mariakoropecky by Maria Koropecky, Storytelling Coach
I’ve been watching “House MD” on Netflix. It’s a medical drama about an ornery doctor who is addicted to pain killers and how he leads his diagnostics team to solve the medical mysteries that land in the fictional Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey.
Gregory House is an awful character who plays mind games but because he’s a genius, he’s tolerated, and although I’m finding some scenes difficult to watch, I’m getting some really good insights into human nature.
For example, in Season 4, House has to choose a new team to work with because his old team has left on bad terms. They set up a class that gives House a chance to teach and evaluate prospective applicants which I thought was a clever solution to their hiring problem.
The class turns into a Reality TV show type of competition where nobody really knows the rules and who the frontrunners are until many weeks later.
After some thought, I’ve concluded that these are the character traits that House was looking for in his new team:
1. Be willing to take risks
2. Be able to stand up for yourself (and not be a pushover)
3. Have humility when wrong
4. Be perceptive of hidden clues (that are also in plain sight)
5. Demonstrate the ability to think on your feet
6. Quick memory recall of technical jargon
7. Use your intuition (out of the box thinking)
8. Have your team members’ backs
9. Care a little bit, but not so much that it overtakes you
10. Take the “notes” and apply them to the next round and therefore show growth
11. Think for yourself – don’t just recite the textbook back verbatim
12. Be willing to shine a light into some dark corners
How does this list sound to you? Do you think your boss, team or partners would appreciate and look for these qualities too?
I personally think that having this kind of mindset in the workforce and beyond would make someone an ideal choice. As a bonus, when you consistently behave with these principles in mind, the egotistical jerk part of you fades away, slowly but surely, as well!
If you’re interested in cultivating any of these qualities and would like to uplevel your career by telling a new story in your life, I have some seats available in my coaching program, “Your Story is Your Wealth.” Let me know if you’re interested in hearing more and click here to book a call.
