Jose Torres turned a challenging upbringing into a story of success and leadership. “I never thought I’d achieve much, let alone reach a leadership position,” he says. Yet he did just that, currently serving as a district manager for MarketSource’s largest client.
It’s his fierce work ethic and positive attitude that has had such a meaningful impact on everyone he meets—and ultimately helped him stand out from the crowd. “The cards I was dealt in this life were not a full house, so I told myself I can either complain about it and blame the world, or I can roll up my sleeves and be the hardest worker in the room,” Jose explains. “It’s important to look beyond difficult circumstances to find the good in life. In fact, one of my favorite motivational speakers, Zig Ziglar, wrote that whenever someone would ask him how he was doing, he’d reply with, ‘Better than good!’ That’s now my go-to response.”
“I can either complain and blame the world or I can roll up my sleeves and be the hardest worker in the room.”
“To build genuine and trusting relationships, you must show up authentically.”
To show up as the best version of himself, Jose focuses on personal and professional development through books, podcasts, and meditation…all of which mentally prepared him to volunteer for a temporary expansion in his job role. When the opportunity was presented to lead an additional district until a backfill was hired, Jose rose to the occasion, expanding his team from 38 in his current district to 80 overnight. “It was overwhelming at first,” he reflects. “But I was taught to always do more than what I’m paid for – that’s how you separate yourself from others and get noticed. So, I began by creating a positive workplace culture, practicing active listening, offering constructive feedback, voicing clear expectations, and making sure to always be consistent in my actions.”
He continues: “I believe that in order to build genuine and trusting relationships, you must show up authentically. I always do my best to communicate with my team, listen to them, show concern, and ask questions. My favorite part of being a leader is helping them prove to themselves that they are capable of more. That’s why the best advice I’ve ever received was, ‘You’re not a one-hit wonder.’ If I have one good month in performance, nobody will remember. It’s what I do consistently…day in and day out. That’s where success becomes challenging and fun at the same time. Can I do it again? Sure, I can.”
Thinking back to when Jose was hesitant to apply for leadership roles because he didn’t believe he could lead a team, his own leader at the time told him to “take a chance and believe in yourself.” He did, and he never looked back. “I can’t help but smile and think about how grateful I am to be here,” he says. “And there’s still so much in store for me, I can hardly wait.”
#Relationships #Positivity #MarketSourceStrong