What Does it Take to Be Successful: A Profile of an Accomplished Person

November 05, 2015

Content what does it take to be successful

What Does it Take to Be Successful: A Profile of an Accomplished Person

Recently, members of our staff started a discussion about what it takes to be successful. We through around phrases like hard-working and well-educated, but we decided that those were only small parts of the whole picture. It dawned on us that a successful person has a variety of characteristics that cause them to be successful. Based on that conversation, we came up with the idea to write a blog post about what it takes to be successful. However, we decided that we were going to think beyond the obvious traits, and explore characteristics that people may not consider when they explore the topic of success.

Successful People Have Resilience

A successful person doesn't necessarily experience less failure or less misfortune. We are talking about resilience. What they do is they recover more quickly from setbacks and are willing to move forward and try again. They don't waste much time licking their wounds or feeling sorry for themselves. This personality trait means that they are spending their time working towards the next thing.

Successful People are Curious

As we were discussing whether or not well-educated was the trait of a successful person, we came to the conclusion that the answer to that question is; 'not necessarily.' For example, somebody could go to college, put forth minimum effort, and earn a degree with a C average. Then, they could spend twenty years working and never bother to learn anything more than what they learned in school. In the meantime, a person could be a college drop out, but dedicate tons of personal time to reading and learning about a variety of topics. The first person might be more educated as it would appear on their resume, but our money would be on the second person when it comes to the ability to quickly absorb new information and to apply what they had learned.

Successful People Embrace Failure

This is somewhat related to the trait of resilience, but it goes further than that. A successful person looks at a recent failure and begins seeing positives. They can review what happened, and instead of feeling bad, they can dissect their efforts in order to determine what efforts worked out, and which were missteps. They find ways to create a positive takeaway that will benefit them when they try again.

Successful People Praise Others

A successful person knows that their success also relies on the help and talents of others. They also know that the people working for or with them are going to be more motivated if their talents and contributions are recognized. Successful people are secure enough to share credit with their team members. They know that their contributions are not diminished by doing this.

Successful People Delegate

A successful person knows what they are good at. They know that they contribute the most when they are working on tasks that match their talents. When there is a big job to be done, they focus their efforts where they are most needed, and they delegate other tasks to others.

Successful People Live Balanced Lives

Work is not the only part of life that successful people embrace. They balance the effort they put in at the office by spending quality time with their friends and family members. They also pursue hobbies and interests. This stops them from burning out, and it keeps their mind and body active and busy.

Successful People have Great Support Systems

There may be a few people who truly 'go it alone', however most people who are successful have many people who have supported them throughout their lives. In fact, many famous entrepreneurs have gotten their start with loans from people who were willing to invest in them. Having supportive people who are willing to help, is a significant contributing factor to the success of many people. The most successful people recognize this and acknowledge their blessings.

Successful People Take Ownership When Things go Wrong

Many people are willing to take responsibility when something goes wrong. This is a positive thing. It's always good when somebody acknowledges their role in something going bad and works to do things differently the next time. However, that isn't the same thing as taking ownership. Taking ownership means showing a willingness to take on an entire problem and be the leader who will turn things around. Accomplished people understand that fixing and learning are more important that accepting or assigning blame.

Successful People Set New Goals All The Time

There is a drive to achieve in successful people that is not always present in others. This drive might cause them to come up with a new business idea after they have already successfully launched a business. They might also feel motivated to take on a physical challenge, or to master a new hobby.