Awareness of Pitfalls - Do not burn bridges
I mentioned earlier that there are very few triumphant wins you need to go beyond compromise to consensus. You never know whose help you will need tomorrow, therefore it is imperative that you do not burn bridges. Try to be magnanimous in victory, and gracious in defeat. People will remember how you made them feel long after they remember if you won or lost. Reach out to your mentors on a regular basis so in a time of crisis they are open to hearing from you and willing to respond. Not burning bridges means always leaving them wanting more. To quote a line from the Batman movie, The Dark Knight, “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain!”5 Make sure you stay fresh and remain the hero. If you are becoming stale, and need to move on, do so, but make sure you do not do it as a villain. Do it in a manner that allows you to answer a call for help if one comes. I have been fortunate enough to enter into discussions with every former employer I have had about returning to the organization in some capacity or another - partly because I stayed true to myself and worked hard as I was leaving to ensure the next guy was setup for success. If you have burned bridges in the past, is there any way for you to fix them? Which users have you really upset or annoyed recently? Are they a potential customer? Could they be?
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