Francis Bacon's essay, Of Great Place, provides a tight and fitting set of lessons for development into a strong and well-thought-of worker in any area of endeavor. Here is a link to the text of the essay, along with a set of lessons I derive from this work:
https://www.authorama.com/essays-of-francis-bacon-12.html
And here are my lessons, taken from Bacon:
1. As Bob Dylan so correctly exclaimed, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” As we achieve great stations in life, we appear to rise, but we also become beholden to our position, serving those above us (for there is always someone above us, whether in nominal position or influence), serving our institution, serving the requirements of our own exalted position, and serving the challenges of our enterprise.
2. We become slaves to our situations, even our situations of great accomplishment and accompanying wealth and greatness. As we rise to great position, we become fully absorbed in that position and don’t see to our own person.
3. With great power, comes great responsibility. (from the pens of Voltaire and Spider-Man). With responsibility, freedom of action is limited. Thus with power, we lose freedom.
4. We strive through challenges to achieve a position where we are blessed with new and greater challenges.
5. Our fault is we cannot be content and happy with our own thoughts and opinions. We desire affirmation by borrowing the opinions of others.
6. We rush to harp on what we dislike and loath about the world around us. We are slow to look inside and discover our own failings.
7. To think good thoughts, for ourselves and others, is but idle fancy, for these thoughts and intentions stay only within the mind. We must have place and position to turn those good dreams, thoughts of goodness and thoughts of good actions, into actual action. To do actual good, rather than to think or dream of it, is the goal of our good thoughts and desires.
8. Make a list: take the people you admire and the people you don’t. Make a list of their good traits and bad traits. Now, make a list of your own good traits and bad traits. What you do well, what you do poorly. What you have mastered and what you have to work on (some things seriously work on). The most important thing about these lists is to be brutally honest with yourself. Do you write well? Do you write poorly? Why? Do you speak well? Do you speak poorly? Why? Only with an honest assessment can you turn this list into a tool to drive improvement. And you use the list of others’ strengths/weaknesses as a guide for your own.
9. Be consistent. People should be able to expect good things from you, on a consistent basis.
10. Don’t be demanding.
11. Be honest when you err.
12. Assume and be confident in your rights, your rights to your position and your actions. Be confident in your right to be in your place, to be doing what you are doing. Assume your rights, do not demand them.
13. Welcome advice, support, and counsel from others. It is overconfident and arrogant to shun advisors.
14. Be punctual, be available to others, do what must be done in a timely fashion.
15. Do not only avoid corruption in yourself but shun bribery from others. Avoid not only corruption, but any actions that could lead to the suspicion of corruption. For what others think of your conduct may be as important as your conduct itself. Be honest and forthright when declaring your actions, do not hide your intentions or moves. For this leads to suspicion of corruption.
16. Be severe, but not rough.
17. Ambition produces aggression. Authority produces a settled, calm demeanor.
18. Respect and honor those who came before you, for if you do not, you will not be respected and honored by those who follow you.
19. Call upon your colleagues when they do not look to be called, rather than ignore them when they want to be called.
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