Jennifer Lawrence is invading our holiday season with the Hunger Games finale and the upcoming release of Joy, and frankly, I don’t hear too many people complaining. She is one of the rare eggs in Hollywood that has seemingly won over fans of any age or gender. So, what is her secret sauce and how can we attempt to be as awesome as her at our workplace? Here are three-and-a-half ways:
1. Do work. Seems straightforward, but she’s actually a really good actress when not all stars are; I mean, I’m not gonna name names but I’m looking at you Olivia Newton John.* It’s something to seriously consider at the office because while there are internet articles that offer quick fixes**, the reality is that even the best tips are no good if you’re not actually doing your job well.
2. Be relatable as heck. Of course the world fell in love with her when she fell down on the way to accept her Academy Award. She leaned into the moment and completely made fun of herself before the world had the opportunity to do so. And if you watch her in interviews, very rarely will you hear her talk about “character arc” or other insanely boring acting mumbo jumbo. Instead, she usually chimes in with stories about her family and friends, meaning that when she is sitting in the interview chair you feel like she’s just like you. And while we don’t have the luxury of being able to appear on national television to win hearts, we can still be relatable in our own work environments. Are you that person in your office?
3. Have a general badassness about you. In her breakout role in Winters Bone, there was a scene where she gutted a squirrel — no special effects, no stunt double — this was a straight-up squirrel gutting. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that you gut a squirrel in your office (unless you work for a squirrel-gutting company) but the point is that when the situation calls for it, a little toughness can go a long way. And as an aside, I think I have squirrels living in my attic rafters at the moment, so I could use a little J-Law in my life right now.
And three-and-a-half: Create an element of surprise. Even in the most stuffy and serious of moments on the red carpet, you will find Jennifer Lawrence being goofy, asking for something to eat or photobombing. She understands that being a little different and showing your inner-child once in a while is endearing. See what happens if you bring that element to your office.
*This is an intentionally dated reference so as to minimize controversy and risk breaking the internet in the comments section.
**Like articles offering three-and-a-half reasons, perhaps?
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