There’s something that’s coming up more and more that I’m building a stronger opinion about each year. It’s expecting the best of ourselves and others. We’re coming to a point in our society where it’s inappropriate, offensive, and politically incorrect to demand the best from our ourselves and others in literally every aspect of our personal lives and our careers. This is especially true in our society where those who prove that hard work makes luck are actually looked down upon. [Hmmm – teacher’s unions and government schools come to mind – but back to my point.]
You hear people say all the time things like ” “Wow, that lady did what she said she was going to do! What a stand-up professional…”. Are you serious!? Does doing what you say you’re going to do deserve such praise? Not really but I can understand why it’s happening. It’s sad but true that many people don’t even do the basics they commit to doing (or are expected to do) much less put in the extra work to under promise and over deliver.
What I’m trying to say is that the levels of mediocrity in society and business give those of us in IT and information security a chance to really stand out above the noise . All it takes is to do what we say we’re going to do and then put in some extra effort to really excel. Want to see it work? Commit to yourself now that you’re going take some risks and go the extra mile. Give it a try – you may not notice the immediate benefits but you’ll be amazed what it will do for you long term.