How You Can Achieve More At Work By Being Simple And Silly

In life, there are many kinds of inspiring people you will meet. Some will be extremely intelligent with impeccable academic records, some mathematical geniuses, others great speakers, and some born leaders.
There is one type, however, that is more special than all the rest above, and that is the 'silly' ones. And it will do you lots of good, if you also try to emulate a little bit of that silliness into whatever you are doing.
There is unparalleled strength in being silly - to have the confidence to do things that most people view as stupid, or plain kiddish. It is this simple 'silliness' in people that makes them more successful than the rest.
Here's how you can embrace some silliness into your lives too:

1. Ask Silly Questions

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Do you remember how you asked silly questions as a kid, without the fear of being judged? Most people have silly questions in their mind but are afraid to ask them for fear of looking silly.
Key Lesson: Don't be afraid to ask basic questions, because often, simple questions are what we most need answers to! To start with, tell yourself to ask at least one silly question a day, to clarify any topic bothering you at work, or during study. This will get you in the habit of sending and receiving clearer information.

2. Think Simple. Speak Simple

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The higher you go up in your career, the simpler you need to be, and the simpler you need to think and convey information. David Ogilvy, the father of advertising swore by simple communication. He hated jargon in advertising. He believed that simplicity was the most powerful weapon to get the message across loud and clear. As 'simple' as this sounds, it is actually one of the hardest things to do - to take a whole bunch of ideas and simplify them to their basic DNA. But most powerful executives, media persons and great speakers understand they can get a lot more across by keeping their communication simple.
Key Lesson: When you are someone important, it is tempting to get overly clever. Don't keep your message simple and be ready for basic but difficult questions. Start with reviewing every long e-mail before you press send, and find a way to simplify it. Start by trying to cut it down to 5 lines, and see what a difference it can make.

3. With Simplicity Comes Power

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Stand out by being the one known for stating and doing the simple yet most important things, and be heard by making sure your communication is crisp and concise. Start now, and remember how 10 years later, the only ones who'll look silly are those who aren't silly already!
Key Lesson: The most powerful people appear the most simple. Embrace the power of simplicity in your life too.