by Molly Fletcher
Second of five articles on How to Be a “Five-Tool” Player to find—and score—your dream job. Read part one on developing a passion for your job search.
Tool 2: Your Fearlessness
Evander Holyfield, the world-famous boxer, has a passion for boxing, but he also has the fearlessness to step into the ring fight after fight. He has the fearlessness to crawl back to his feet after a right hook from Mike Tyson.
Jeff Francouer is passionate about the game of baseball, but it is his fearlessness that allows him to step back into the box after being hit in the face with a 95-mph fastball.
Both a young person looking for that perfect job and an athlete looking to put up good numbers needs fearlessness to recover from adversity. In some ways, you have it easy. Your challenges are less likely to be physical than they are emotional. You will be tired and you will be frustrated, but it’s pretty unlikely you will take a punch from Tyson or a fastball in your face during the course of your job search!
Fearlessness is the way your passion is brought to life in your behavior. It is unbeatable persistence. It is confidence and belief in yourself. It is your ability to embrace challenges without allowing the fear of failure to inhibit your efforts. It is your guts and your tenacity.
Fearlessness takes your passion and says “I’m going to do something about this and no one can stop me.” You must believe in your dream enough to not allow the risks of “no” to stand in your way. Your ability to recover from adversity quickly and smoothly without doubting your visions can be as important as the vision itself.
One of the biggest differences between good and great is someone’s ability to recover from adversity—and to do so quickly. You must have the fearlessness to recover and embrace life’s forthcoming and unexpected challenges with vigor. This fearlessness is one of the primary ingredients for landing your big-league career.
Coming in October—Tool 3: Your Game Plan