Top 16 Qualities of Highly Successful People

Success does not come with just hard work. You need to look beyond luck and hard work if you are looking for the best output in life. Success also depends on certain behavioral traits and qualities. While some experts argue that people have such characteristics from birth, many agree that such traits are learnable. Here are some of the traits and qualities of successful people.

Drive

There are two kinds of motivation or driving factors. The people either rely on an external source for inspiration or internal factors. Those who are dependent on internal factors for motivation have a higher locus of control. They take responsibility for their work and get motivated by how they perform it and its output. Such a driving force is also a good quality of a leader.

Self-reliance

Since an internal locus of control is one of the traits of successful people, they tend to have self-reliance. They take time and use resources to make the right decision, and they stand by it. They take responsibility and accountability for their actions. Such self-reliance allows them to perform activities and reach goals without help from others. It does not mean that they prefer to work solo. They are reliable, and they can achieve their goals without micromanagement.

Resilient

Successful people are not those who never saw failure. It is the characteristics of such people during failure that sets them apart. Resilience is one of the main qualities of an exceptional person. Resilience does not mean doing the same task again and again until success. It is not possible to derive a different output with the same input. A successful person takes the failure, analyzes where he went wrong, and incorporates a different method on the same problem until he reaches the goal. Resilience comes with patience, open-mindedness for comments and feedback, out-of-the-box thinking, and willpower.

Integrity

Among the characteristics of a successful person, integrity is an important one. A person should be proud and feel important about the task at hand. Such integrity gives the required internal motivation. Such high-held integrity defines character, ethical practices, and cultivates learning abilities. Integrity also leads to an improvement in self-esteem and self-satisfaction.

Growth

The characteristics of success-oriented people always focus on growth. You can seldom see a successful person enjoying his laurels. He always turns towards the next milestone and works towards it. The need to grow comes from passion and the ability to take responsibility.

Connection

Among the characteristics that lead to success, people often forget connection and networking. It is mere stupidity to kick off the ladders that you climb. It is important to maintain a good relationship with people from your past and incorporate a greater network of people. This connection is not just for career success. A person’s personal life also depends on his ability to connect and maintain a relationship with people.

Realistic

Too much optimism and too much pessimism can lead to stagnation or failure. You need to have a realistic look at life, prepare for the worst scenario, and be optimistic in your efforts. People assume that being optimistic is one of the major qualities of successful people. You should know where you need to invest hope and resources. For such knowledge, a realistic look is vital.

Communication

Among the traits of successful people that are explicit to others, communication is an important one. It does not mean you need a foreign accent, jargon-filled sentences, and an authoritative tone. A successful person communicates to his audience. He learns about his audience and tunes his communication to ensure that the idea reaches the audience without misunderstanding, confusion, or stereotypical assumption.

Communication is a two-way channel. It is important to be a good listener too. Beyond understanding the conversation, a successful person looks for subtle gestures, emotional factors, and responds effectively.

Courage

What is the most admired one among the various characteristics of a successful person? The courage to venture the off-beaten paths towards success is what puts them apart. Following a leader or a benchmark might make your path towards your goal simpler. But, if you wish to be successful, you need to have the courage to try new paths. Blind courage leads to inevitable failure. Courage comes from assessing the situation, looking for factors around you, and, most importantly, self-analyzing your ability to take up the said path.

Embrace flexibility

It is important to dream of your long term and short term goals. But, beyond dreaming, it is important to understand reality and be flexible to it. Do not misunderstand resilience with rigidness. Qualities of exceptional people do not rely on blind resilience. It needs to be flexible to alter the path based on factors beyond your control. It is important to embrace reality and be flexible about it.

Making choices

It is not possible to attain everything at the same time. Trying to be best in multiple areas simultaneously is like having one leg on two different boats and trying to sail. In some cases, choosing one option would inevitably close the chances of the other options. Characteristics of successful people do not include chasing after every milestone. They pick their battles and deliver the best. When it comes to making a choice, they take their time and make an informed decision based on their current situation, goals, ability, and so on.

Time Management

Steve Jobs had the same 24 hours, and so do you. How we use the time is what matters. It is not about burning the midnight oil and trying to get as much work done as possible. It is about giving priorities, delegating work, and effective management of time. Procrastination is not one of the characteristics that lead to success. But, trying to do everything together is not the right way either.

Creating Leaders

Successful people are usually people who love to share their expertise with the younger generation. It is not about giving money or investing in a CSR activity. It is about giving time, space, expertise, and opportunities for people around them to grow.

Action-oriented

Successful people seldom talk about their laurels and milestones. They focus more on the action. They try to act and deliver rather than speak about it. They do not wait for opportunities or look out for luck. They set their mind, create opportunities, and venture into new space.

There is a difference between being action-oriented and making an impulse decision. Self-control is another characteristic of action-oriented successful people.

Always Learning

No soul on earth knows everything. Your growth stops when you believe you know everything. Success comes to those who keep learning, re-learning, and incorporating new ideas into life. It is not just about reading more books or articles on the internet. You can learn from the people around you. It is wise to look up to people ahead of you to learn. Simultaneously, you should also have an open mind to learn from people around and behind you.

Balanced Life

Successful people are not generally workaholics. You can see them have a balanced life, showing importance to family, friends, career, and health. If a person shows a lack of importance in one area, other areas’ success does not matter. A very successful person with a long list of health disorders might not see his career success with the same appreciation as someone with a balanced life.

It is not possible to succeed in everything on your bucket list. It is important to know when to be resilient and when to call it a truce. There is no shame in admitting defeat and moving on if it is the right option. When a successful person accepts failure, they never blame others or creates excuses. There is a pride in admitting what went wrong and learning how to set things right. If not possible, cut your losses and move on to the next phase with the experience.