Probing for the cause of rejection with the intent to shift the outcome in your favor is a lifelong endeavor that takes courage and persistence. Having the desire to change your behavior makes you a “doer”: someone who strives to do the right thing the right way for the right reason.

Doers have something special working in their favor: a willingness to acknowledge their own incompetence. Rather than fear failure, they view it as an opportunity to discover what didn’t work and why.

Doers are self-motivated, result-oriented people who respond proactively to rejection. They do their best work in a time of disruption by mobilizing others to work toward their collective wellbeing. Doers share five common traits:

#1. They act on an optimistic vision of how to remain successful in challenging times.

#2. They combine available resources in new ways that make positive change happen.

#3. They believe improvement is achieved through connections within their sphere of influence.

#4. They believe their personal goals and objectives and those of the organization are linked.

#5. They understand success is a complex undertaking that requires continuous learning. 

Doers are the lifeblood of any collaborative undertaking. Those morally guided, critical thinkers who provide the ingenuity for new ideas and the constancy of purpose that ensures sustainable outcomes. Doers mobilize and motivate others by building alliances and forming coalitions.

Doers are the “go to” people you count on to get things done. Harnessing their power is the key to long-term viability. Individuals with these attributes are limited in number, which is why quality management guru Joseph Juran referred to them as, “the vital few.”

Doers expand their influence by creating cross-functional communication networks that become reliable sources of accurate and timely information. Result oriented and self-directed, they work diligently without attracting attention. Known as “experimental innovators” or “intrapreneurs” Doers solve problems through trial and error, learning and evolving as they progress through life.

Your first challenge in becoming a Doer is to understand and acknowledge that you cannot alter your behavior without knowing how you got where you are now and where you want to be in the future. Once you clarify the objective, it becomes a matter of taking advantage of the external and internal distractions and deviations to navigate through the uncharted waters the lie ahead.