A Rising Star!
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

I know what you’re thinking; it’s Christmastime, and Dave is writing about the star of Bethlehem. While that would be quite appropriate this time of year, you are not even close. About a week ago, I was listening to a podcast that got me thinking about what makes a rising star, how we can find them, and how we can become a rising star. The podcast also reminded me of Dave Ramsey’s simple method for hiring. Find a person who is “hungry, humble, and smart.” I think that this is a good place to start as we look into what makes up a rising star. Let’s unpack each of those characteristics one at a time.

• Hungry – A person who has hunger is driven from the inside. They want to grow and learn new things. They know that there is so much more out there that they don’t know, and they display a true desire to learn, grow, and improve. They possess a beginner’s mindset, and love to seek opportunities to step outside their comfort zone and try new things.
• Humble – Ah, that quality we love to see in other people, but have such difficulty maintaining within ourselves. Someone who is humble is willing to admit when they are wrong. They seek input from others on what they can do better and view failure as a friend that they can learn from, rather than something to be feared. They appreciate those who are willing to share opportunities for improvement.
• Smart – This characteristic is more difficult to describe. What makes one person smarter than another? Is it aptitude or something more? I think “smart” refers to more than just aptitude. It is self-awareness — an awareness of how to leverage aptitude and giftedness to make the most of each opportunity.

While listening to the same podcast, I wondered, are rising stars born or are they developed? If we assume that people are either a rising star or not, we are writing off large groups of people. Everyone can be a rising star. Everyone has the ability to be a rising star. The bigger question is if they have the desire to be a rising star.

If you would like to hear more about finding and becoming a rising star, please join Marisa Norcross and me for Episode 132 of The Next Page podcast as we take a closer look at becoming and finding rising stars.

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