“The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well.” John D. Rockefeller
Countless biographies have been written about successful businesspeople. There are even movies on Netflix, and motivational videos littered all over YouTube, describing how people went from nothing to something.
These stories of success are interesting and entertaining… but only AFTER they succeeded. Most successful people will tell you that there was tons of struggle, pain, heartache and self-doubt during the journey. There was no rousing Hollywood soundtrack in the background either.
More often than not, it was a grim, dreary climb to the top – but they did it anyway. The qualities displayed by winners are the best of humanity. We all want to be like them, and believe they were born with it.
In reality, most had a few common traits that kept them going. We all have them. It is a part of us. The only question that remains – “Will you tap into these qualities and harness them for your own success?”
- Passion
Successful people are passionate about what they do. They love their work even when it aggravates them. The promise of success makes the challenge worthwhile.
Passion is what made Thomas Edison keep going even after 1000 failures while inventing the light bulb. Passion is what made Michael Jordan win 6 NBA championships when he could have just rested on his laurels after the 3rd one.
You must have passion.
- Be logical
Most successful entrepreneurs take calculated risks but they approach it in a logical manner. They are not looking for ‘get rich quick’ schemes or overnight riches.
To be an entrepreneur, you will need to think logically and not let your emotions get the better of you. Running a business is usually accompanied by emotional highs and lows. Despite that, you will need to keep a level head.
- Focused and determined
To succeed at anything in life, you will need to be highly focused. Do not try to do everything. That is a sure-fire recipe for failure.
- KFC sells chicken. It does not go into the toothpaste business. It is focused.
- Steve Harvey does comedy. He does not try to be an action hero. He leaves that to Stallone.
- John Grisham writes books. He does not try to be a runner like Usain Bolt.
All of them stay focused on one thing and they succeed at it. Specialization is crucial to success and profit.
Determination is a prerequisite for success because when the going gets tough, you will need the grit and resolve to keep going. You will also need determination and self-discipline to do what you need to even when you do not feel like it.
Successful people have a very high level of self-discipline. They will willingly delay gratification in the moment for better rewards in future.
- Charismatic, bold and courageous
Successful people (even if they are introverts) will willingly put themselves in the spotlight to further their goals. They will network with other successful people and form mutually beneficial relationships.
No man is an island. You need other people to help you take your business to the next level. Remember the African proverb – If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Success will be accelerated when you let yourself go with the flow and share your goals with others and let them help you.
- Dare to be different
The best businesspeople are creative, innovative and willing to be different. In fact, to succeed in a noisy and crowded marketplace, it is a necessity to keep innovating and branding yourself from new angles.
You do not have time to get comfortable. The world moves at breakneck speed these days. So, if you wish to be successful, you must constantly reinvent yourself like the singer, Madonna. It is no wonder she stayed relevant for decades.
Now that you are aware of what successful people do and how they act, you will realize that they really are not that different from you and me. You just need to be willing to emulate them, step outside your comfort zone and act in a way that’s in alignment with your goals.
