The true mark of professionalism is the ability to respect everyone else for their styles and always find some... — Johnny Iuzzini

The true mark of professionalism is the ability to respect everyone else for their styles and always find something positive in every dining experience and highlight it in your thoughts and words.

Author: Johnny Iuzzini

Insight: There's a useful skill buried in this advice that goes way beyond restaurants. When you learn to genuinely appreciate someone else's approach—even when it's nothing like yours—you stop wasting energy on judgment and start actually learning. A colleague's chaotic brainstorming style might seem wasteful until you realize it generates ideas you'd never think of alone. A friend's cautious life choices might feel boring until you notice their stability creates space for the rest of us to take risks. The professional move Iuzzini describes is about something deeper than being nice. It's recognizing that your way of doing things isn't the only legitimate way. The moment you can identify what someone does well, rather than fixating on what they do wrong, you've solved a real problem: you're no longer trapped in defensive mode, constantly proving your approach is right. You're actually paying attention. This matters because the alternative—always finding fault, always highlighting differences—exhausts everyone, yourself included. It makes collaboration feel like combat. But when you practice actively finding the positive, something shifts. You become someone people want to work with, not because you're fake, but because you see them clearly.