Adam Dight is a husband and father of two boys. He is also a product of his upbringing, the eldest son of two wonderful individuals who grew up in a suburb 21km from Melbourne at a point in time when children could leave the house at 8am and return home at 5pm just in time for dinner. Freedom to explore and play with his neighbours and school friends without looking over their shoulder definitely shaped Adam’s character in later life.
Today, Adam is matching investors with healthcare investments such as private hospitals, aged care facilities and senior’s living communities. His passion is to be a good husband and father and stay true to his values – compromise is not an option, period.
1. Humble Beginnings
Q: How did you get started and what or who inspired and empowered you to?
Interestingly, I got my first break into the world of finance when a school friend knocked back a job. He had accepted a position at a competitor firm and suggested to them they reach out to me. This was a valuable lesson in itself – the art of being generous when it is least expected.
The role was paying less than he had accepted at the other firm, however, I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Forget the art of the negotiation, this was a charitable act on his behalf and I was the only candidate they were engaging with – his referral was my foot in the door.
Q: What unique and creative strategies if any did you use when you were first getting started?
Firstly, it was important for me to realise and acknowledge that I was an unknown quantity with a college degree, I was naïve and out of my depth and wasn’t expected to be a productive team member for the first four months. I had two things going for me.
I had access to a friend at a competitor firm who had my back and was willing to share enough information with me about what was expected of me in the role, and an ability to get people to warm to me very quickly – I have never been viewed as a threat to anyone and with this comes information sharing – mostly my way !
I have always sought the smartest people in the room to help me get to the finish line, similar to a cyclist riding on the back wheel of a faster rider.
2. Mindset
Q: What mindset distinguished you from others who were doing the same thing? How did you develop it?
I’m yet to hear of anyone in their 20’s who started at the top. Understanding that material career advancements only occur about every 5 years or so, I tended to sit back and become an expert in my role. Sprinters tend to burn out easily when you challenge them to a 21km run, and it is similar in a corporate sense. By working on endurance and longevity in lieu of being the first to the 5km marker gave you an edge when you crossed the line at the 21km mark. You got there a bit worse for wear, but your strategy showed you had a discipline and patience not commonplace company wide. Not all bosses feel comfortable when their underlings have an eye on their role either.
3. What is your definition of success?
Successful individuals walk-the-walk. Sure, there’s time for talking, but success is always in the delivery. You may not always achieve the perfect result, say, 90% for an exam, but if you have always been a C+ student, and you achieve a B after much hard work and persistence, you are a success. Success can never be measured by others. Passing an Exam can be a true measure of success too.
4. Failure
Q: What do you think is the main reason why some people face failure when going after their vision?
Delusion can be a real handbrake on success. Thinking you can attain an A- on an exam paper when you’re averaging C+ during the year will do it. It’s not easy acknowledging that just because someone makes it look easy that it is easy. Not being willing to listen to advice along the journey will do it too. Befriending a mentor in the early phase of your journey can be invaluable.
5. What is the best piece of advice you have received or come across and would like to share with everyone?
Interestingly, advice has come from all kinds of 3rd parties over the years, but, no one comment or catchphrase has ever stopped me in my tracks. More often than not advice from 3rd parties has always come with an element of ‘self interest’. Often, people tell you things to inspire you to over-achieve which in turn makes them look good ! I would say, be true to yourself, stick to your principles, principles are not negotiable, act at all times with integrity, protect your brand – you only have one, back yourself and set realistic goals.