I recently watched my daughter Mollie walk across the stage with her business degree diploma from Samford University. It was an exceedingly proud moment, and it reminded me about my journey from being a new college graduate to making partner with Ernst & Young (EY) in a relatively short ten-year period of time.

I found myself compiling a mental list of things that contributed to my success. While having an accounting degree with a high GPA and passing the CPA exam were viewed as gating criteria for a Big 4 firm like EY, I was fixated on the things that I was not taught in class.

Over the next coming weeks, and as students across America celebrate this rite of passage, I will share five keys to success that have consistently paid huge dividends for me in the business world.

Under promise. Over deliver.

When I started at EY, I was full of great ideas on how to save clients tax dollars. I had acquired certain niche tax knowledge by working at a smaller boutique firm, and I was eager to apply this know-how to the larger companies served by EY. The problem was, in my enthusiasm to impress these clients with big numbers, I would consistently broadcast the best possible outcomes. The result was a disappointed client, even though they received “found money” from my efforts. I was befuddled, “These companies didn’t even know they had a million-dollar refund coming! What’s the big deal if I promised two million?”

Sometime later, I was approached by a friend and successful businessman who shared this formula for success that has stuck with me ever since: “Success equals performance minus expectations.”

No matter how many millions of tax dollars I found for a client, if I promised more, the result was still a negative. Duh! It took me some time to figure this out. In Pakistan, you don’t say “no” to your elders and their expectations, and you routinely use the phrase Inshallah (God willing)—even if you don’t agree. It took some adjustment to understand that it was far better for me to share what could go wrong than to paint a rosy picture.

No matter what you do for a living, it’s crucial that you learn to manage expectations of your superiors, colleagues, and most importantly, your clients and customers.

Miss any of the 5 Keys to Success that You Didn’t Learn in College?
1. Under promise. Over deliver.
2. Understand your company’s value chain. 
3. Develop your executive presence.
4. Build your personal brand.
5. Find a sponsor and know your role as a protégé.

I hope you will find these insights meaningful, and I wish you Godspeed with your career!