If you want to get to the top, in any kind of industry, discipline, hobby or job position, there is a certain skill set which you are going to need. Whether you take a look throughout the world of sport or business, you will find that the people who manage to reach the very top do not get there by chance or good fortune, perhaps that plays a very small role, but they get there because of a number of characteristics which they posses, that others don’t. Indeed even when luck does play a key role in success, it is usually earned because of these characteristics.
I had a chat recently with the greatly inspirational Marc Leder, CEO at Sun Capital Partners, a highly successful real estate development firm, to find out what it is that sets people like him apart from the rest of us.
Hard Work
We hear the term hard work thrown about with such ease these days but actually doing it is another thing entirely. When those who reach the top say that they have done so because of hard work, they are not just talking about what they do in training or in their job, they are talking about the whole package. Those who reach the top have worked tirelessly, morning and night to get where they are, with no breaks and no rest. More importantly, these are the people who worked harder than the rest.
Smart Decisions
Life will very often give us road signs and it is up to us as to whether or not we take them. Taking the road signs that lead to success comes down to 2 things, firstly seeing the sign in the first place, and then being able to analyze the decision, and make the right one. Many of us will pass these signs by, or incorrectly decide not to take them, those who reach the top are those who have taken every one of life’s opportunities with both hands.
Bouncing Back
The biggest skill which someone needs when it comes to getting to the top, is their ability to overcome setbacks, failings and naysayers. Ask every successful sports person or business leader and they will tell you all of the times that they failed, and just how hard it was to come back from it. The biggest difference between those who aim for the top and make it, and those who don’t make it, comes down to their ability to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and go again to reach what they have set out to achieve. This is one of the most important skills when it comes to success, as well as being one of the most difficult to possess.
There are of course many factors to someone reaching the top but these are 3 of the most powerful skills which successful people possess. If you want get to the top of your industry or your sport, its time to analyze how many of these skills you have.