Many people believe that specific skills or innate talent are the most important drivers of success. There are certainly examples of individuals who were(are) flush with these gifts, but they are not guarantees. People who are truly successful and/or impactful are those who work at the soft skills that set them apart from the pack. Without scientific data to support my theory, I still stand behind the following TEN attributes that separate those who do from those who could have.

[]       CURIOSITY:

Curious people are always asking WHY. They find themselves watching and WONDERING, WHAT IF. Curious people look at the problems of others and see OPPORTUNITIES. Curious people encourage themselves and others to CHALLENGE norms and seek to find alternatives. So many of the greatest discoveries, solutions, and groundbreaking products came to fruition through the curious nature of creative people.

[]       PERSEVERANCE:

There are many cliches that are thrown around: “never give up”, “if at first you don’t succeed”, or “if you fall off the horse, get back on”. They all pertain to a person’s resilience to failure and enthusiasm to carry on. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he succeeded. Babe Ruth struck out far more often than he hit home runs, and Michael Jordan missed multiple more shots than he made on a basketball court.

[]       OBSERVATION:

Successful people stretch their interests beyond what seems most relevant to their line of work. Everything, at some level, can be connected to anything else. It is believed that a McDonald’s executive got the idea for a drive through restaurant window when doing the same at his local bank. Velcro was developed by NASA when an inventor observed how burrs in a field would stick to clothing. The world around us can reveal the greatest solutions and the most interesting opportunities.

[]       LISTENING:

Many of the greatest success stories came from individuals who talked less and listened more. People around you: friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and casual acquaintances have so much to offer if you are willing to get beyond hearing them and seriously listen to what they think, feel, and believe.

[]       COMMITMENT:

How committed are you to a task, a position, a project, or an idea? Are you willing to work through the challenges ahead? Are you willing to confront problems and stay the course until they can be overcome? Are you willing to face your critics and work to find ways of convincing them to think differently. Successful people don’t give up – they find a way.

[]       EXCELLENCE:

To successful people, there are no tasks small enough to ignore doing them with excellence in mind. They live a life of pursuing excellence. They seek to build the skills necessary to approach each task with the ability to be excellent. It was Martin Luther King who suggested: “if a person is called to be a street sweeper, they should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, Beethoven composed, or Shakespeare wrote. They should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, here lived a great street sweeper who did their job well.”  To successful people, excellence is not a destination, it is a way of life.

[]       HUMBLENESS:

Successful people have no need for the spotlight. They will certainly appreciate those who recognize their work, but it is never their goal. The result of their work is enough – praise is something to share with others.

[]       DEPENDABILITY:

Successful people can be trusted to do what they say they will do. They are dependable – always! They are on time, on course, and never done until they deliver on a promise.

[]       WORK ETHIC:

Work, to successful people, is a gift to be treasured. Working hard is never a chore, but rather an opportunity.

[]       TEAM:

Finally, successful people thrive on being part of something larger. They enjoy success when the work is shared with others and where they play their part in a group that shares commitment and passion for what is being approached. They win as a team and share responsibility when things do not turn out as planned. They believe in “all for one and one for all”.

Do you fit the mold of a successful person? Talent and skill are gifts, but success requires the soft skills and the effort to use that talent and skill effectively.

Whether a chef, restaurateur, manager, accountant, inventor, engineer, artist, teacher, doctor, farmer, fisherman, lawyer or politician – these soft skills are the key to success.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

www.harvestamericacues.com – BLOG

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