Commitment

When we talk about this in a work sense, does the conversation tend to go kind of grey and fuzzy ?

"What do you mean, I show up, don't I ? " or the more likely - "I'd be committed if the pay was better".

In case it isn't obvious what your author's perspective on this is - commitment means not just doing the job you were hired to do, but doing it to the best of your abilities. Try as hard as you can to do it right, with the dual aims of saving others time and energy, and achieving the results desired. That may mean getting more leads in Marketing, or advancing a sale if wearing a Sales hat.

Think about it this way, if the kind of attitude you took to your job was to be written on your tombstone next week, would you want it to read that you were average, and should little enthusiasm, or that you worked at 100% and had some great ideas, or insights or judgment..?

I think there's a degree of truth that we all do what we want to do. Could we get jobs driving a bus, or shoveling coal tomorrow if we wanted ? Probably. (sadly) But we're not, we're doing something else, and that means we should pour ourselves into it. Do it the best we can. Especially if it's not your "ideal" job...then you want to get promoted out of this role.

Don't go at something with 50% effort, too many people do that already, and it's why your name might appear on the layoff list. Instead be the best mail-room clerk, or Art department resource, or CTO that you can be. See what happens. I dare you.