What makes you different

 Being remarkable is what will differentiate you in the marketplace as an individual, especially amidst the turbulence bound to disrupt our professional lives. While not every successful person is a master of every single attribute, cultivating an awareness of them can help us intentionally increase these qualities in ourselves.

Being remarkable means creating a unique selling proposition for yourself. For example, BMW owns "The Ultimate Driving Machine." The key is to define what you and your personal brand stand for. Once you establish that definition, you must take daily actions that enhance and project your brand.

That is why true success is intensely personal and entirely independent of what others think of us. If you define what success means to you, and your actions move you consistently toward that definition, you are successful—irrespective of anyone else's opinion.

Based on my observations across various fields—including sports, business, and the arts—here are the 15 common traits exhibited by truly remarkable people.

1. Discipline

I put this at the top of the list simply because without self-discipline, nothing else is possible. Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you going. Self-discipline is a quality developed by having a clear idea of what we want and ensuring our desire to succeed is greater than the consequences of quitting.

If we want to exercise five times a week, we must visualize the enormous long-term health benefits to keep the end goal in mind. When it comes to achieving our grandest goals, self-discipline is the best place to start, and it is something we have 100% control over. It is the quiet resolve to do what we set out to accomplish in both our personal and professional lives.

“Self-discipline is the Master Key to Riches.” — Napoleon Hill

“The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.” — Nido Qubein

2. Belief

When Rafael Nadal won his 22nd Grand Slam at the 2022 Australian Open, he showed the world the definition of true grit. Though he has since retired and entered the Hall of Fame, his journey remains a masterclass in championship mentality. He scaled heights unimaginable to most, fighting through severe injuries and defying critics who had written him off years prior.

After one of his historic victories, Nadal remarked, “This was one of the most emotional nights of my tennis career.” The takeaway here is the importance of mastering one’s emotions. Physical preparation is crucial, but emotional and mental preparation is equally, if not more, important. If you listen to your critics, you cannot achieve what you want. Be relentless.

“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

3. Resilience

Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania established through her groundbreaking research that "grit" is a foundational predictor of long-term success. Setbacks are inevitable; we may miss out on a promotion or face unexpected professional pivots, but patience and perseverance never go out of style.

Every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent benefit. For instance, a period of setback or illness might feel incredibly difficult at the moment, but that forced time away can help you redefine what is truly important and give you the space to make a necessary pivot.

Consider Steve Jobs. He was publicly fired from Apple—the very company he started. Yet, during his time in the corporate wilderness, he founded NeXT and acquired Pixar, patiently preparing for his second coming at Apple. You can be down, but you are never out.

“Fall down seven times, get up eight times.” — Japanese Proverb

4. Passion and Practice

Passion is the fuel behind the success engine. We need look no further than icons like Roger Federer or Tiger Woods to understand its value. At the absolute apex of his career—after winning the 1997 Masters tournament by a record 12 strokes—Tiger Woods chose to completely rebuild his swing because he wanted an extra edge. He questioned whether his current swing would hold up over a long period of time, and because the answer was no, he chose the grueling path of reconstruction.

Passion ignites reservoirs of resilience that otherwise lie latent. Tiger Woods didn’t play golf simply for the money; he played for the love of the game. Furthermore, research has confirmed that elite performers—from Mozart and Bill Gates to The Beatles—put in roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice before reaching mastery. Mozart did not produce his first definitive masterpiece until he was 21, by which point he had already accumulated a decade of intense effort.

In his book Mastery, Robert Greene documents how basketball legend Bill Bradley became great because of his absolute passion for practice. Bradley practiced three and a half hours after school, eight hours every Saturday, and three hours a day during the summer—moving directly toward resistance and working well beyond boredom or pain.

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

5. Curiosity

One of the best-kept secrets of highly successful individuals is their drive to learn something new every single day. The hallmark of learning is curiosity. Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, exemplified this by remaining an avid learner until the very end of his life. Learning keeps the mind sharp and provides a deep sense of accomplishment.

A modern example of curiosity and design brilliance is Jony Ive, the former Chief Design Officer of Apple. When designing Apple’s iconic headquarters, architect Norman Foster called Ive "a poet," noting that Jony works tirelessly at the details—evolving, improving, and refining. Truly curious minds are never satisfied with the status quo; they are always looking for the next skill to acquire or problem to solve.  Here is what he said about Jony Ive in this WSJ piece WSJ article on Jony Ive. You can also read my article on growth mindset here. 6 Keys to Develop the Growth Mindset.

“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

6. Risk-Taking

All remarkable people take calculated risks to reach their goals. These risks do not need to be extreme physical stunts like skydiving; often, they are professional and intuitive. It might mean volunteering for a distressed assignment that everyone else has refused. This acts as a powerful differentiator and can propel your career forward.

Because there are no guarantees in life, analyze the risk beforehand. If you are mentally and strategically prepared for the worst-case scenario, the risk is usually worth taking—provided it does not place your family or financial security in true distress.

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

7. Prioritization

Everyone faces an endless to-do list, and we rarely have enough time to get through everything. The key to overcoming this overwhelm is ruthless prioritization. You must separate the vital few tasks from the trivial many.

Look at your list and pick the item that delivers the highest impact for your stakeholders, business sponsors, or immediate manager. Handle the "big rocks" first and let the pebbles take care of themselves later. Accept the reality that some things will always be left undone.

This requires learning to say "no" to timewasters. A classic corporate example is Jack Welch, who decided that GE would only participate in markets where they could be number one or number two. This strict prioritization led to closing several underperforming business units, but it ultimately saved the company.

8. Communication

Most of our waking hours are spent communicating, whether written or verbal. To stand out, we must be incredibly clear about what we want to convey and choose the right medium for our message.

The quickest way to improve your communication is to become an active listener. As Stephen Covey famously wrote, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Ronald Reagan was dubbed "The Great Communicator" because of his remarkably simple, accessible, and transparent communication style. Clarity and brevity will always triumph over complexity.

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” — Peter Drucker

9. Personal Care

Remarkable individuals recognize that they cannot perform at an elite level if they neglect their well-being. Sustaining high performance requires immense energy, which is directly fueled by proper rest, nutrition, and exercise.

One of the most frequently neglected components of health is sleep; most of us struggle with it, yet our brains require 6 to 8 hours to operate at peak cognitive capacity. Furthermore, taking intentional time away from work actually sparks innovation. Research shows that people rarely get their most breakthrough ideas while staring at a laptop; instead, inspiration strikes during a walk, a vacation, or a relaxed state of mind.

“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” — Eleanor Brownn

10. A Positive Mental Attitude

It is impossible to find a well-rounded, remarkably successful person who spends their time complaining and projecting negativity. Highly successful people maintain a constructive perspective. They don't panic when things go wrong because they know that, in the grand scheme of things, challenges are temporary.

Being deeply grateful for what you currently have—while simultaneously striving for more—is the ultimate way to maintain your inner peace, happiness, and professional vigor.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Sir Winston Churchill

11. High Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the cornerstone of a healthy personality; it is essentially your reputation with yourself. To build high self-esteem, you must be comfortable in your own skin and acknowledge your unique talents.

When setbacks occur, they may sting, but they should never diminish your inherent self-worth. A practical habit is to keep a running log of your achievements to look back on during tough times. The greatest threat to self-esteem is comparison. No two people are alike, so trying to be a carbon copy of someone else is a losing battle. Excel at being yourself.

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” — Norman Vincent Peale

12. Silence and Stillness

In a hyper-connected world, solitude has become an invaluable tool for peak achievers. Taking time to step away from the noise allows you to gain absolute clarity on what you want out of life.

For example, Disney's former CEO Bob Iger famously wakes up at 4:15 AM every day to exercise and think. He notes that this is the only time he can be completely alone and away from the demands of the world. Whether you are an early riser or prefer to use the last 30 minutes of the evening to journal and reflect, finding regular moments of stillness is essential for strategic thinking.

13. Courage

Courage is the ability to face challenges and make difficult choices despite the fear of failure. Leaders show courage by stepping into the unknown or making unpopular decisions because they are the right ones.

In sports, athletes like Simone Biles demonstrated immense courage during the Tokyo Games by prioritizing her mental health under intense global scrutiny, laying the foundation for her triumphant, historic return at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Courage is about standing tall and taking decisive action in the face of uncertainty.

14. Empathy

Great leaders do not rule by decree; they connect with their teams by genuinely understanding their perspectives. Empathy builds trust, psychological safety, and loyalty, which ultimately drives organizational performance.

In an era increasingly dominated by Artificial Intelligence, elevating what makes us uniquely human—our ability to feel, care, and connect—is the ultimate ticket to sustaining a meaningful, future-proof career.

15. Accountability and Collaboration

True leaders take absolute responsibility for their actions and outcomes. They hold themselves accountable before looking to blame others. This mindset gives you the inner strength to be decisive, acknowledging that you are firmly in the driver's seat of your own life. As President Harry Truman famously noted, "The buck stops here."

However, taking personal accountability does not mean acting entirely alone. No one achieves greatness in a vacuum. Collaboration amplifies individual talent. Consider Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, who shifted the company's culture from a "know-it-all" environment to a collaborative, "learn-it-all" ecosystem, transforming the tech giant's valuation and relevance. Remarkable individuals leverage diverse skills and celebrate team victories alongside their own.

An active awareness of these 15 traits drastically increases our chances of navigating workplace disruptions and crafting a remarkable career.

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