Originally published on Aflac Newsroom
Last year, I stood onstage in Atlanta in front of 1,000 producers and talked about the mindset I had locked in for the year: “We will.”
And while it was meant to be a sort of rally cry as we marched toward success, it’s also a mantra I’ve carried with me throughout my career.
As I look back over the years, I’ve had many opportunities to walk through the door with an attitude of “I will” — from every sales call to the moment I was approached about an Assistant Director of Sales role that, more quickly than expected, turned into a Director of Sales position — that meant going from a $40 million sales quota to more than $1 billion. Plus, I was prepared for a personal six-month evolution, not a 16-day revolution. No pressure.
I could have easily said no and stayed within my own comfort zone. After all, I had found success where I was, and I was happy. But I wanted to do more and, instead of retreating back into the space I knew so well, I stepped into a new unknown. It helped to know that I wasn’t alone. I had three incredible leaders — Dan Amos, Teresa White, Mike Tomlinson — as well as my wife who believed in me probably more than I believed in myself. With them by my side and an incredible team to work with, I didn’t give in to the fear of a new environment; I stepped into my role with an attitude of “We will,” and it has served me well.
Having a positive outlook is a choice. So, with whatever decision you may be facing, here are my tips for turning “I’m not sure” into an attitude that screams out, “We will”:
Aflac WorkForces Report shows that giving back is an important part of the employee experience
These are just a few of the many important lessons I’ve learned throughout my career, but they aren’t lessons that have helped just me. From my first day at Aflac, I’ve seen these in action; I’ve witnessed the incredible volume of strength and tenacity across the enterprise. In the 40 years since I joined the company, we’ve weathered unforeseen storms, ridden the many waves of a changing ecosystem, stared down obstacles, and turned them into successes time and time again — together, as one Aflac.
It’s more than camaraderie. It’s more than working with an army of high achievers. It’s about putting fear aside when faced with challenges and walking into these situations with a collective roar of “We will.”
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