What Really Makes People Successful?

Last month I was out in a Safari at Tanzania, with six of my buddies from our time at Business School in Scotland. This was a mixed group of high achievers from five countries.
The topic turned to “what makes people successful”? Often there are standard responses and answers that are readily discussed and shared. With my three decades of interacting with leaders from over 300 companies around the world, I wanted to crystallize my thoughts on what really mattered. After much reflection, I’d like to share my thinking on the “3 Core Basics” that propel people to success.

So here are the ‘Big Three’:

1. Focus – To truly understand and focus on what is important. Successful people are great at avoiding the many distractions that proliferate around us and have the ability to stay on track

2. Drive – To motivate yourself to act towards a desired goal. Successful people ‘keep at’ something and do not give up, despite obstacles that come their way. Combined with ‘focus’ the chances of success dramatically
increase.

3. Resilience – To ‘bounce back’ after any adverse situation. People who build successful lives stay emotionally strong in the ups and downs of life’s challenges

The first two are task-related while the third is about the ability to manage your mental well being. Combining all three truly leads to achieving your goals, whether you are a business leader or anyone who wants to achieve a level of success in what they do.

AUTHOR

Ian Stern

Co-founder