable and add risk to your organization.
Thriving employees have 53% fewer missed days due to health issues. Suffering and struggling employees have a substantially higher disease burden due to diagnoses of depression and anxiety, among others. This translates into big differences in productivity.
According to research from MGI (McKinsey & Company’s McKinsey Global Institute), organizational performance can no longer mean surviving; the goal must be thriving. In other words, the front line is the bottom line.
A Thriver seeks to make a life instead of a living. They know who they are, and instead of quitting to work at their job, they’ve started creating a legacy. They realize that who they are becoming is bigger than what they do. It is important to them to set the pace for the generations to come.
Thrivers, aka Divergent Thinkers, understand that within the past 150 years our world has transitioned from an Age of Agriculture to an Age of Industrialism to an Age of Knowledge to what I am calling the Age of Brilliance.
In the Age of Brilliance, people are tired of just working for a paycheck. They are over-giving sweat equity and intellectual equity, showing up to a purposeless organization that values shareholders more than people who are closest to the customer.
In the Age of Brilliance, meaning supersedes making money. In the Age of Brilliance, purpose is more important than power, prestige, and position.
In the Age of Brilliance, social entrepreneurship is more valuable than mergers and acquisitions.
In the Age of Brilliance, men and women around the world are stepping forward to say, “I want to collaborate with other like-minded men and women who believe in positively impacting the lives of others through using their innate gift.”
And Thrivers know the difference. In fact, your place of business is an outlet for the expression of your gift and ability. Since the fruit doesn’t fall too far from the tree, the next generation to some extent takes its cues from those who have been there and done that. What you are modeling in your beliefs, behaviors, and actions shows your commitment to leaving a legacy instead of just working a job.
This is an opportunity to be a Thriver!
Inside the soil of your soul is a seed of potential. That seed is your gift, talent, and ability.
When you leverage your gift every day, you come alive to your brilliance. In fact, every morning when you wake up and look in the mirror you should say, “Good morning, O’ Brilliant One!”
As a Thriver, you become the spark that can light up an entire room because your gift shines from the inside out. Simply said, using your gift creates authentic happiness, brilliant confidence, and incredible fulfillment. If you expire, check out, or “kick the bucket” before sharing your gift, you will rob the world of experiencing a one-of-a-kind difference-maker.
A Thriver is cultivated in an environment called work, job, career, or vocation. However, when an individual is in survival mode, where talent is locked away, frustration sets in – a job is just a job, a business is just a business, a customer transaction is just another customer transaction, and a problem is just a problem.
You feel as if you must compete against others for jobs, business, sales, and relationships. However, when you discover and leverage your gift, everything changes – a job becomes a calling, a business becomes a change agent, a customer transaction is now a customer relationship, and a problem is an opportunity to add value.
Thrivers are not threatened by any situation, circumstance, or individual. In the words of T.D. Jakes, author of Maximize the Moment, when you use your gift, “You transition from competing against one another to completing one another.” That’s the missing piece to the puzzle in any situation.
Living in a constant state of giftedness requires that you embrace your talent fully and be so confident in your abilities and value that nothing can shake you. Embracing your gift is really about accepting your self-worth as a Thriver. Your unique gift makes room in your internal universe, and then it makes room for you in the universe at large.
Thus, the universe will create the need for you to deploy your gift and become a Thriver. You will attract and connect with those people, situations, and circumstances that will enable you to complete your universal assignment here on earth.
The doors of opportunity will open wide for you. Why? Because the door of expectation has been opened
from the inside out, thus expanding your worldview to believe, behave, and expect the best.
Thrivers know their core competency or core gifting. When they operate in it, their M.O. (modus operandi) is abundance instead of scarcity. They believe that all things are possible and the word “no” is only an excuse to not dig deeper, reach higher, and search wider for an answer.
What prevents people from becoming a thriver?
Weeds that suffocate a person’s brilliance also stunt their growth and block their progress. These are the weeds of self-limitation, the weeds of life, the weeds of setbacks, the weeds of laziness, and the weeds of wasted time, just to name a few. Weeds will keep your gift from blossoming and rob you of your future.
According to a recent survey by Salary.com, Americans supposedly waste an average of two hours each workday by surfing the internet, chatting, conducting personal business, and running errands. “89% of employees say they waste at least thirty minutes of time during every workday; 31% of employees waste at least one hour per workday; 16% of employees say they waste about two hours every day at work; and 6% of workers waste about three hours of every workday.” — Zippia: “Wasting Time at Work Statistics [2022]: How Much of the Average Workday Is Wasted?”
People waste time when they don’t know how to use their gifts, and they waste their energy by majoring in minor things. Perhaps even more impactful is how they pass on this same negative mindset to another generation, because the fruit doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
Thrivers are different. They pursue significance over success. They constantly challenge themselves by asking, “Is this the highest and best use of time?”
Here are a few key ideas that I’ve noticed in thrivers
Future Thrivers: Find someone inside your organization who has a great reputation and believes in you. Ask this person to be your mentor and teach you how to maneuver your career. Remember, however, that you must be willing to do the hard work and heavy lifting that is required for success.
In-person or virtually, Thrivers dress the best they can given their budget. Thrivers refuse to go broke trying to dress to impress. Instead, they dress one level above where they are.
Cross-train in other areas of your department and let your work speak for itself.
If you have a problem with someone, try to resolve it by talking directly with them instead of whining and complaining to your cronies. If the situation doesn’t improve, then connect with Human Resources (but leave your emotions on a virtual coat hook). If nothing changes after that, transfer to another division or department.
Arrive early for meetings (yes, you read that correctly) – at least five minutes early. During the meeting, ask thoughtful questions that add value to the conversation instead of taking a shot in the dark just to look intelligent.
Become known for mastering something. Earn more than the minimum number of training and development hours that your organization’s performance development plan requires. Develop your core competencies by volunteering for projects that no one wants.
Speak well of your leaders, even when you don’t agree with them. They have the title and position; you don’t. Thrivers know that instead of dreaming about dethroning leaders, they must strive to learn what they know. It’s a much better use of time and energy.
Always remember that the hand that will feed you at the end of the day is the one at the end of your wrist.
Well, if you’ve read this far, I’m proud of you. You allowed me to show you how to thrive. Now, it’s your turn. What are you willing to do in order to thrive?
Simon T. Bailey, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Simon T. Bailey, a trailblazer in his field, has ascended to extraordinary heights, recognized among Success magazine’s Top 25 alongside Brené Brown, Tony Robbins, and Oprah Winfrey, as well as leaders Hum Top 200 Power List in 2023. With the Disney Institute as his launchpad, he’s left an indelible mark on 2,300+ organizations in 54 countries, such as American Express, Deloitte, Marriott, Visa, Stanford Health Care, and Taco Bell.
Through books, speeches, and coaching, Simon captivates the lives of countless individuals around the globe, inspiring them to lead better, stay curious, and embrace a growth mindset. Prepare to be empowered and reach new heights as he propels you toward a brilliant future. Your journey to brilliance starts now.
