Everyone is in search for the elusive success. Whether it is in business, academics, politics, the arts, music or whichever career we are in pursuit of. The open secret is that it is within reach but with a lot of effort and foresight and a bit of luck. But is there a formula to success? Are there things we can do to be successful? Here are some key traits successful individual possess? The likes of Steve Jobs, Obama, Mozart, Mark Zuckerberg, James Cameron, Manu Chandaria, Bill Gates etc all possess these qualities.
- Drive
There are very few accidental successful people. Who they are today is a result of years of focusing on a certain goal/goals. They are self-motivated and have a clear vision of where they are and where they want to be. The intrinsic need to succeed in spite of the odds is a force that propels many successful. They don’t stop even when they hit a milestone. There is always a higher bigger goal to reach. Being driven gives you the fuel that pushes you to do everything to the best of your ability.
- Communicate
As a leader, it is vital that your communication skills are up to par. This will enable you to effectively communicate your vision with employees, partners or peers. The ability to articulate your ideas accurately will influence how well they are implemented and how soon you can accomplish your objectives. Obama got elected, twice, partly because of his oratory skills and the clear, yet simple message of hope and change.
- Confidence
Even when no one believes in you, believe in yourself. That’s what every successful person has done. Steve Jobs was hounded out of Apple by the directors in spite of his founder status. But he believed in himself, picked up the pieces and started Pixar, a graphics movie production company which became very successful. Jobs, like many successful people, had confidence in his ideas and abilities. Even when something doesn’t work out, let it not puncture your confidence. Believing in yourself is the only way you can convince others to believe in you and your ideas. You can build up your confidence by appreciating yourself and having positive thoughts that reinforce a good self-image.
- Resourceful
Innovation requires someone to think outside the box and work outside normal boundaries. Be creative and dream of ingenious ways that various things could work. Bill Gates envisioned a world that runs on Microsoft and he worked towards that before anyone knew who he was. Successful people look for different ways of solving a problem. They get the best people to work with and see opportunities where others see a problem.
- Passion
In life, it is important to do what you love and love what you do. Pantajali a yoga guru says “When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project and all your thoughts break their bounds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” Passion is what makes people work harder, persevere the hard times and make the best of the good times.
