From goals to Greatness - Be your Best

 

Successful people have a few common characteristics that make them great. Not every successful person can be a master of all these but awareness of them can help in increasing these qualities in ourselves. The best definition of success I have come across is what Earl Nightingale said: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” So the key is to define your ideals and enjoy the journey towards your definition of success whatever that may be.

Unfortunately, it is not rocket science, it is boring but true, nonetheless. Once you do that and you take daily action towards those goals you are in the process of becoming successful. That’s why success is indeed personal and it is not dependent on what others feel about us. If you define what success means to you and your actions move you towards that definition then you are successful irrespective of what anyone thinks or says about you.

Following are the 17 common traits exhibited by successful people that I have observed across various fields including sports, business, and arts.

Self-Discipline

I put this at the top of the list simply because without self-discipline nothing is possible. Self-discipline is a quality that can be developed by having a clear idea on what we want and then ensuring the desire to succeed is greater than the consequences of not doing it. If we want to exercise 5 times a week then we can imagine the enormous benefits of exercise and visualize that while trying to keep the end goal in mind. If we want to achieve all the things we want then self-discipline is the best place to start and we have 100% control on this. It is resolving to do what we have set out to accomplish in both our personal and official lives. Napoleon Hill said “Self-discipline is the Master Key to Riches.” Nido Qubein said “The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.”

Belief

An athlete like Michael Jordan is an example of self-belief in action. He was cut from his high school varsity basketball team, but he used it as fuel. He didn't let that initial rejection define him or his career. Instead, he relentlessly worked on his game and eventually became one of the greatest players of all time. His ability to overcome adversity and critics was rooted in an unshakable belief in his own potential. Emotional and mental preparation are just as important as physical readiness. If you listen to your critics you can’t achieve what you want. Be relentless in the pursuit of your goals and never listen to your critics. “Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” – Gail Devers

Resilience

Angela Lee Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania says that grit is the single quality that guarantees success, based on her groundbreaking studies. Some of the keys to resilience are to have a strong mission statement and values that you will live by. As Napoleon Hill famously observed “Every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent benefit.” For example, a sickness might seem horrible but maybe that time away may have helped you redefine what is important and given the time needed to make a change. There are going to be setbacks like we may not get the promotion we wanted but having patience and perseverance never goes out of fashion. Talent will not take the place of persistence and resilience. Steve Jobs is a great example of this. He was fired from the company he started but in his wilderness he started another company NeXT and bought Pixar. Then he patiently waited for his second coming to Apple and as they say the rest is history. Another example is Business Week mentioned at that time “Here is why Apple Stores won’t work.” Of course Steve Jobs had other ideas and persisted with his vision with singular focus. You can be down but never out. As the Japanese proverb says “Fall down seven times, Get up eight times.”

Passion and Practice

Passion is the fuel behind the success engine. We can look no further than Roger Federer or Tiger Woods to understand the value of passion. To cite one example: at the top of his career, Tiger Woods, who had already reached the apex of sporting achievement, actually changed his style of swing because he wanted to get the extra edge. This was after winning the Masters tournament by a record 12 strokes in 1997. He said “You can have a wonderful week…even when your swing isn’t sound. But can you still contend in tournaments with that swing when your timing isn’t good? Will it hold up over a long period of time? The answer to these questions, with the swing I had, was no. And I wanted to change that.”

Passion can ignite reservoirs of resilience that may lay latent. Tiger Woods didn’t play golf only for the money—though that helped—he played it for the love. Passion can happen when we do something we love, but as a beginning we should start loving what we do and giving our very best every single day. Research has confirmed that all prodigies including Mozart, Woods, Bill Gates, The Beatles had practiced for 10,000 hours before they were crowned for their achievement. Mozart didn’t produce his first masterpiece till he was 21 by which time he had put in more than 10,000 hours of effort. My simple formula is:

Passion + Deliberate Practice + Time + Consistency = Success

As documented in the wonderful book Mastery by Robert Greene, Bill Bradley became great in basketball because of his absolute passion to practice more than anyone else. Bill Bradley used to practice three and a half hours after school and on Sundays, eight hours every Saturday, and three hours a day during the summer. Robert Greene says he kept practicing well beyond any feeling of boredom or pain.

“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.” – Richard Marcinko

Curiosity

One of the best-kept secrets of the highly successful is the ability to keep learning something new every day in their field or related fields. The hallmark of learning is curiosity. Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, is an excellent example of someone who kept learning till the end of his life. He was always learning something new. When we learn something every day it keeps our mind sharp and it also gives a sense of accomplishment as we are using our time wisely.

One great example of creativity and curiosity is Jony Ive of Apple. I read about how he masterminded Apple’s new headquarters. Norman Foster, whose architecture firm was hired by Apple to build the headquarters at a reported cost of $5 billion, calls him “a poet.” Here is what he said about Jony Ive in this WSJ piece: ‘‘Jony works tirelessly at the detail, evolving, improving, refining. For me, that makes him a poet.’’ Jony Ive Jony Ive

“The only thing that will not be obsolete is learning new skills.” – Peter Drucker

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Risk Taking

All successful people have taken calculated risks to reach where they are. Risks need not be things like bungee jumping or sky diving; in fact, it need not even be physical in nature. It goes with your intuition. It may require taking up an assignment which everyone has refused. This then helps you stand apart and has potential to propel your career. There is no guarantee in life so before taking a risk, analyze the risk and see if you are already prepared for it to fail, then it is worth taking that risk. While taking risks it is important to remember that we don’t put our families into distress.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T.S. Eliot

Prioritization

Everyone has a list of tasks to be completed. Sometimes we don’t have enough time to get through everything. The way to overcome that is the key to success. We need to prioritize the relevant from the irrelevant. From a list of items, pick the item which has the biggest impact from your stakeholder, business sponsor, and your immediate boss. Work on the worst first and get it out of the way. Handle the big rocks first and the pebbles can be taken care of later. Make peace with the fact that there will always be things left undone and it is also imperative to learn to say no to time wasters and activities which are not aligned with your goals. We should also learn to say no when needed so that we are not over-committed and this gives better control over our time.

One example is Jack Welch who decided that GE will only participate in businesses where they can be Number one or Number two in that market. This vision led to closure of many other business units and worked big time for GE. Peter Drucker said it best:

“One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not be done at all.”

Communication

This is the trait that will always be evergreen and timeless. When you are climbing the corporate ladder, one of the best skills to have is the ability to communicate effectively. This includes spoken, written, and especially non-verbal communication. In fact, research says most of communication is non-verbal. To improve, I strongly recommend joining Toastmasters or taking a class on public speaking. Also, great leaders and successful people are great listeners. They don’t just wait to talk; they truly listen. You should have the ability to articulate clearly and think on your feet.

“Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can’t get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn’t even matter.” – Gilbert Amelio

Personal Care

This is often overlooked but vitally important. Without health, we cannot perform at our peak. All successful people focus on their physical health, mental health, and energy levels. Physical fitness helps you stay sharp and focused. Meditation and journaling help calm the mind and reflect. Nutrition is vital—what you put into your body directly affects your output.

When we feel energized and fresh, our creativity is boosted, and we can manage stress better. As Jim Rohn said, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”

Positive Mental Attitude

One of the most remarkable traits of successful people is their optimism and ability to bounce back. They are not blindly positive, but they look for opportunities even in adversity. They see a chance to grow when others only see failure.

As Zig Ziglar puts it, “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”

Self-Esteem

You become what you think. If you believe you are worthy of success, you will work towards it. If you doubt yourself constantly, you will hesitate and hold back. High self-esteem is the foundation of great performance. Read affirmations, surround yourself with positive influences, and take small actions that build confidence over time.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

Silence and Stillness

In the modern age of distraction, successful people carve out time to reflect. Meditation, solitude, prayer, or journaling—whatever works for you. This helps you hear your own voice amidst the noise and tune in to what really matters. Silence helps you think clearly and make better decisions. Stillness is the key by Ryan Holiday is a good book on this topic.

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” – Deepak Chopra

Consistency

While motivation may come and go, consistency is what separates high performers from the rest. Anyone can be enthusiastic in the beginning, but it’s the ability to show up every single day—especially when it’s hard—that builds mastery. Michael Phelps once said, “I think goals should never be easy. They should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.” Whether it’s a new skill, a fitness routine, or a professional goal, success often belongs to those who are consistent even on the days they don’t feel like it. Keep showing up.

Humility

The greatest leaders and achievers often have one trait in common—they remain humble despite their success. Humility doesn’t mean downplaying achievements; it means having a learner’s mindset and being open to feedback and growth. Nelson Mandela exemplified humility through service and leadership. In a world that often promotes ego and self-promotion, humility is a quiet strength that builds credibility and fosters collaboration. As C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

Vision

Successful people think long-term and build towards a compelling vision. They don’t just live day to day but imagine what they want to create—whether it’s in business, relationships, or personal development. Walt Disney saw an entire magical kingdom before it was built. Elon Musk imagined colonizing Mars. Your vision doesn’t have to be world-changing, but it must be meaningful to you. Write it down. Revisit it. Let your vision fuel your daily actions. One way to get a vision that works for you is to project into the future 10 years from now and design how you want your life to look from that vantage point. “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” —Helen Keller

Kindness and Empathy

Successful people often have a high degree of emotional intelligence, which includes kindness and empathy. They can understand and share the feelings of others, which allows them to build stronger relationships and lead more effectively. This trait is crucial in a collaborative environment, as it fosters trust and respect. For example, a compassionate leader who takes the time to listen to their team's challenges and offers genuine support will inspire loyalty and a stronger collective effort.

Gratitude

A mindset of gratitude is a hallmark of success. Instead of focusing on what they lack, successful people appreciate what they have, which fuels a positive outlook and an abundance mindset. This practice can reduce stress and increase well-being, helping you stay grounded and motivated. Keeping a gratitude journal is a simple yet powerful way to cultivate this trait. Think of a CEO who starts every meeting by expressing gratitude for a team's hard work—this not only acknowledges effort but also creates a culture of positivity and appreciation that ripples throughout the organization.

There you have it—the 17 traits of highly successful people. You may already have a few of them. Some can be learned and built over time. An awareness of them increases our chances of success in 2025 and beyong as well. Thanks for reading this post.

The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.