Taylor Nicholls has a big engine for work.
Before he became a veteran operator with Student Works, Taylor always felt under utilized at work. While he gave his all in the dish pit of many restaurants, he watched his coworkers “kicking rocks” and knew he was destined for something greater.
In a conversation with Chris Thomson on our Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast, Taylor opened up about his personal work ethos and how he envisions his future:
Empower Others
When it comes to leadership, there’s a wide variety of approaches that people swear by. For Taylor, being a successful leader all comes down to your ability to empower your team.
“All in all, the best leaders are leaders that allow other people to lead. If you’re a true leader, you want what’s best for other people and what’s best for other people is allowing them to grow and develop themselves as well,” he explained.
Rely on Accountability Partners
Failing to plan is planning to fail, and this is a truth that Taylor learned the hard way.
“Last year I had a production scare where I just started my second crew and they quit… That week was just terrible. I don’t want anything like that this year so I’ve prepared my teams early, I’ve prepared training early. I’ve gotten everything ready,” he explained.
Learning this lesson, according to Taylor, is a key stepping stone on the journey to becoming a top performer.
“Top performers are planning ahead and using their time wisely because when it all comes down to it, sales and marketing is always great to know and great to excel at, but production is a whole other piece. For those who can prepare for production and get things done earlier, they will see themselves being given the opportunity to not be completely consumed by production and taken away from the other half of the business,” he told Chris.
Work Now Play Later
While some entrepreneurs can’t imagine a life without going to work, Taylor has different ideas for his future. He wants to put in the work now, so that he can reap the rewards later on in life.
“One of my main processes is that I want to do the work when I’m young, so that when I’m older I can sit back and relax with a mojito in hand,”
Can you blame him?
Are you a student looking to further your development as a leader and enter the exciting world of entrepreneurship? Check out more stories from Student Works participants and alumni on our Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast!
