Twenty traits of successful people
July 13, 2007 – 6:12 amSuccessful people are different. They think differently and they act differently, but they do have some common characteristics:
1. They possess a “good attitude” – these people always seem to be in a good mood. They have good things to say to and about other people. You enjoy conversing with these people.
2. They are optimistic – no matter what is going on around them, these people see the “best” in the situation. They truly believe that “everything will work out for good”.
3. They are respectful and therefore respected – successful people see the value in every person, realizing that every person has value. Because they extend respect and courtesy to others, others reciprocate and respond in kind.
4. They have an “easy” disposition – they just seem be easy to get along with. They don’t try to overpower others with their beliefs and opinions. Most are chameleons that can blend into almost any social situation which may explain why they are considered successful by such a wide variety of different types of people.
5. They value time – successful people know the value of time. They understand that there will never be another moment like now, therefore, they are very prudent in how they use their time allotment. No excessive time wasting by doing unproductive tasks unless that is what they have decided that the current block of time is best suited for.
6. They have the ability to focus – a successful person can block all distractions and apply their abilities with laser-like focus on the task at hand. It is this ability to focus that is the first real “separator” from others. It is difficult for others to understand the desire to be so intent on a single task to completion, but it is the fact that this ability to focus is what leads these people to their desired results.
7. They have high expectations of themselves and others – average will not suffice for the successful person. Status quo is for the masses and not the successes. They know what they are capable of and will not rest until they have achieved their best. They expect others to do their best as well. This simple expectation of others is why so many successful people are in roles of leadership. People tend to deliver what is expected of them. Great leaders expect great things from the people they lead.
8. They are committed to learning – for successful people, learning does not stop. It is a life-long process. In fact, most of these people are voracious consumers of information. They understand that being better informed gives them a competitive advantage in the world.
9. They are future oriented – successful people understand that the decisions that they make today will affect tomorrow. As long-term thinkers, it is obvious to them that the best course of action for tomorrow is to do the most productive things today. Because of their “future thinking”, they are busy today.
10. They have a purpose – it may be family, career, charity work or something else, but these people have a reason to live.
11. They lead by example – simply stated, successful people never expect more from others than they expect from themselves. They will not ask you to do a task that they have not done or will not do.
12. They are open-minded – successful people know that they don’t know everything. Most often they know that they are not the smartest person in the room. This ability allows them to listen to others for ideas and insight. They are open to the possibilities.
13. They are “ad-libbers” – they have the ability to change “on the fly”. They are not afraid to make adjustments if things are not going as planned. If circumstances change, they can change.
14. They are versatile – successful individuals have more than one skill. They are the “jacks of all trades” but that doesn’t mean that they do all these things. They have a wide variety of talents.
15. They are tenacious – once they have a goal, they do not waver or falter. They can be obsessive in this respect. You often hear it described as a “bulldog tenacity”. The wording fits.
16. They are great motivators – they help people be more than they themselves think they can be. They push, pull, yell, beg or whatever is necessary to get others to reach their potential. Think Lomardi or Bear Bryant or Lou Holz.
17. They are confident – if you ask them why they believe in themselves, most will not be able to give you an answer. They simply state, “in my heart and mind, I know that I will be successful”.
18. They are great salespeople – they can sell their ideas, dreams and concepts to others. It is all part of the motivator, confident, versatile, salesperson dynamic.
19. They are honest – they know that anything less is detrimental to their purpose in life. It is a part of the fabric of their life. They cannot be any other way.
20. They are mindful of others – successful people know, as Zig Ziglar says, “you can have anything you want, if you will help enough other people get what they want”. It is a simple concept, but very true. Success is about networking. If you are committed to helping others, others will be committed to helping you. There is no magic. Plainly stated, “one hand washes the other”. Successful people help others.
These are my twenty quick traits on successful people.
How is your shoulder performance and flexibility?
2 Responses to “Twenty traits of successful people”
As I commented for another article in this site, whether we like it or not, luck can play a big or, even, critical role for one’s success, as well. Also, some of the traits in this article are bit too idealistic. To be more realistic, some people, including the well-known, whom we consider to be “successful” used other, less honorable methods - such as fear, deception or manipulation - in addition or in place of the listed traits. For example, one cannot possibly attribute most of the listed twenty traits to people like Hitler or Stalin who were “successful”, at least for some part of their lives.
By Aspiring Success on Jan 9, 2008
I just responded to your other comment on my old wordpress.com site, but I will address your comments here as well.
Personally, I would not consider Hitler or Stalin as successful in the context of this blog.
However, I don’t mention luck in this list because “luck” is the crutch often used to explain a person’s lack of success. They sit back in the comfort of their mediocre lifestyle and use phrases like, “He was just in the right place at the right time”, or “Everything just seems to go right for him/her”
Those who are successful have worked way too hard to think that luck had anything to do with their accomplishments. Perhaps it is like Edison said, “Most people don’t recognize success because it is disguised as hard work.”
But I guess that on attempt #10,001, Edison got lucky and invented the light bulb. And as far as that goes, How does luck figure into the success of a person like Michael Segal (http://www.soupornuts.com/life-is-change-and-change-is-life/)?
I guess that you want me to believe that getting shot in the back of the head was lucky for him? Yet, he used that to become an inspiration to millions.
My point is that despite the circumstances, successful people do not and will not ever rely on luck.
In contrast, people who have not achieved the degree of success that they “think” they deserve will always play the “luck” card when asked to explain their lack of success.
So, what about you - are you going to rely on a super-natural phenomenon? Or will you accept responsibility for your life and how it turns out?
If luck is involved as you defend, then it really doesn’t matter what you do, does it?
By Chris Melton on Jan 9, 2008