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While being an employee or a worker is something everybody does, being exceptional is achieved only by a few. In every workplace, rarely do one or two people exist who are called exceptional by their boss. It’s really a matter of pride if you are one of them, but if not, then you can be.
Being an extraordinary employee does not really take too much of an effort. It may even take lesser work than you are currently doing. It just requires a different outlook towards your job and your opportunities. With that, and a little hard work, anybody can become an irreplaceable worker.
Here are a few qualities of an exceptional employee that you can pick up.
1. Do something you are really passionate about
Unless and until you really love your job and you really want to work and shine in your field, you cannot succeed. Find something which you are really passionate about and do that. That would complete the first step of being an exceptional employee in the world where since an early age, people are forced to do things which the society thinks suits them instead of doing something they really love.
2. Be yourself in your workplace
It’s okay if you are not a formal, quiet guy who sticks up to his boss all the time. And it is also okay if you are one. Be whoever you really are in your regular life. Don’t change your personality according to what you think will be appropriate for workplace. Now a days, apart from a few ground rules, offices really don’t have any guidelines about how an employee should behave in a workplace. So go ahead and be the funny guy, or the girl who wears colorful shirts. Just be yourself!
3. Don’t be afraid to step in once in a while
What really makes an exceptional employee exceptional is not how they are doing their job, but how they react when the company or the office is not doing good as a whole. It’s really appreciated when somebody steps in with suggestions and ideas of how to work better to get better results, even if it’s not that particular person’s job. You can always be the person who helps out their colleagues. Just keep in mind that not everyone appreciates free advice and help.
4. Volunteer
When in a meeting your boss asks openly about who would take the initiative to do something new, be the one to respond first. It will not only make the boss notice you, but also make him or her realize that you are willing to put in extra effort in the office. Â Just don’t take too much pressure. It’s okay to pass stuff to others once a while.
5. Failure is not the end
Sometimes some things don’t go as you expect them to. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to not being able to perform amazingly  all the time. It’s fine if somebody else gets the praise once in a while. Failure if never the end. Learn to make it your pillars to success. Learn from your mistakes. Just don’t repeat them. A person who can get back after a fall is always appreciated in every industry.
6. Keep your ego at bay
Now that you have done all the above mentioned five, there’s a pretty good chance that your boss is already noticing you. You are already high in the ladder of success. There may develop a tiny bit of ego in you. Push that aside. Ego never helps in achieving success. Be confident but never cross that line and become overconfident. Especially when people are looking up to you.
7. Don’t be satisfied
Never say to yourself “this is enough, I have done enough.” The moment you let that thought enter your mind, you stop working. You should never be satisfied of the position you reach and should always strive to achieve more. That would make you pretty exceptional.
8. Rise while lifting others
Integrity is very important in a workplace. Develop leadership skills and always think about your team while working. Yes you want to be exceptional and special, but pushing somebody else down to get high is not the answer. When you succeed, take your entire team with you. Give people due credit. In this way, not only you succeed professionally, but also have good relations with your colleagues on a personal level.
These are 8 tips on how you can be an exceptional employee and the rest depends on your hard work. Finally, remember that being special is not that difficult, but maintaining that specialty factor is.
