In a climate where office politics rule, getting ahead is not always easy.
We're often so busy thinking about what everyone else thinks of us, we lose sight of the bigger picture.
Obsessing about other people's opinion is a natural instinct for many, but it's a debilitating one. And it goes hand-in-hand with the impulse to seek praise.
But, says entrepreneur Elle Kaplan, this is a key emotional reaction we need to supress in order to get ahead.
As founding partner and CEO of financial firm Lexion Capital Management, 36-year-old Elle knows a thing or two about smashing barriers and vaulting up the ladder at work.
Elle worked her way up from intern to Wall Street mogul, and her mantra is "'No' is just one person’s opinion".
"If I hadn’t trained myself to think that way, I’d still be a temp," she says.
Another key lesson she's learnt is not to seek praise from others, a compulsion that comes naturally to many of us.
"Nobody will take the time to shower you with praise," Elle tells Business Insider. "That's why you have to do it yourself.
"Most people in business will only set aside their precious minutes if they see you doing something wrong, or if they want something from you. Sprinkling your ego with dew drops of praise is the furthest thing from their minds."
Instead, she says, set aside time to cultivate your sense of self-worth and achievement from within.
"You're doing great things, so take the time to recognize it," she says. "By 5pm very day, write down three things that you accomplished. They don't have to be life-changing, just good things that deserve recognition.
"Re-read yesterday's entry every morning. If you're feeling low on confidence you can read through a couple of weeks' worth of your many successes and gain confidence and perspective."
She adds, "You really have to be your own best cheerleader. And I want people to realize that I’m successful because I have allowed myself to fail so many times — and I dust my knees off, get up, and try again."
Well said, that woman...
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