liters

The power of being average

I spent twenty years in management and one thin

or certain is that

being average is not a disadvantage. I have mentored many successful individuals that
would have been considered a waste of time or not worth the effort. The secret for them
was the assumption that they were just average with had no real chance to excel. The

lack of pressure that comes from being average allowed them to shine when no one

was willing to consider their real potential.

1:1")(

Many years ago when I was still in schooy viewed myself as just another

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average guy. I had few friends and even fewer goals in life. At one of my first job"' Met
Gary, that was the beginning of how my life changed. Gary woul

allow me to settle

for being average and pushed me beyond my limits to achieve success. I have applied
the lessons i received from Gary to my philosophy of training and mentoring over the
years. I have used these skills to help influence others to break free from being

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average. With my help and encouragement

were able to push themselves to

accomplish more than anyone ever thought possible.

I truly believe most people want to do well at the things they do, but they are

often handicapped by a lack of motivation or incentive.

truly an advantage.

his is where being average is

For yearsIl have focused on pushing people that others have given

up on to be better. I stopped assuming people coul

'fclo better. I started giving them

reasons to believe in themselves. Recently I had an employee, Andrew, who was

having some struggles in his life. His girlfriend had broken up with him, he was doing

bachit school and his coworkers had all written him off as an average employee that
4'1,

would never really do any more that he has. He came to me one day and asked a

te'

simple Question: "Do you think I can ever do more herew? As Hooked, at him i saw the

desperation in his eyes and I replied simply: "Of coursV.

was the first time anyone

in his life had ever given him a glimmer of hope. Over the next yea5I slowly pushed him
to be better and gave him the tools and advice no one thought he was worth getting.
This was a slow process that began to pay off over time. He came out of his shell and
started to excel at his work. Eventually others began to tell me how g

he was doing.

Everyone had bean to notice a difference in him.There was never a huge focus on him
ham/aver. Everyone was too busy looking for the next great employee, never realising
the average guy in front of them had become that desired person. The day came a year
or so later when we had a management opening. We all sat down to discuss the recent
candidates

that

were

interviewed.

There

were

few

self-proclaimed

"perfect"

candidates and many others who could probably do the job. I let everyone give their
9

opinions and I just said: "What about AndrevV? They had

eally thought about itput

soon realized that he had been doing phenomenal work the past year. It soon became

clear that he was the perfect candidate. We all agreed to make Andrew an offer for the

vacant position. There was no mention of the average guy that would never do any

better. He came out of nowhere and got the promotion that he deserved. I saw him a

little later in the day and just said: "I told yotYY. He just smiled and went about his day.
I tell this story because many years ago?I was just like Andrew. I had settled on

being the average guy that no one ever noticed. I still view myself this way most of the

time. The difference now is that I have figured out how to use it to my advantage and
also help others that view themselves the same way.

Many great people in history started out average and went on to accomplish
great things. Steve jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were all college dropouts.(Lin)
Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor felt he "lacked
imagination and had no good ideas."(Horowitz) Oprah Winfrey was publicly fired from
her first television job as an anchor in Baltimore for getting "too emotionally invested in
her stories."(Horowitz) Steven Spielberg was rejected by the University of Southern
California School of Cinematic Arts multiple times.(Daugherty) These are all examples
of great people who were viewed as average at some point in their lives. They used this

as motivation and went on to accomplish great things.

I believe in the power of being average. We are all born that way. Some of us will

need help along the way to break free from the restrictions of this preconceived
mindset, while others will thrive on their own. I am glad I am just another average guy. It

has pushed me to do better and try harder, I have accomplished great things in my life

and helped others accomplish even greater things. The Bottom Line: When you
constantly give a better than average effort, doing more than others are willing to do,

you can expect to consistently achieve far better results than the average person
gets.(Blair)

qy

Works Cited

Lin, Joseph. "Top Ten College Dropouts"

http://content. time. com/time/specials/packages/article/O, 28804,1988080_1988093_ 1988

082,00.html

Horowitz, Alana. "15 People Who Were Fired Before They Became Filthy Rich"
http://www.businessinsider.com/15-people-who-were-fired-before-they-became-filthy-ric

h-2011-4?op=1/#-rowling-spent-too-much-time-at-work-brainstorming-story-ideas-2

Daugherty, Greg. "7 Really Famous People Who Were Rejected by Their Dream
Colleges"http://time.com/money/4247684/famous-people-rejected-by-dream-colleges/

Blair, Gary Ryan. "Advancement only comes with habitually doing more than you are
asked"

http://www.motivational-inspirational-corner.com/powerup2.html?id=391&startrow=27

ol al

This I Believe Essay Peer Review

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The power of being average

I spent twenty years in management and one thing that I know for certain is that
being average is not a disadvantage. I have mentored many successful individuals that
illeny would have considered a waste of time or not worth the effort. The secret for them
was the assumption that they were just average and had no real chance to excel. The
lack of pressure that comes from being average allowed them to shine when no one
was willing to consider their real potential.

Many years ago when I was still in school I considered myself a recluse. I had
few friends and even fewer goals in life. At one of my first jobs I Met Gary and that was
the beginning of how my life changed. Gary wouldn't allow me to settle for being
average Ajaa pushed me beyond my limits to achieve success. I have taken what I

learned from him aLia. applied it to many of the people in my life that I had a direct
influence over.

I truly believe most people want to do well at the things they do, but they are
often handicapped by a lack of motivation or incentive. This is where being average is

truly an advantage.

For years I have focused on pushing people that others have given

up on to be better. I stopped assuming people couldn't do better gal started giving them
reasons to believe in themselves. Recently I had an employee, Andrew, that was

working for me that was having a pretty bad run of bad luck. His girlfriend had broken up

with him, he was doing bad at school ADA his coworkers had all written him off as an
average employee that would never really do any more that he has. He came to me one

day_and asked a simple Question: "Do you think I can ever do more here"? I looked at
him and saw a bit of desperation in his eyes and,. I replied simply: "Of course". This was
the first time anyone in his life had ever given him a glimmer of hope. Over the next year
I slowly pushed him to be better and gave him ins tools and advjo
0 cry

1)Q one thought he

14Prie,

was worth getting. This was a slow process that began to pay off over time. He came
out of his shell Aul started to excel at his work. Eventually others began to come to me
and tell me how good he was doing and they had noticed a difference in him recently.

.A46
oltik
vi,%

There was never

huge focus on him however as the focus was always on keep

looking for the next great employee. The day came a year or so later aaLwe had a
management opening ug we all sat down to discuss the recent candidates that were

interviewed. There were a few self-proclaimed "perfect" candidates Ana many others
who could probably do the job. I let everyone give their opinions..,

,d I just said: "What

about Andrew"? They hadn't really thought about it but soon realized that he had been

doing phenomenal work the past year. It soon became clear that he was the perfect
candidate aad we all agreed to make the offer to him. There was no mention of the
average guy that would never do any better. He came out of nowhere_aa got the

promotion that he deserved. I saw him a little later in the day aaa just said: "I told you".
He just smiled %fa went about his day.

I tell this story because many years ago I was Andrew. I had settled on being the

average guy.ang_ no one ever noticed. I still view myself this way most of the time. The

difference now is that I have figured out how to use it to my advantage, and also help
others that view themselves the same way I view myself.

cogiOaN

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Many great people in history started out average._and went on to accomplish
great things. Steve jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were all college dropouts.

Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor felt he "lacked
imagination and had no good ideas." Oprah Winfrey was publicly fired from her first
television job as an anchor in Baltimore for getting "too emotionally invested in her
stories." Steven Spielberg was rejected by the University of Southern California School
of Cinematic Arts multiple times.

I believe in the power of being average. We are all born that way. Some of us will.. /

.".192r repot,

need help along the way while others will thrive on their own. I am glad I am just another
average guy. It has pushed me to do better ccl try harder, I have accomplished great

things in my life and helped others accomplish even greater things. I would rather be
average and excel than above average and fail.

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