Why value is the most important thing

"The issue guys have with high value is… they can't wish it. Because they can't just wish upon a star and make themselves high value. A lot of guys are in the mirror telling themselves that 'I'm the man, I'm the shit, I'm the this, I'm the that', but when they walk out of the house, don't nobody know 'em. Don't nobody know 'em and if they disappeared off the face of the planet tomorrow, who would miss 'em? And that's what bothers a lot of men. Living a life of insignificance. And all I'm saying is, recognize it and change it. Don't bitch about it.

?

One of the key things in this whole high value thing is learning that you're going to have to sacrifice. Anywhere you go. You're going to have to invest in coaching, you've going to have to do crap jobs, work long hours. Stop looking for the fast track quick. You're going to have to worry about the long, slow, deferred gratification. All the things you hear and anybody who's been successful will tell you a lot of these things. And trying to work around or do it for cheap or get over on somebody is the quickest way to make your name mud with people who could really help you."

People who work closely with me will know that 'value' is my favorite word. It’s used unconsciously so often that my team has started keeping count.

Why is this word so important? A couple years ago, I was frustrated with my outcomes and how ineffectively my efforts were landing. By chance, I came across this important lesson that changed my entire worldview.? Instead of trying to think of how to act, what to do, what to say, I could simply ask myself, “Am I bringing the most value I can to this situation?” That allowed me to change how I move in this world.

What does ‘value’ mean??

Many people associate having value with a certain look, getting to do interesting things, holding the privileges and the power. But those are just the cool perks on the surface. When it comes to people, your value is tied to the demand for what you bring to the marketplace. It’s about contributing and being useful to the group. It’s about solving problems. It’s about figuring out how you can make the extra effort to help people.

Many people have been conditioned to believe that if they follow a script, keep their head down and comply, they’ll be successful. This is some unspoken myth that has pervaded society and led to people moving through life like drones.

Many people don’t think enough about why they are doing what they do. They go through the motions, following the orders of what their managers or leadership tell them to do. They are procedure-followers. But this is not valuable. Anyone can follow a set of explicit instructions and get the expected outcome. How is that difficult to find in the marketplace? Heck, why don’t I just translate my direction into prompts and pay for an AI license?

The problem is, there are people who can move through life by taking this easy path. But you notice they never ascend past the point where those in power allow them; they are useful just enough to keep them at that level. It may look like they’re valuable, but their value is CONTEXTUAL. They have to stay docile and compliant and HOPE that good things come their way. But if all the existing structures and people propping them up were to disappear, they would not be able to survive in new circumstances and fade into obscurity.

I don’t believe in hope. I believe in LEVERAGE. Hope relies on someone else. Leverage is something you make for yourself.

Leverage in terms of what value you bring to the marketplace. Real value will be able to move into a new environment and quickly adapt. That’s why we preach about transferable skills. Problem solving, critical thinking, relationship-building, being resourceful. They don’t need to ask what to do or wait for specific instructions; they can anticipate and proactively do it on their own, making them more agile. And if they don’t know, they know how to ask the right questions to understand the purpose and intent as opposed to “What do I do now?”. People who bring those traits and skills to the table have no problems moving around when opportunity strikes, and for them opportunity strikes often.

But these people aren’t special in nature. You ain’t special. I ain’t special. The vast majority of us are not special. What they have is MASTERY.

“Mastery is not a function of genius or talent. It is a function of time and intense focus applied to a particular field of knowledge.”? - Robert Greene

Too many people run away when they face adversity and claim that it’s not fair and that employers are just taking advantage. No. This is an opportunity, and you are squandering it. Recognize that people respect EFFORT. “I may not be perfect, But I’m going to try and get better for it”

I can recall the tough times in the formative years of my career. My circumstances were shit: understaffed, stretched manager, lower scoped clients. I can recall being resentful of my peers for having an easier time and coasting through their jobs. But as someone of low value, I had nothing to bargain with other than sweat equity. This meant considerably longer hours, having to take on extra tasks and learning from a lot of mistakes. In hindsight, I can appreciate it now because over the years, those efforts have paid dividends manyfold.?

If you face that adversity and people don’t recognize it, that’s fine. Dip out. Shit people exist. Whatever. But by that time, you would have gone through it and become strong and built leverage to negotiate better circumstances.

What too many people want is to get something for nothing. You think that you can get all the trinkets and prizes for just showing up. Why? The world doesn’t owe you shit. Sure, when times are good and we have a plentiful harvest, we can give you a small piece of the yield. But when there is famine, it’s survival of the fittest. You need to be useful. To think that you should get a piece for showing up is an insult to those who have had to suffer.

Too many people move like sheep. They want to just graze and stay out of danger and have the farmer shear them. But when the need arises, they get chopped into mutton. Instead of being a herd of sheep, why not be a pride of lions? We hunt together, we feast together. The full-fledged lions teach the cubs how to hunt and become the biggest baddest beast in the land. No waiting around to get fed until it’s your time for the slaughter.

Don't be a sheep. Be a lion. Bring value.