Ultra-successful individuals demonstrate some similar traits that set them apart from the ordinary.
Success has nothing to do with timing, luck or inborn talent, but rather a way of thinking and doing things to create a lifestyle of positivity and prosperity.
So why just sit back and admire ultra successful people when you could become one yourself?
There’s no microwave-ready recipe for success, so these aren’t five-minute fixes. But if you take this advice, you’ll be following in the footsteps of the entrepreneurial greats.
Embrace these eight behaviors to put yourself on a winning path:
They are continuously learning.
“Anyone who stops learning is old whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays strong.” — Henry Ford
Success can quickly come to a screeching halt once you decide that you’re finished learning.
No matter how much you think you may know, there’s always something that you don’t (trust me), and those who are super successful actually enjoy this constant pursuit. So don’t settle with the knowledge you have.
Ever. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go back to school to get new degrees or learn a new trade, but keep consuming information and learning from those around you. This constant stream of knowledge will help you to stay on your toes and evolve in both your personal and professional life.
They surround themselves with other successful people.
You’ve heard it before, “show me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.”
Ultra successful people tend to surround themselves with individuals who help to keep them focused and motivated. It’s true, however, that those whom you spend most of your time with gradually shape your behaviors and your mindset.
In fact, studies show that our friends and colleagues greatly impact the choices we make, both for the better and for the worse. For this reason, we should be cautious of who we surround ourselves with. So take some time to analyze your current crew, cut out negativity and dedicate time to those relationships that will have positive effects on your life.
They constantly seek out people smarter than them.
In today’s hyper-competitive business world, one might think that billionaires wouldn’t even give each other the time of day.
The opposite tends to be true, like with Starbucks Founder Howard Schultz, who said “Don’t be threatened by people smarter than you.”
Whether it’s meeting with a competitor to exchange information, or seeking out a mentor, the path to billionaire status involves constantly seeking out brighter and more talented people, rather than trying to squash them.
They learn how to lead different personalities.
For billionaire and hospitality titan Tilman Fertitta, one of the key secrets to success is being an adaptive people person. It’s what helped his company, Landry’s Inc., become one of America’s most powerful and far reaching restaurant corporations.
“People want to be led, but you’ve got to know how to lead different people,” Fertitta says. “I treat everybody differently depending on how I’ve evaluated that person. And if you do it that way in business, you’re going to be a lot more successful.”
Billionaires and success stories know that EQ, and the ability to respond to others’ emotions, is just as important as IQ. The good news: This is a skill you can develop today.
They’re flexible.
Every successful billionaire knows that there is a skill in knowing how to pursue excellence while maintaining flexibility. Staying nimble and open to new opportunities is critical to continuing success.
Eric Schmidt, chairman of Alphabet, finds that being flexible and ready to strike are key elements to succeeding in the entrepreneurial world. “You cannot plan innovation, you cannot plan invention. All you can do is try very hard to be in the right place and be ready.”
First business models rarely pan out, but billionaires don’t throw up their hands and accept defeat when that happens. They adjust. They adjust thousands of times if they have to, until opportunity strikes.
They don’t care about being understood by others.
To state the obvious, mega-moguls do not get to where they are by following the beat of someone else’s drum. Often times, rejection and being misunderstood are the norm.
As Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle Corporation, says, “When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone telling you you’re nuts.”
So don’t be discouraged to try something new. Perhaps you’ll get called crazy for it (I know I was when I started my own business), or perhaps you’ll find your way into an untapped market. You never know until you give your “crazy” idea a try.
They channel negative emotions.
“Happiness, like unhappiness, is a proactive choice.” — Stephen Covey
On our quest for success and happiness, it’s inevitable that things will not always go as planned. It’s important to remember that progress is largely driven by mindset. Negative thoughts and feelings can often be hard to shake, causing our ability to focus on a goal that much harder. The best thing to do is channel them into means of motivation.
Successful people know how to move on, to leave the past in the past and don’t allow themselves to get anchored. If you hold onto to your latest mistakes they will inevitably slow and bring you down. So instead learn from them, see challenges as opportunities (to even bigger challenges often), surround yourself with positivity and stop complaining.
They don’t take “no” for an answer.
“The only people who don’t tumble are those who never mount the high wire,” said Oprah Winfrey.
One thing all billionaires and big thinkers have in common is that they were told “no” at some point in their lives. The trick is to keep swimming against the tide.
Realize that “no” is just someone’s opinion, nothing more. The difference with these success stories is that they pushed forward past these bad experiences and rejections, and even used them as a springboard for success. They realize that no rejection is set in stone — it’s just one person’s (often flawed) viewpoint.
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Are there any other success behaviors you’d add to the list? Please leave a comment or give me a shout-out on Twitter!
If you liked this piece, connect with me at ElleKaplan.com for more advice.
Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com