I have done it all—from opening my own bar to working my way through the Wall Street ranks to becoming the CEO of a major international financial services company. Along the way, I learned a lot of lessons because I made a lot of mistakes, and watched others make even more.

Conventional career advice is easy to come by, but it’s the same advice everyone else is getting. You may not like hearing everything I have to say—in fact, some of it may fly in the face of what you wish were true—but it will help you get ahead in the real world.

Here are a few bite-sized pieces of advice that will help any employee—regardless of age, experience level, or industry—survive (and even have fun) in the big leagues. 

Do what you’re good at 

Much of the career advice that’s doled out these days encourages people to “follow their dreams” and “feed their passion.” Doing what makes you happy is all well and good, but first and foremost you should seek out a career that you’re good at.

The satisfaction you get from doing your job well will far outweigh how entertaining it is. Plus, think about how unhappy you’d be if your heart’s desire failed to pay the bills. From personal experience, as well as from observing family, friends, and coworkers, I can state that most professionals are happiest doing what they are good at, while pursuing other passions—that their careers give them the means to finance—on the side.

Always ask yourself, What’s my edge?

In other words, what makes you unique and different? Why should other people pay attention to you? What do you have to offer? What gives you an edge over the competition?

These are great questions to ask yourself in a multitude of professional scenarios. If you’re starting a business, it can help you to define your product or service’s niche. If you’re going after a promotion, it can help differentiate you from your coworkers. In all situations, it will help you define how you can become your personal best.

Don’t agree to anything you don’t fully understand.

Once you do have your foot in the door, you’ll likely want to impress your colleagues and higher-ups at every turn. And in an attempt to avoid looking like you don’t know what you’re doing, you may be tempted to feign understanding and nod your head, even though you really have no clue what’s going on. Don’t.

For example, early in my career, a client bullied me into saying ‘yes’ to a request I didn’t understand—and it cost my employer $25,000. While covering up your own ignorance might not come with such a steep price tag, it’s still something you should avoid at all costs.

Your integrity, credibility, and reputation—and possibly your job!—are all at stake. It’s always better to swallow your pride and say, “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. I need you to explain.” Oh, and that’s just as applicable in your personal dealings as it is in your career.

When you’re upset, choose to look forward, not back 

You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react and move forward. For instance, maybe you’ve been handed an undesirable task at work, been blamed for your boss’s mistake, or been interrupted by an overzealous colleague during a client meeting for the thousandth time.

Sure, you can choose to focus on your anger and irritation for hours, or even days. But that doesn’t do you a bit of good. Instead, resolve to channel your thoughts and efforts toward playing the hand you’ve been dealt in a way that will benefit you the most.

Learn to appreciate diverse work styles

In life and in work, we all tend to gravitate toward others who think like us and who see the world through a similar lens. If you don’t push yourself past the familiar, though, you’ll be severely limiting yourself.

Yes, it can be difficult, uncomfortable, and downright frustrating to work with people who take a different approach from you. For example, maybe you’re a Type A personality who is totally frustrated by your coworker’s seat-of-her-pants approach to projects. Remember, though, by shutting her out you’ll also deprive yourself of her creative solutions and outside-the-box insights.

No matter what the situation is, always try to seek out and utilize your team’s talents, even if you don’t understand their methods. You can never be sure you have the best answer until you’ve heard all viewpoints.

Own your mistakes 

No matter how much you know or how hard you try, you are going to make mistakes as you pursue your career. The question is, how will you handle them?

Do not to follow in the footsteps of a former coworker I refer to as “Never,” who never took responsibility for any mistakes and never apologized for anything. Indeed, “Never” was actually very good at what she did, but her insistence on passing the blame and refusing to admit her errors cost her all of the respect, support, and goodwill she could have earned.

Here’s the lesson: Refusing to own your mistakes doesn’t make you seem more competent; it reveals cowardice, callousness, and untrustworthiness. I promise, if you’re a hardworking, valued employee, when you do own up to your mistakes, your confession will be viewed as a sign of strength, not weakness, by your coworkers. Plus, you’ll be in a position to learn and improve. 

Be a good steward of the “little” things 

Always proofread your emails for errors before pressing “send.” Don’t leave voicemails unanswered at the end of the day. Keep your desk and computer files organized. Call your clients to share progress, even when a report isn’t required. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

But most people don’t think much of letting the so-called “little things” slide. They think it’s okay to cut “unimportant” corners. So, when you pay attention to small, often-overlooked details, you’ll distinguish yourself from the pack. Trust me, putting in just a little more work than most people are willing to is a great way to propel yourself toward success. 

If you want to be a leader, act like one

If your goal is to be at the forefront of your field’s innovation and growth, you may feel discouraged when your job is composed of tasks a trained monkey could do. But don’t succumb to the I’ll never get there from here or the What I do in this position doesn’t matter line of thinking.

Instead, get a head start developing the leadership qualities you’ll need in the future. The best way to move up in the ranks is to lead in whatever position you’re in now.

Even if you’re the lowest man or woman on the totem pole, you can still display leadership qualities like having integrity and a good attitude, providing others with helpful feedback, and treating them with respect. The fact is, very few employees consistently show leadership skills. If you’re the exception from day one, the Powers That Be will notice. 

Stay in the driver’s seat of your career

After making the decision to leave the safety of a current position, I was told by my employer’s HR department that “Sure, I could transfer to a new department—but first, I’d have to stick with my current job for three more years!” My response was to give them two months to help me get transferred; then I was going to start interviewing elsewhere.

A few weeks later, I was taking the subway to my new position in the department I’d asked to be transferred to. I was glad that my unorthodox tactic paid off, but I was fully prepared for it not to—I really would have been interviewing elsewhere two months later!

Remember, life is short, and the same opportunities rarely come twice. Don’t agree to just "go along for the ride," especially when your own goals and potential for success are at stake. Take an active hand in charting your course forward.