Conscientiousness is a defining personality trait. People who are conscientious tend to be detail-oriented, keep their promises, and always do the best job possible when it comes to their work.
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Unfortunately, this trait isn’t particularly celebrated or elevated in modern business circles. Today, the philosophy is very much “move fast and break things.” The careful, planned approach to business simply doesn’t fly in the present culture. The pressure is always to “take action” and “be bold.”
However, if you look at the lives of some of the world’s top business people, they are always conscientious. Yes, they took risks, but they also balanced that against the likelihood of rewards. Furthermore, they are deeply organized people, planning everything out in a sequence.
In this post, we take a look at why conscientious business leaders always win, from the way they deal with their finances to how they analyze the competition.
They Get Organized From The Start
For the conscientious person, organization is at the root of their life’s strategy. They can’t imagine going without it. Every day they create a to-do list and then check items off as they complete them.
The purpose of this approach is simple: they never forget anything. Once something enters their head that they need to remember, they immediately write it down. This way, they never miss client meetings or forget to call back a potential candidate.
They Keep Meticulous Records
Related to this is the notion that successful business leaders always keep meticulous records. They use accountants so that they always know where their business stands financially. They understand the difference between a profit statement and a balance sheet, and know what each of them means to their bottom line and overall likelihood of success.
They Stay Focused
Why are some people more successful than others? Experience and examples suggest that it’s because some people have an uncanny ability to remain focused on the task before them, without getting sidetracked by their emotions or distractions. Staying focused in business means focusing on the long-term gain over the short-term pain. Things will be difficult to start off, but they will become progressively easier over time.
They Are Prepared To Prioritize Their Business
Conscientious people know that to be successful in anything, they need to make sacrifices. They can’t have it all. If they want to have a winning business life, they will need to compromise on their personal relationships. Doing both at the same time is difficult, if not impossible.
They Focus On Service
Conscientious people always understand the perspective of other people – particularly their customers. That’s why they always keep an eye on the customer experience. They imagine what it would be like to be a client of their own business and then ask themselves if they could make improvements.
They Are Consistent
Lastly, highly conscientious people tend to be extraordinarily consistent. No matter what setbacks befall them, they continue striving for excellence. Once they get a hold of an idea they are passionate about, nothing can stop them.
Note: This is a collaborative post