Extra Turn of the Knob

There have been countless books written on getting ahead, habits of successful people, and forging solid relationships.  Each year, some new psycho-babble buzzword or slick management technique emerges to help success-starved individuals reach the next level.

When you really boil it down, the most effective thing you can do is simply over-deliver.  That’s right, no fancy 7-step program, cheesy business fable or pedantic sports analogy.

If you have a boss and she asks you to do something, go ahead and do it perfectly.  Nail the details, make sure it reflects your best work, and of course deliver on time.  From there, just add one extra thing that wasn’t asked for.  Maybe an extra idea or insight.  Perhaps an additional few pages of research or analysis that goes beyond the initial request.

I refer to this as an extra turn of the knob.

Imagine two team members working for the same leader.  Both do great work, but one consistently gives his work an extra turn of the knob.  Is there any question who will get that next promotion?

There are countless stories of famous actors who win the audition by doing something that goes above expectations.  Legendary athletes push themselves to train harder than their counterparts in order to extract the extra edge.  The politician who makes that one extra campaign stop ends up sealing her victory.

What would an extra turn of the knob look like in your life?  An extra visit to the gym each week?  Reading one more book per year?  Rehearsing your big presentation one extra time to make sure it’s the best one of the day?

Sure, you’re busy and you already do what you’re asked to do.  But in today’s competitive world, delivering high quality work is just the ante to play.  To reach your true potential and seize your dreams, simply give each project, sales pitch, or research report one extra turn of the knob.  If you do this consistently, you will steadily rise to previously unattainable heights.

When you peel away the leadership fads of the day, you’ll realize that getting to the next level is well within your grasp.  Whether you’re working to improve your company, community, or career, give each activity an extra turn of the knob and you’ll soon be basking in the light of extraordinary success.

Read More

New Thinking for the New Era of Business

Albert Einstein famously noted, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that we used when we created them.” In our post-COVID world of ...

When an Astronaut Needs a Pen

Ever get stuck on a problem, only to realize you're solving for the wrong thing? That's exactly what happened when the rocket scientists at NASA ...

How Shake Shack Drives Innovation

Do you prefer the crispy mozzarella, tempura watercress, and black garlic mayonnaise cheeseburger or the pumpkin mustard, bacon, cranberries, and sage hot dog? For something ...

Lady Gaga’s Secret to Creativity

Just before she won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, I watched Lady Gaga dazzle the live audience with a pitch perfect performance of ...

Creativity: Does Size Matter?

For some reason, we’ve been taught that for creativity and innovation to count they need to have a magnitude the size of the 1989 San ...

The Lexicon of Creativity

There’s more confusion around the meaning of the word innovation than the chaos at the airline ticket counter after a cancelled flight. Is there a difference between ...

The Brain Science of Becoming More Creative

When we hear stories about iconic leaders like Salesforce.com’s founder Marc Benioff, or widely celebrated virtuosos like Lin-Manuel Miranda for that matter, we immediately think ...

Correct the Overcorrect

When the misguided leaders at Enron, Tyco and Worldcom committed fraud and marred their shareholders with huge losses, the Securities and Exchange Commission rightfully swooped ...

Learning to Color

Fact: Creativity has become the most needed skill in business. It’s gone from a nice-to-have to becoming mission-critical. Fact: Creativity is a learnable skill. All humans have ...