This isn’t the first time we’ve chimed in on what it takes to be successful in the work place. In fact, in February we explained the importance of creating value through strong leadership.

Just like proper eating and exercise are critical to physical health, emotional intelligence is essential in attaining collective respect and personal power in the work place. The only problem is that sometimes productivity manuals just can’t cover everything at once.

That’s why instead of telling you how to live, we decided it would be helpful to introduce four fundamental habits that can spark your interest – and hopefully help you develop better habits. Obviously it’s not expected that you adopt all of these traits, but being aware of them can only benefit your professional productivity.

1. Thick Skin

Whether you’re an entry-level employee or the CEO of an international company, you have to stay strong in every situation that presents itself. It’s human nature to be sensitive and perceptive, but it’s emotionally intelligent to turn that insecurity into a powerful tool to display your heightened intellect. If you are in an unfair situation and allow others to see it’s impact on you, you have not only proved yourself a weak person, but you’ve let the peanut gallery prevail. Remember that sensitivity is an asset – don’t beat yourself up over your feelings, just learn how to control them and flaunt your self-will.

2. Reliable

It’s one thing to make a mistake, but entirely dissimilar to purposely ignore an assignment. The truth is no one wants an employee with selective hearing and doing. If you read an email that requires a response, reply right away. The sooner you conquer tasks at hand, the better habits you will develop. Every successful employee experiences a lot of important responsibilities at once. Only successful employees recognize that every human is important. If you’re aware of that, then you can accomplish amazing things.

3. Prioritize

Regardless of which industry you’re in, if you’re not able to be at least somewhat selfish, you’ll never survive. That said, there are lines to be drawn. There is a difference between taking care of yourself while balancing your priorities and expecting others to look out for you. No job is important enough to destroy yourself to succeed, so understand there is life out of work and plan your career path accordingly.

4. Confidence

Have you ever heard the saying “you can’t love someone else until you love yourself”? Well, the same holds true with successful leadership. It’s impossible to expect others to believe in you if you don’t even believe in yourself. Therefore, the first step in your success is good ‘ol fashion blind faith. Of course it’s natural to question yourself, your assumptions and your expectations, but once you have convinced others that you’re worth their time (and money), you can climb up the corporate ladder.

So what do these four great traits really mean? Good work doesn’t speak for itself. If you want to be incredibly good at what you do, you have to make it happen. Don’t sit around and wait to be noticed, promoted or elected, show people why they wouldn’t want it any other way.

Do you know any other powerfully productive practices? Let us know!

This article was an inverted, shortened reactionary response to CopyBlogger’s The 7 Bad Habits of Insanely Productive People