Get in where you fit in: Getting in the door is the hard thing. “Once you get in, you can navigate your way around,” Kaufman said. “You’ve got to get in where you fit in, and then find your way.”
Do the undesirable jobs: “The real work is done in the trenches,” Kaufman said. “It’s not glamorous.” When people do this, they learn more than their peers and impress influential people.
Create your own luck: “To use a sports analogy, nothing happens while sitting on the sidelines,” Kaufman said. “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
Shift the paradigm: “If you’re doing things the same way as everybody else, you’re going to get the same results,” Kaufman said. “Nothing great will be achieved.”
If you don’t know it, admit it: “You can’t know everything,” Kaufman said. “The smartest people don’t know everything.” Kaufman said people tend to help when team members admit their limitations.
Make yourself memorable: “Everything in life is sales,” Kaufman said. “You need to have depth and substance behind your presentation, but you have to find a way to stand out.”