12 Ways super achievers think differently

 What makes some people very successful? What are their thought patterns which make them super successful? This is an interesting area I would like to analyze and deep dive. Here are the 12 ways the super successful think and act. As the cliché holds, successful people don’t do different things; they just do things differently.

They define what success means to them –This is truly the most important step for anyone to take. Without defining what success means to us it will be very difficult to be content or happy. One of the best definitions of success I have come across is by Earl Nightingale: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” This means that if you are moving forward towards something you want, you are successful. It doesn’t matter if others think that is success. Only thing that matters is if you are happy with this definition of success. Comparing with others usually doesn’t work because we don’t know what their definition of success is. Measure yourself only against the potential you are capable of. As Adam Grant says, we all have hidden potential and becoming an infinite learner is the key to unleash our dormant potential.

Steve Jobs once said that your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work — and to do great work, you must love what you do. His success was not defined by market share or accolades alone but by bringing his vision to life through innovation.

They don’t worry about what others think –Top people don’t worry about what others think. They are totally focused on what they want out of life, and approval from others is not a necessity for them to feel good. They are totally at peace with themselves and have a powerful sense of self-approval. This is very important to know for all of us on our journey through life. All of us have insecurities but we cannot do what we want to do if we keep trying to get the approval of everyone around us. This does take time to develop but heading in that direction would be a good start. The best way is to totally and unconditionally accept yourself just the way you are.

Serena Williams, throughout her career, faced criticism, expectations, and scrutiny from every corner. Yet her ability to tune out the noise and stay true to her vision of greatness propelled her to 23 Grand Slam titles, showing that inner belief is far more powerful than external opinions.

They are intensely action-oriented - All successful people have overcome their fears through intense action orientation. Every successful person acts on their ideas. As they say, talk is cheap and action is everything. Instead of dwelling too much on what may go wrong, they get into action. Purposeful action cures fear. While you may not always achieve what you want, taking action will at least put the odds in your favor.

Elon Musk exemplifies this mindset: when launching Tesla and SpaceX, despite huge risks and the potential for failure, he pushed forward with relentless action. His philosophy has always been to fail fast, learn faster, and keep building momentum through action.

They don’t put themselves down –You must be your biggest cheerleader. Achievers know that anything worthwhile takes time, and there will be inevitable failures on the path to success. They never say anything that puts them down. They always look for the seed of a positive benefit in every negative. They view setbacks as temporary and not a reflection of their inner self-worth. It is a given fact that we will all have our falls, but it is how we keep our spirits high when things go wrong that ultimately determines our success. As Martin Seligman says, optimists don’t take things personally, they don’t make things pervasive, and they don’t treat setbacks as permanent.

After losing multiple NBA Finals early in his career, Michael Jordan didn’t let defeat define him. Instead, he treated every setback as a learning experience, which ultimately forged his legendary competitive spirit and six championship wins.

They don’t relate things –A lot of us, when one thing goes wrong in one area of life, think some other area will also go wrong. However, real top achievers know that there is no relationship between two events. If they attain success in more than one thing, they don’t assume that they will fail. We should all learn this, as sometimes when things go too well, we think that something is bound to go wrong. However, this is flawed thinking which will not take us forward. Achievers never relate things and accept everything good that happens. If something wrong happens, let’searn to accept it and focus on the areas that are going well for us.

In business, Amazon faced major failures like the Fire Phone, but it didn’t impact Jeff Bezos’s belief in launching Alexa and AWS. He treated each product and service independently, allowing the company to continue innovating without being bogged down by unrelated failures.

They are adaptable –In the current world of work, the one quality that is essential is the ability to remain flexible when change strikes. You might have made plans, but even the best plans will fall astray when new events happen. Never get stuck on one line of thinking and be flexible to change with new input. This is a key characteristic of all top achievers. Adaptability is the single most important quality needed for the 21st-century leader.

In the 2020 NBA season, the league had to pivot to a “bubble” format due to the pandemic. Teams that adapted quickest, like the Lakers, kept their focus, adjusted their strategies, and ultimately succeeded, highlighting how flexibility wins during turbulent times.

They see themselves as entrepreneurs –Achievers think of themselves as CEOs of their careers and lives. They ensure they are always thinking of themselves as owners of their companies and they take charge of their career. They are teachable and are in the cutting edge of the learning revolution. Andy Grove mentioned about this way back in his wonderful book Only the Paranoid Survive. He said everyone must take charge of their career.

Cristiano Ronaldo, seen as a player under contract with major clubs, always treated his brand, training, and image with an entrepreneur’s mindset — investing in personal training, managing his public image carefully, and creating a lasting global brand beyond football.

They have Big Hairy Audacious Goals –Successful people know exactly where they are going and have big long-term plans for their careers. This is the key to their energy. When you have a big goal that you are after, then short-term setbacks will not impact you, and you keep moving forward. Setting goals for all areas of your life will keep you energized all the days of the week.

NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon was a classic BHAG. Set in 1961 by John F. Kennedy, the bold vision rallied the country, attracted top talent, and ultimately led to one of humanity’s most extraordinary achievements in 1969.

They welcome feedback –No matter how good we are, there are areas we can improve. Achievers know that the only way to learn about them is when they get feedback from their boss or mentors. They are totally open to feedback and act on making changes on their areas of weakness. This is also the key to deliberate practice. 360-degree feedback is also another popular tool to get a complete view on where you stand. This is not easy but needed to move forward.

Bill Gates often credited Microsoft’s success to the culture of open feedback he encouraged early on, where even junior employees could challenge ideas, allowing innovation and improvement at every level.

They are unshakable optimists –Achievers are optimistic about their future. As it has been well said, successful people see their glass as half full. They always look for the good in every situation and have a deep sense of gratitude. If you are optimistic, you will be better placed to cope with failure and disappointment. They associate with positive people and stay away from negative influences. Shawn Achor has done a lot of research for his book The Happiness Advantage, and the basic premise is if you are positive about everything in your life you will enjoy your work also more.

Tom Brady’s story, from being a sixth-round draft pick to becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, is built on an unshakeable belief in himself and his ability to improve, even when external expectations were low. Believe in yourself and you can win.

They are big on personal care –All successful people know that when all is said and done, the only thing that can help them achieve all their goals is peak health and fitness. They are committed to a long life full of energy. They take diligent care of their bodies and mind. They exercise their mind and body on a regular basis. It has been found that great athletes and violinists slept more than average, which is very important for peak performance.

Arianna Huffington famously collapsed from exhaustion, which led her to prioritize sleep, meditation, and mindfulness, later founding Thrive Global to help others value health as a pillar of sustainable success. She has written books on the need for self-care.

They project their brand –All successful people are aware of what they stand for and want to ensure that their actions are aligned with their brand statement. It is not only organizations that need to broadcast their brand. Everyone has an opportunity to broadcast and communicate what they want to stand for. The avenues available to enhance the brand through blogs, webinars, and podcasts are plenty, and the content is always king. Brand strategist Adam Morgan has something he calls “lighthouse identity” which is basically organizations that stand for something and have a strong point of view. Similarly, individuals at the top of their game know what they want to be known for.

Oprah Winfrey carefully built her brand around authenticity, empowerment, and compassion. Over decades, her consistent messaging and actions created a powerful, trusted personal brand that transcended television and built a global influence.

There you have it — the 12 ways you can develop the attitudes of successful people. All of us can become successful based on our definition, and if we adopt some of these keys, we can go further in our lives than we imagined.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article. The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.