Ten Secrets to Success

Investors Business Daily, a quirky newspaper on the order of the Financial Times, but, well quirkier and a little more homespun, recently ran a list of ten traits leaders and successful people tend to share.

Traits are theirs, comments are mine.

1. How You Think Is Everything: Rolling Stone’s ad campaign had it wrong, perception is reality. You are what you eat. How you see it isn’t always how it is.

2. Decide Upon Your True Dreams & Goals: There’s a lot to be said for living in the moment, but there ain’t nothing like having a plan. What’s yours?

3. Take Action: Are you a doer? Managers love doers.

4. Never Stop Learning: My pet peeve. Are you a student of your craft? Read. Be curious. Follow trends. Watch what smart businesses do. Think sponge.

5. Be Persistent, Work Hard: Grind, baby, grind. Work smart. Separate the unproductive and ineffective from your workday routine. Speed is Life.

6. Learn To Analyze Details: Vision is great; practical application is better. Gather all the info you need to make the right & smart decision.

7. Focus Your Time & Money: Distractions, wild goose chases, bad decision making, and lousy ideas are all slow lane drives. Where’s the Autobahn?

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Innovate: It’s risky for you and scarier for those who need to follow your lead, but it’s what gets you to Pass Go, and the $200.

9. Deal With People Effectively: What optimizes people’s productivity? Figure it out and make it happen. Morale is Job One.

10. Be Honest, Dependable, & Responsible: Read Bill George.

Personally? I like Robert Louis Stevenson’s take on success:

“That person is a success who has lived well, laughed often, loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent people and the love of children; who has filled one’s niche and accomplished one’s task; who leaves the world better than one found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best one had.”

Comments

[loose]

Hi Mary,

Glad to be of assistance. These ten points are so salient to becoming better at what you do. Even though they sound like bromides and no-brainers, they are easier said than done.
Thanks. Looking forward to hearing the results of your research.

[Mary Leonard]

For years I had this list in my Franklin Planner. The Franklin Planner is gone, replaced by a laptop. So I'm glad to see the list. It needs to hang in every business.