Be the Unicorn

Picture this: You're in a room full of talented professionals, all vying for the same opportunities. Everyone has impressive résumés, stellar qualifications, and years of experience. Yet somehow, one person stands out effortlessly. They command attention without demanding it, solve problems others can't see, and leave everyone thinking, "I want to work with that person." What makes them so magnetic? What transforms an ordinary professional into someone truly irreplaceable?

After conducting over thirty thousand face-to-face interviews with top-tier candidates, a fascinating pattern emerged. The standouts—those rare individuals who seem to glide from success to success—share twelve specific, learnable traits. These aren't mystical qualities reserved for the naturally gifted. They're practical skills that anyone can develop, regardless of background, education, or industry. In our hyperconnected world where artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market, these human-centered abilities have never been more valuable. The future belongs to those who can master what machines cannot replicate: authentic human connection, creative problem-solving, and purposeful leadership.

The foundation of exceptional performance rests on three pillars that separate the remarkable from the merely competent. Speed means responding with urgency and decisiveness when opportunities arise. Authenticity requires showing up as your genuine self, complete with strengths and acknowledged weaknesses. Agility demands flexibility in thought and action, especially when circumstances shift unexpectedly.

Consider Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes. When a tennis injury ended his college athletic career, he didn't waste time lamenting lost opportunities. Instead, he launched EZ Laundry, then moved to Nashville to start a media company, and later appeared on The Amazing Race with his sister. Each transition happened quickly, authentically reflecting his evolving interests, and with remarkable adaptability. His speed in seizing opportunities, combined with his genuine commitment to social impact, ultimately led to creating one of the most successful social enterprises of our time.

The key to developing these traits lies in understanding that perfection isn't the goal—progress is. Speed doesn't mean saying yes to everything; it means quickly discerning what deserves immediate attention versus what can wait. Authenticity isn't about oversharing every detail of your life; it's about being consistent in your values and honest about your capabilities. Agility isn't about abandoning all structure; it's about maintaining your core principles while adapting your methods to new situations.

Start practicing these skills today by setting a personal standard for response time, identifying your core values and letting them guide your decisions, and embracing change as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat to your stability.

Remember that these foundational traits work synergistically. Your authentic self becomes more compelling when paired with responsive action. Your speed gains direction when filtered through genuine values. Your agility becomes purposeful when anchored in authenticity. Master this foundation, and you'll find yourself naturally standing out in any crowd.

Exceptional individuals don't just react to problems—they anticipate them before they arise and solve them before they escalate. The Solver mindset means approaching challenges from the solution side rather than dwelling on what went wrong. The Anticipator mindset involves thinking several steps ahead, much like a chess grandmaster who sees not just the current board position but multiple moves into the future.

Marc Benioff exemplifies this dual approach. During a sabbatical that took him from India to Hawaii, he had an epiphany about business software. While others accepted the cumbersome, expensive systems that required extensive hardware and technical support, Benioff anticipated that users would want something as simple and accessible as Amazon.com. He didn't just complain about existing solutions—he created Salesforce, a completely online business management system. His anticipation of market needs, combined with his solution-focused approach, transformed how companies worldwide manage customer relationships.

To develop these skills, start by reframing every problem that crosses your desk. Instead of asking "What's wrong here?" ask "What would right look like?" When someone brings you a complaint, request they also bring a potential solution, even if it's imperfect. Practice the chess player's approach: before making any significant decision, consider not just the immediate consequences but how it will affect your situation two or three moves down the line.

Create systems that help you spot patterns and trends early. Set aside time weekly to review what challenges repeatedly surface in your work or industry. Research what successful people in your field saw coming that others missed. Develop the habit of asking "What if?" scenarios and thinking through contingency plans before you need them.

The most powerful combination emerges when you pair anticipation with solution-focused action. This means not only seeing what's coming but also preparing responses that turn potential problems into competitive advantages.

True excellence requires an honest understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, and impact on others, combined with an insatiable appetite for learning and understanding. Self-awareness isn't about harsh self-criticism—it's about clear-eyed assessment that enables strategic growth. Curiosity isn't about being nosy—it's about genuine interest in understanding how things work and why people behave as they do.

Lynsi Snyder, president and CEO of In-N-Out Burger, demonstrates this combination beautifully. Despite inheriting a billion-dollar company, she maintains deep awareness of her role as a protector of her grandparents' original vision. Her curiosity about what makes employees happy and customers loyal has kept In-N-Out's menu virtually unchanged for seven decades while competitors constantly chase trends. Her self-awareness about her strengths as a guardian of company culture, rather than an innovator of new products, has made her one of America's most respected leaders.

Begin developing self-awareness by asking trusted colleagues and friends for honest feedback about your communication style, decision-making patterns, and leadership tendencies. Don't defend or explain—just listen and process. Keep a brief daily journal noting moments when you felt energized versus drained, successful versus frustrated. Patterns will emerge that reveal your optimal working conditions and natural abilities.

Cultivate curiosity by dedicating time each day to learning something unrelated to your immediate responsibilities. Read books outside your field, engage in conversations with people from different backgrounds, or explore subjects that have always intrigued you. When meeting new people, ask open-ended questions and genuinely listen to their responses. Practice seeing every interaction as an opportunity to understand a different perspective.

The magic happens when self-awareness and curiosity work together. Knowing your limitations makes you curious about others' strengths. Understanding your biases makes you curious about different viewpoints. This combination creates leaders who are both grounded in reality and endlessly growing.

Success rarely happens in isolation—it emerges through relationships built on trust, mutual respect, and authentic care for others. Being connected means actively building and maintaining professional and personal relationships that create mutual value. Being likable doesn't mean being a people-pleaser; it means being someone others enjoy working with and want to support.

Keith Ferrazzi learned this lesson watching his steelworker father struggle in an industry that didn't value worker input. Despite having ideas that could have helped save jobs, his father had no voice because management and workers operated in separate worlds. This experience drove Ferrazzi to dedicate his career to helping people connect across traditional boundaries. His ability to build genuine relationships with everyone from entry-level employees to corporate executives made him one of the youngest chief marketing officers at Deloitte and later a bestselling author on the power of human connection.

Start building your network before you need it by focusing on what you can give rather than what you can get. Introduce people who should know each other. Share relevant articles or opportunities with contacts who might benefit. Remember personal details about the people you meet and follow up on them in future conversations. Make it a practice to send thank-you notes, congratulate people on their successes, and offer support during their challenges.

Develop likability by mastering the art of making others feel important and heard. Use people's names frequently in conversation. Ask thoughtful questions about their work, interests, and goals. Practice active listening by giving full attention to others without planning your next comment. Show genuine curiosity about their perspectives and experiences, even when they differ from your own.

The compound effect of connection and likability creates exponential opportunities. People remember how you made them feel long after they forget what you said. Those positive feelings translate into referrals, recommendations, collaborations, and support when you need it most.

The highest performers don't just work hard—they work with clear intention toward meaningful goals that align with their deepest values. Purpose-driven productivity means focusing your energy on activities that move you closer to what matters most, while eliminating or minimizing everything else. It's the difference between being busy and being effective.

Reshma Saujani exemplifies this principle through her work with Girls Who Code. Rather than pursuing traditional markers of success in law or politics, she identified a specific problem—the dramatic underrepresentation of women in technology careers—and dedicated her efforts to solving it. Her purposeful focus on closing the gender gap in coding hasn't just created a successful nonprofit; it's sparked a movement that's changing an entire industry. Every decision she makes gets filtered through the question: "Will this help more girls and women access well-paying technology careers?"

Define your core purpose by identifying the problems you feel compelled to solve or the positive changes you want to create in the world. Write a brief personal mission statement that captures what you want to be known for and the impact you want to have. Use this purpose as a filter for opportunities, commitments, and daily tasks. When faced with competing priorities, choose the options that best advance your mission.

Implement systems that keep you focused on high-impact activities. Use the Ivy Lee method: each evening, write down six important tasks for the next day in order of priority, then work through them sequentially. Track not just what you accomplish, but how well your activities align with your stated purpose. Regularly review and eliminate commitments that don't serve your mission, even if they're perfectly good opportunities for someone else.

Purpose-driven productivity creates a virtuous cycle: clarity of mission improves decision-making, focused action produces better results, and meaningful progress increases motivation and energy for continued effort.

The twelve traits that make someone irreplaceable aren't mystical gifts reserved for the naturally talented—they're learnable skills that anyone can develop through intentional practice and commitment. Speed, authenticity, agility, problem-solving, anticipation, preparation, self-awareness, curiosity, connection, likability, productivity, and purpose work together to create professionals who stand out in any environment. As one executive search professional discovered through thirty thousand interviews, "The people who rise to the top aren't necessarily the smartest or most experienced—they're the ones who've mastered the human skills that machines can't replicate."

The future belongs to those who can combine technical competence with exceptional interpersonal abilities. In a world where artificial intelligence handles routine tasks, your value lies in your capacity for authentic human connection, creative problem-solving, and purposeful leadership. Start today by choosing one trait that resonates most strongly with you and committing to deliberate practice. Set specific goals, seek feedback from trusted colleagues, and track your progress consistently. Remember that becoming irreplaceable isn't about perfection—it's about continuous growth in the skills that matter most in our interconnected, rapidly changing world.