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Summer analyst season is in, and\u00a0there are some written and unwritten rules for those vying for a gig on Wall Street (or Midtown, in the case of Blackstone). Interns will do as others did before them: Wear a cloud of cologne to a sports bar, block the street when heading to a lunch break at Pret, and don the somehow-still-popular uniform of a Patagonia<\/a> vest. It\u2019s tradition, after all.<\/p>\n But if these junior suits want to stick around past summer into Santacon and live the full Murray Hill lifestyle they\u2019ll have to play the game a certain way. President and chief operating officer at Blackstone<\/a> Jon Gray explained as much, outlining the rules to making it\u2014not just at the management company, but in the workforce as a whole.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s any different for somebody in business as it is an athlete or a performer,\u201d Gray said<\/a> to new summer analysts this week. \u201cYou work harder, you care more.\u201d Much as great performers are \u201cjust out there practicing more,\u201d Gray noted, employees at that level are perhaps getting in a little earlier and triple-checking their work.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not just punching a clock, they genuinely care about what they\u2019re doing,\u201d he asserted of the type of worker that he deemed set for success. Most people at the top of Blackstone \u201care people who genuinely care about what they do,\u201d he says. Of course, those at the top are more incentivized to care by multi-million-dollar compensation packages<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Showing that you care gets you far, but it\u2019s not enough. Gray praised the merits of being \u201cwilling to take a little bit of personal risk and, you know, speak up.\u201d Acknowledging that might be hard for interns who are just trying to figure out where the bathroom is, he explained that those who can do tasks better or faster will get far.<\/p>\n Goldman Sachs<\/a> CEO David Solomon gave similar advice to his class of 2023 interns. Alongside other suggestions like being present and curious, he encouraged prospective hires to speak up. \u201cYou\u2019ll quickly learn that our people are eager to hear your insights. After all, you represent the future of our firm,\u201d he wrote in a LinkedIn<\/a> post, adding that interns should \u201cbe on the lookout for any way you can contribute your ideas\u2014big and small.\u00a0<\/p>\n On the other hand, those who just stick to the rule book will find themselves running on a treadmill. Gray asserted that the worst response to a question or suggestion is: \u201cThat\u2019s the way we\u2019ve always done it.\u201d Sticking to the norms for norms\u2019 sake is not the key to thriving, in his eyes. \u201cThere\u2019s always a way to do it better, to serve the customer in a more efficient way, to get to a better outcome,\u201d he said. He went on to encourage interns to think of themselves as entrepreneurs in whatever job they\u2019re in.\u00a0<\/p>\n The finance sector, as portrayed in movies like American Psycho <\/em>and The Wolf of Wall Street, <\/em>isn\u2019t necessarily known for being warm and fluffy. But Gray espoused the value of at least appearing nice.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all ambitious, we want to succeed, but sometimes people forget\u2014treating other people nicely can be a bit of a secret weapon,\u201d he said, in a somewhat Machevillian Mr. Rogers style. He\u2019s not the only Master of the Universe looking to appeal to the customs of regular old humans. In 2017<\/a>, JPMorgan Chase<\/a> CEO Jaime Dimon told students that the most important tenets of leadership are \u201chumility, respect.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just about being kind to the person who pays your check, or in an intern\u2019s case, dangles a job offer like a carrot. Gray said it\u2019s about being nice to your co-workers, too. \u201cEverybody\u2019s just trying to do their job and it\u2019s a lot more fun to be in a place where everyone is treated in a nice way,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nRecommended Newsletter:<\/strong> CEO Daily provides key context for the news leaders need to know from across the world of business. Every weekday morning, more than 125,000 readers trust CEO Daily for insights about\u2013and from inside\u2013the C-suite. Subscribe Now<\/a>.<\/div>\n