4 core values that’ll lead to a successful career

Your short and long-term strategy for life should have its foundation on a set of core values that help position you for anything that comes your way. Tough times will come and go. Tough people last. Tough people — ones who can weather any storm — always have a strong core values structure.

I learned in getting passed up for promotions, losing a job and struggling to find my footing earlier in my career that I needed a rock-solid foundation that helped me make smart decisions and build powerful relationships. For me, and I believe for you, too, that always comes back to values.

Values give definition, clarity and foundation that provide us with a game plan — a strategy for how to succeed, find happiness and navigate life’s peaks and valleys.

We tend to handle the good times in life just fine. When we’re in our “zone,” we keep accumulating the good things — sort of like a real-world version of Nintendo Mario on his “magic star” stroll.

I’ve listed four values that have helped me immensely as I’ve built the career of my dreams. They’re the ones I always turn to when I need to dig-in and face up to life’s most challenging moments.

Perseverance

“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance.” — H. Jackson Brown

No challenge is too tough for the person who is resolute in mind and spirit.

A great example of this is a young woman I recently had the pleasure of meeting who was involved in a motorcycle accident. She could have kept blaming everyone and everything for why she is now a paraplegic. And in the beginning, she was angry. Frustrated. Bitter. Resentful.

But then, she dug in. She realized she had a whole life ahead of her. Now? She’s on her way to continuing her pursuit of becoming a medical doctor. She’s found light, not darkness, by embracing adversity.

We all have a choice in life. We can give up or keep going. We always have a choice. No one will ever take that way from us. So keep going.

This is the best coaching advice I could ever give to any business professional.

Integrity

Integrity is all about staying true to yourself. In the aftermath of a big life difficulty, whether it be a car accident or loss of a job, the worst thing you can do is start blaming yourself. It’s best to turn inward to your core values — to the inner DNA that’s guided you through good and bad times before. That is, your innermost, authentic self.

Adversity challenges our emotional intelligence. It makes us start doubting, fretting and thinking we’re not capable. It’s in precisely these moments that values like integrity serve as our backbone, reminding us that we’re bold, strong and full of character.

Never compromise your values and morals in business. It’s not worth it. Your career success will ride on the backbone of your character.

Faith

“If you don’t fall, how are you going to know what getting up is like?” — Steph Curry

In great moments of adversity, we’re best positioned to have faith both in ourselves and in something greater than ourselves. For me, that “something” is God. We cannot control every outcome in life. The more we try, the more we come to this realization. Eventually, we have to give-in to trusting that things will work out.

That faith is also placed in people that we trust.

The story of how Steph Curry became one of the best players in the NBA is, at its heart, a story of faith. Curry was lightly recruited out of high school. Small Davidson College, local to his Charlotte upbringing, decided to take a chance on him. Boy, did it pay off. Curry became a superstar in college and attracted the attention of NBA executives.

But still, many doubted. They continued to doubt even after Curry became the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Too short. Not strong enough.

Curry turned to his faith to outlast the critics and surpass anyone’s expectations. Through all of his personal and professional trials, Curry’s faith has made him one of the best players in the world.

And, above all, one of the strongest, most confident people.

Discipline (Self-Control)

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas Edison

Know what you can control and understand what is best left to faith. Discipline is the decision-making mechanism that guides us throughout our lives. Willpower is what comes from a life well-lived; an earned way of thinking, doing and being by repetition and adherence to a belief system that has universally accepted morals and values.

When Thomas Edison was confronted with failure in his inventions, he didn’t give up. There’s a reason why we know his name today and appreciate him as one of the world’s great inventors. He kept going.

Edison had the discipline, faith and perseverance necessary to keep striving toward something new. The same can be said for Elon Musk. He has the core discipline to believe in what he’s doing and doesn’t let setbacks or disappointments discourage him.

Always prepare and take the time to confront any adversity with a winner’s mindset. If you’re operating with positive conviction and belief in yourself, you’re more than halfway there.

In fact, you’re far ahead of the pack. And that will suit you well in your career.

This article first appeared on Medium. Join my newsletter for emotional intelligence and productivity content! Get a FREE Coaching Call to Explore Your Emotional Intelligence, and Learn how to Achieve Your Biggest Goals! Check out my Amazon bestseller, The Value of You, which has helped tens of thousands of people develop the game plan for living their best life!