- Passion in successful people: Successful individuals exhibit passion not just for their work, but are often inspired by life and by different aspects of life such as art, technology, science, human knowledge or nature.
- Work ethic and persistence: Success often requires a strong work ethic and obsessive commitment, which sometimes borderlines on workaholism. Persistence, and resistance to failure, is another key trait, with successful people continuing to forge ahead despite frequent setbacks.
- Breaking the rules and cleverness: Successful people tend to be rule breakers or 'iconoclasts', often thinking outside the box and showing flexibility with societal norms and conventions. They also display cleverness and manipulative abilities, using these skills to navigate through bureaucracies, organizations or systems.
- Creativity and generating value: High creativity and the ability to 'create' is observed in successful individuals. This creativity is not just artistic, but extends to generating massive value and impacting large numbers of people across various fields.
- Technical skills and deliberate practice: Successful people invest considerable time and effort in mastering their technical skills through deliberate and methodical practice. This focused dedication is often critical to their achievements.
- Important note: It is mentioned that these traits are not exclusively positive, and can sometimes become toxic if taken to the extreme.
- Mastering technical skills: Successful people are proficient in the technical skills required for their chosen field. They gain this proficiency through consistent, deliberate practice.
- Valuing excellence: Successful individuals prioritize excellence and take pride in their work, aiming to differentiate themselves through exceptional performance.
- Visionaries and leaders: Successful individuals often have a clear vision for the future that extends to themselves, their partners, and their customers. They lead others by carving their own path and pioneering unique approaches.
- Using intuition: Successful people are intuitive, guided more by their heart and gut than by logic. This intuition allows them to perceive potential opportunities and make strategic decisions, such as entering new markets or introducing new products.
- Decisiveness: Successful individuals are decisive, making clear, firm decisions about their career and life paths regardless of the complexity and multitude of options.
- Prioritizing impact over money: Successful people do not prioritize money; their motivation comes from a desire to make a positive impact on the world, personal growth, and passion for their work. Money is seen as a byproduct, not the primary goal.
- Focus: Successful people are highly focused, dedicating years to one field or domain. This sets them apart from mediocre individuals, who tend to bounce around different fields without gaining mastery in any.
- Ambition: Successful individuals are ambitious, driven by a desire to be the best in their field. This ambition propels them to the top as it allows them to compete with other ambitious individuals.
- Rapid speed of implementation: Successful people act quickly on good ideas, avoiding the paralysis by analysis trap. They prioritize action over prolonged contemplation.
- Opinionated and courageous: Successful individuals have firm and strong opinions, which stem from their decisive nature and steadfast values. They stand up for their beliefs, ideas, and values and are unafraid to express their opinions and fight for their beliefs.
- Optimism: Despite challenges such as depression, successful people maintain an underlying optimism and hopefulness. They fundamentally believe in their capabilities, the abilities of others, and the potential for societal advancement.
- Belief in Possibility of Success: Successful people hold the belief in the possibility of advancement or improvement, whether within themselves or in broader concepts like science, technology, art, or humanity's ability to reform itself. This belief forms the essential hope needed for any achievement.
- Courage Despite Fear: Successful individuals exhibit courage, which isn't the absence of fear but acting regardless of it. Fear is common, but successful people don't allow fear to hinder or discourage them from taking the necessary actions.
- Value for Knowledge and Learning: Successful people appreciate knowledge and learning in various forms. Their pursuit for knowledge isn't necessarily confined to academic intelligence but can include practical and social skills or learning from trial and error experiences. They understand that without continuous learning and expansion of knowledge, mastery or proficiency in any field would be unachievable.
- Willingness to Endure Costs And Make Sacrifices: Success requires endurance and sacrifices, both of which successful people are willing to make. In many instances, they prioritize success over casual fun, socializing, and other time-consuming activities that don't contribute significantly to their achievements.
- Intrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic motivation, a trait where people fuel themselves from within rather than being driven by external factors or affirmations, is highly prevalent among successful individuals. Self-motivation may occasionally lead to excess self-criticism or burnouts, but the underlying push to achieve hails from within, without needing external prompts.
- Long-term Planning and Thinking: Successful people are long-term thinkers who typically consider scenarios 5 to 10 years down the road, as opposed to short-term, immediate outlooks. They understand the necessity of long-term development in their field to achieve success.
- Pragmatic Approach Over Idealistic Views: Successful individuals are pragmatic, willing to adjust their ideologies to resonate with real-world circumstances and practical results. They are flexible in compromising aspects of their ideologies to push their agenda and achieve their objectives.
- Advancing Personal Agenda: Successful people, even when part of an organization or government, fundamentally work for themselves and advance their personal goals rather than solely forwarding the organization's agenda. This internal motivation often benefits their rise to leadership positions.
- Self-Improvement through Self-Actualization Work: There's reassurance that traits linked to success can be nurtured and developed through self-actualization work. All humans have the potential to work on their motivational levels, pragmatism, courage, and passion, thereby improving their chances of success. Various resources for self-improvement, such as educational videos and books, are readily available.