Successful People
13 Difficult Things Highly Successful People Learn To Do Young
To invent a product, turn a profit or start a business is to be accomplished. To be successful is to maintain ethics, principles and self-awareness regardless of how your professional pursuits are going, and it is the latter to which we should strive.
“Successful people,” as we’ll call them here, are defined largely by their willingness to lean into difficulty and transform it, rather than avoid it or cast blame. Some of their most consistent and outstanding traits involve being individuals who see opportunity in challenge, and who strategize in the face of crisis whereas others only react emotionally. They understand the value of being good over being “right,” and are always willing to grow.
Interestingly, these individuals aren’t always the most visible individuals in their workplace – and even if they are, they would be the last to applaud their own self-development. What we can learn from them is that life will consistently present different circumstances to which we control how we respond. If we can garnish from those situations wisdom, patience and potential, we can yolk the true essence of a leader, which is to see change and growth where others see crisis.
Here, some of the most difficult things that highly successful people learn to do early on.
1. Admit fault.
Highly successful people understand that the sooner they can acknowledge a mistake, the sooner they can take action to rectify it. Getting past the ego-block of denying wrongdoing not only holds them back further, it looks like a poor display of character.
2. Value being good over being right.
Successful people are never the smartest person in the room. To achieve this, they forfeit the need to always be right with the commitment to always do better. Their goal is not to be the best, but to create something that is the best, in collaboration with those capable of making that happen.
3. Maintain humility.
To be humble is to see oneself as whole and human, rather than defined by a few standout achievements or circumstances. It is to stay connected to others, whereas some use their success as a way to disconnect and disassociate, positioning themselves as “better than” someone else.
4. Communicate with precision.
The value of a good communicator cannot be understated, but to speak with precision is to find and use the correct combination of diction and tone to express an idea as clearly as possible. This requires clarity of thought, and the objective to convey ideas, rather than elicit emotional responses like awe, pity or intimidation.
5. Embrace failure as a process, not a finality.
Those who fear failure – and subsequently avoid risk – tend to see it as a permanent mark against one’s character or reputation. In reality, failure and success is an ongoing process, and the former almost always has to precede the latter.
6. Not exaggerate or conflate issues.
Anyone can make an issue more complicated than it needs to be, and in fact, most people do. It takes true genius – and a touch of tact – to simplify them.
7. Conserve willpower.
It is not our time that is limited in a day, it is our energy. More specifically, it is our willpower that we run out of if we are required to use it for too long. This is why many highly successful people streamline or automate a lot of their day-to-day decision making about things like outfits or meal prep, so they can conserve their focus for when it really matters.
8. Meet judgment with understanding.
It is easy to become defensive when someone makes a snap judgment or derogatory mark about yourself or your work. It takes wisdom and vision to accept what they are saying and evaluate whether or not it is to be disregarded, or potentially used as a learning tool.
9. Meet pain with compassion.
To be successful but lose your humanity isn’t really “success” at all. When people become numbers and struggles become statistics in the eyes of those who are responsible for managing them, disassociating makes them seem out-of-touch, if not cruel.
10. Meditate on mortality.
As we go on aspiring to acquire more and more for our lives, it is imperative to “keep a skull on the desk,” so to say, or to remember that all of this is temporary, and all that will matter in the end is how much we gave, and how we made other people feel.
11. Consider the motivations of others.
Every brilliant inventor, entrepreneur, popular writer and artist in the world has a common skill, and that is to intuit the needs of others. To be able to understand why people behave as they do is imperative to meeting their needs. Rather than interpreting their actions or words on the surface, highly successful people ask why they are doing that.
12. Collaborate with the competition.
Working with the people that others would deem your “competition” not only makes your business stronger and more visible, but the principle of seeing others as partners as opposed to threats is not only a sign of good character, it makes for a more efficient businessperson.
13. See obstacles as opportunities.
Highly successful people are the heroes of their story, rather than the victim of their circumstances. They see life as being a reflection of who and how they are, and a field of potential onto which they can actualize themselves through committed practices and steadfast mental strength.
Related Blogs
-
Nov 15, 2024The Power of Experience:…
In today’s fast-moving job market, many companies focus on hiring younger workers who bring fresh ideas and energy. But there’s one powerful resource that often..
-
Sep 6, 2024Landing your first job:…
Landing your first job: Essential tips for recent graduates Stepping into the job market as a recent graduate can be exciting but difficult. After years..
-
Mar 29, 2024How Recruitment Agencies in…
How Recruitment Agencies in Cyprus can Help you Build a Great Team In the constantly changing landscape of business, building an exceptional team is paramount..
-
Feb 9, 2024Striking the Right Balance…
In today's competitive job market, hiring managers face the difficult challenge of finding the perfect candidate who possesses both the necessary technical proficiency and the..
-
Jan 5, 2024Find your Dream Job…
Find your Dream Job in 2024: Tips by a Recruitment Agency This blog post is meant to provide valuable tips for candidates looking for job..
-
Nov 24, 2023The Role of Recruitment…
The Role of Recruitment Agencies in Cyprus: How We Can Help You Find Your Dream Job In recent years, recruitment agencies in Cyprus have been..
-
Nov 9, 2023Top 10 In-Demand Jobs…
Getting closer to the end of the year, as a recruitment agency in Cyprus, we would like to share some of our predictions about the..
-
Oct 13, 2023When Personal Values Align…
What characterizes a contented worker? The majority would most likely respond, "A BIG SALARY!" But do you only base your decisions on the salary while..
-
Sep 8, 2023Career Path and is…
An activity that a person devotes a significant amount of their life to and that gives opportunities for progress is referred to as a career...
-
Apr 21, 2023The Power Of Mindset:…
I’ve recently finished writing a book on essential future skills, and if I had to pick one skill that underpinned all the other skills in..
-
Jan 13, 2023Why Most New Year’s…
It's incredibly hard to break out of old habits. Did you look forward to the holidays for a short rest to recharge your batteries, reflect..
-
Jul 29, 2022Finding Your Focus Through…
It happens all the time. You start out the day with great intentions to get that financial report done or to work on your marketing..
-
Jun 3, 2022Why Setting Boundaries Is…
One of the major plots of the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade revolves around the search for the Fountain of Youth — some magical..
-
May 20, 2022How to Speak Up…
I recently spent a month interviewing the group heads of a large financial services company in order to understand how their direct reports need to communicate..
-
Apr 29, 2022What to Do When…
The summer vacation season may be behind us, but the holidays are right around the corner. And soon enough your colleagues may be asking you..
-
Mar 24, 2022How to Follow Up…
We’ve all been there. You email someone asking for a conversation, information, input, or an introduction, and you get no response. Whether you are reaching..
-
Mar 11, 2022How to Quit a…
Whether you’re looking to leave your current position for an opportunity that your company couldn't offer, or perhaps for a completely new career, or a..
-
Feb 11, 2022Why the Secret to…
What does it take to become a successful entrepreneur? Vision, forward-thinking, risk-taking abilities, determination, hard work, dedication, a good game plan…. Most of us are aware..
-
Jan 7, 20223 Practical Ways to…
Early in my corporate career, I was masterful at replying to emails instantaneously and staying on top of the multitude of requests I received from..
-
Dec 3, 2021As Your Team Gets…
Back when our Facebook design team still fit around a conference table, a new designer joining our merry band was a momentous event. Everyone loved..
-
Oct 8, 2021Avoiding Negative Emotions Won’t…
I’ve been thinking a lot about dessert lately. What’s the most memorable, delicious bite of dessert you’ve ever tasted? Chances are, it wasn’t a store-bought, plastic-wrapped ball..
-
Sep 10, 20215 Things I Wish…
Here's how to jumpstart your career and achieve meaningful success by age 30. It’s no secret that with age, comes wisdom (generally speaking). Over the years, I’ve..
-
Jul 16, 2021How To Promote Yourself…
Did you know that Beyonce’s shy? Most people don’t expect this, because she’s so hugely successful and we tend to equate success with outgoing people...
-
Jun 18, 2021How To Become More…
Dr. Robert Cialdini is the CEO of Influence at Work, the author of New York Times bestseller Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, and an expert..
-
Jun 11, 2021When Establishing A Personal…
Establishing a personal brand is critical for future success. A muddled idea of who you are or what you can offer can mean a lot..
-
May 7, 2021Stop Using Job Titles…
Summary. What’s the first thing you focus on when applying to a new role or looking for a job? If you said job title, you’re..
-
Mar 5, 2021Five Tips For Supporting…
I got into management earlier than many of my friends and colleagues, and now I find myself becoming the go-to resource for when they're struggling..
-
Jan 29, 2021Deep Work: Prioritizing Work…
Fascinated by habits and patterns, I started to observe and pay attention to find value in my day-to-day activities — the ones we always do..
-
Jan 22, 20216 Signs Your Teammates…
You can hire the best team in the world, but if they can't communicate well, you won't get very far. A business owner I know..
-
Jan 15, 2021Making Room At The…
Raising awareness is the key to inclusion. We’re all fighting against centuries of conscious and unconscious bias in the workplace. The first step is acknowledging..
-
Dec 11, 202014 Key Steps To…
As a member of a team, you have a responsibility to help your co-workers, just as you’d expect them to offer assistance when you need..
-
Dec 4, 2020It’s Not You: The…
People who are on the job hunt regularly feel dejected and disenchanted with the interview process. They'll point to a multitude of reasons as to..
-
Nov 20, 2020Storytelling Can Make or…
“It’s a new goal-setting framework.” That was one of my large enterprise clients’ attempt at an inspirational rallying cry for their rollout of Objectives and..
-
Oct 23, 2020Your Guide to your…
You walk through the revolving door of the lobby toward the elevator, soaking in your surroundings—there’s not a familiar face in the building. You straighten..
-
Oct 16, 2020The Art Of The…
“I blew it,” said my client, Deborah, a sales exec with a mid-sized tech company. Her conversation with another executive had not gone very well...
-
Oct 9, 2020Four Simple Self-Affirming Mind…
When you’re on the job hunt or navigating the upward trajectory of your career, sometimes you just need a little pep talk. It can be..
-
Sep 18, 2020How To Set Goals…
Back in the day, company leadership would decree their mission and hand down their goals to all their employees. While a few companies still do..
-
Sep 11, 2020Rebounding After A Job…
People have been furloughed or let go at alarming rates these past few months. Never before has the job market experienced this type of shift...
-
Aug 7, 2020Why the month of…
As we put July firmly in the rearview mirror and enter August, I can’t help but reflect on how unique this month is every year...
-
Jul 31, 2020Here’s How You Can…
Here’s How You Can Be Indispensable At Work During the pandemic as workers adjusted to working from home as many people work even harder than..
-
Jul 24, 2020It’s Time To Take…
It’s Time To Take Control Of Your Career Why do so many people wind up in jobs that they regret, even when faced with so..
-
Jul 17, 202010 Things You Need…
10 Things You Need To Know To Win In Business And Life “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are..
-
Jul 10, 2020Landed Out Of Work?…
Landed Out Of Work? Ten Ways To Reset Your Mindset If you've been furloughed or laid off in recent months, you’re in the company of..
-
Jun 26, 2020Recruiters Share 9 Mistakes…
Recruiters Share 9 Mistakes Job Seekers Are Making Amid The Coronavirus Pandemic Beyond the enormous human toll coronavirus has had over the past few weeks,..
-
Jun 19, 2020Your Words Have Impact,…
Your Words Have Impact, So Think Before You Speak Do you know of those people who fly off the handle without stopping to think about..
-
Jun 12, 2020Why Empathy Is One…
Why Empathy Is One of the Most Overlooked Skills in Business It was a sunny day in April. The air was crisp and the walk..
-
May 29, 20203 Tips For Applying…
In a difficult job market, you may find yourself needing to consider job openings that wouldn’t be on your radar during normal times. While all..
-
May 1, 2020Ideal Team Size at…
The Ideal Team Size At Work May Be Smaller Than You Think Close your eyes for a moment. Think back to all the teams you..
-
Apr 24, 2020Job Hunt During Crisis
How To Job Hunt During The Coronavirus Pandemic Caroline CastrillonContributorCareersI write about career, entrepreneurship and women’s advancement. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over..
-
Mar 13, 2020The Art Of Working…
The Art Of Working Remotely: How To Ensure Productivity Working remotely isn’t a new concept. People in all kinds of career fields have been doing..
-
Mar 6, 2020Effective Job Search
The Key To Carrying Out A Productive And Effective Job Search In my experience as a career coach, I have found that people who are..
-
Jan 31, 2020Promote Yourself Right!
3 Ways To Promote Yourself And Advance Your Career For Free In today’s digital world, if you don’t have a stellar social media presence, you..
-
Jan 24, 2020Hire Without A Resume
Hire Without Looking At A Resume We’re all more than what’s on our resume. But while a lot of leaders pay lip service to that..
-
Jan 17, 2020Meeting Don’ts
8 Things You Should Not Do In Meetings Meetings are perhaps the most powerful personal branding tool there is—when you master them. They also make..
-
Jan 10, 2020Soft Skills
What Are The Top 10 Soft Skills For The Future Of Work? The future of work is likely to herald a wide range of new..
-
Jan 3, 20202020 Resolution Hacks
Resolution Hacks That Actually Work It’s that time of year again, when we all make New Year's resolutions. But will this year be any different..
-
Dec 13, 2019Work-Life Integration
Move Over, Work-Life Balance. Hello, Work-Life ‘Integration’ As a busy executive, Margaret Keane has had to find creative ways to fit time with her family..
-
Dec 6, 2019December Job Search
3 Things You Need To Know About A December Job Search It’s impossible to predict what the 2020 job market will have in store for..
-
Nov 29, 2019Job Offer Management
How To Turn Down A Job Offer Without Burning Bridges Sometimes you have to make the difficult decision to turn down a job offer. It’s..
-
Nov 15, 2019Transferable Skills
How To Prove You Can Do The Job, Even Without Direct Experience "Tell me about a time you...." As a career switcher, you may be..
-
Nov 8, 2019Career Challenges
7 Unexpected Career Detours That Can Benefit You When most professionals introduce themselves or create a LinkedIn profile, they appear to have a smooth, well-planned..
-
Nov 1, 2019Advance Your Career!
Four Myths You Should Ignore If You Want To Advance Your Career In today’s competitive corporate landscape, standing still is equivalent to moving backward. No..
-
Oct 25, 2019Super power at Work
What Is Your Super Power At Work? Do you know that every person who works for you has a super power? Well, they do. Superman..
-
Oct 11, 2019Personal Branding
Six Sacred Rules For Personal Branding In The Digital World Everything has gone digital – including you. The move to all things digital may have..
-
Oct 4, 2019October Job Search
3 Things You Need To Know About An October Job Search Seasonal timing has a large impact on a job search. It can work in..
-
Sep 27, 2019The Interview Question
The Interview Question You Need To Answer Right: ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ “I bombed the interview.” This was a message I got from a brand..
-
Sep 20, 2019Belonging At Work
Belonging At Work Is Essential—Here Are 4 Ways To Foster It In the complex study of human psychology, one finding is remarkably consistent: our well-being..
-
Sep 13, 2019Job Search Pitfalls
How To Avoid The Five Emotional Pitfalls Of A Job Search Spoiler alert: your job search will be anxiety-inducing, frustrating, and at times, painful. It..
-
Sep 6, 2019Back to Work
Summer's Over: Here's Why It's The Best Time For Job Seekers And Hiring Managers To Act Now Labor Day has come and gone, which means..
-
Aug 23, 2019Great First Impression
How To Make A Great First Impression At Your New Job You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it count...
-
Aug 16, 2019Purpose And Values
How To Connect With Your Company's Purpose And Values Some employees feel fully inspired by their company's mission, vision and values. But they don’t just mindlessly glug the Kool-Aid—they connect on a deep,..
-
Aug 9, 2019Holiday Season Job Search
4 Reasons You Should Keep Up Your Job Search During the Holidays Now that the holidays are upon us, you may be considering taking a..
-
Aug 2, 2019After the Interview
What Not To Do After A Job Interview The waiting period after a job interview can be one of the most stressful times. You’ve done..
-
Jul 19, 2019Attitude vs IQ
Why Attitude Is More Important Than IQ When it comes to success, it’s easy to think that people blessed with brains are inevitably going to..
-
Jul 12, 2019Video Interviewing Tips
Video Interviewing: Lights, Camera -- But No Connection Nothing screams “personal” more than you on a 20-inch video monitor, beaming in from a remote location..
-
Jul 5, 2019Overloaded And Overwhelmed?
Overloaded And Overwhelmed? Four Things You Can Control When Your Workload Is Out Of Control Our research indicates a terrifying 43% of knowledge workers do..
-
Jun 21, 2019Employee Empowerment
4 Leadership Methods for Empowering Employees and Building Strong Teams Realizing your responsibility to lead can be scary, but done right, leadership breaks down to..
-
Jun 14, 2019Career Summer Checkup
A Career Summer Checkup For Professional Growth Whether you’re graduating college or gearing up for your first fiscal year-end performance conversation, the summer months represent..
-
May 31, 2019Thrive At Work
6 Steps To Unleash Your Inner Polymath And Thrive At Work In a previous article I explored some of the virtues of striving for a..
-
May 10, 2019How to Evaluate, Accept,…
Congratulations! You got the job. Now for the hard part: deciding whether to accept it or not. How should you assess the salary as well..
-
May 3, 2019Great Employees
What It Takes To Be A Great Employee: The Parable Of The Oranges Being a great employee pays off with better positions, higher pay, and..
-
Apr 25, 2019Your first Job
10 Essential Strategies To Succeed In Your First Job Congratulations, graduate! After the exhausting and stressful process of finishing school, searching for and landing your..
-
Apr 19, 2019Starting a New Job?
When You Start a New Job, Pay Attention to These 5 Aspects of Company Culture When you join an organization, you have a short window..
-
Apr 12, 2019How To Escape Procrastination
How To Escape The Procrastination Doom Loop When you imagine a highly productive person, you likely think of someone who focuses effortlessly on the job..
-
Mar 15, 2019Things Happen!
Here's How To Recover From A Career Setback Whether you’ve botched an interview question, cancelled an important meeting last-minute or missed a typo in an..
-
Feb 27, 2019Sabotaging your job search?
8 Ways You're Sabotaging Your Job Search Following certain best practices can make or break you in your quest for the right job. Some bad..
-
-
Feb 1, 2019Your Social Media Profile
Here’s what recruiters look for on a candidate’s social media profile Maintaining the right balance between being professional and being yourself on social media can..
-
Jan 18, 2019Things You Should Never…
14 Things You Should Never, Ever Say In A Job Interview It’s always intimidating to interview for a new job, whether you’re fresh out of..
-
Jan 11, 2019Reasons for Leaving?
How To Answer Why You Left (Or Want to Leave) Your Employer If you want the job, don't reveal this. Job interviews are designed to..
-
Jan 4, 2019A good LinkedIn Summary
Here's how to write a LinkedIn summary that could help you land your dream job, according to a marketing director at LinkedIn You might approach..
-
Nov 30, 2018On-the-Job Training
Young Workers No Longer Get the On-the-Job Training They Need -- So They're Finding It Elsewhere With companies training people less, the most valuable path..
-
Oct 26, 2018Recruitment in Cyprus
Recruitment in Cyprus - Thoughts and Ideas from Advance Career Team Read the detailed interview published on TopJobsCyprus website and share your comments and ideas!..
-
Oct 19, 2018Find Career Clarity!
How To Find Career Clarity Using Three Top Career Theories Feeling like you need to make a career pivot because your job isn’t a good..
-
Oct 12, 2018Integrators VS Segmentors
Are your employees integrators or segmentors? An organization has both integrators and segmentors. Being a segmentor is a tough ask. If you choose to be..
-
Sep 21, 2018What Motivates You to…
What Motivates You to Work? That paycheck will never be big enough if it's the only reason you're going to work. Each of us respond..
-
Sep 14, 2018Update Your Resume
Updating Your Résumé Might Mean Updating Yourself It seems like a total no-brainer: you should update your résumé and online profiles when you are job..
-
Sep 7, 2018Tap Into Your Motivation!
Putting Yourself In Drive: How To Tap Into Your Motivation The one common component in every great success story is motivation: an ever-elusive elixir that..
-
Aug 31, 2018Enhancing your job search
How To Bounce Back When The Job Search Gets You Down With a dream job in mind, an updated résumé in hand and responses to..
-
Aug 17, 2018Social media can cost…
When 'What Happens In Vegas' Ends Up In Your Job Search What happens in Vegas really doesn’t stay there. That “funny” picture about that..
-
Aug 3, 2018Emotional Intelligence at Workplace
How To Develop More Emotionally Intelligent Employees In the quest to develop leaders who will foster a culture of equity and inclusion in the workplace,..
-
Jul 27, 2018Are you ready to…
The Difference Between People Who Succeed and People Who Flop Successful people charge forward, take calculated risks, and come out on top because of it...
-
Jul 6, 2018Hiring the right people?
5 Steps to Hiring the Right People for Your Business "Hire slow, fire fast" is great advice, but it's not always easy to follow. The..
-
Jun 29, 2018Ready for Entrepreneurial Success?
4 Entry-Level Jobs That Will Prep You for Entrepreneurial Success Success is a journey, not a destination, so think hard about where to start. Entrepreneurship..
-
Jun 22, 2018Simple Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Balance Is Simple. To Succeed at Work, Get a Life. With the right balance of health and business, entrepreneurs can maximize productivity. The Organization..
-
Apr 5, 2018Inclusion in the Workplace
Inclusion Doesn’t Mean Including Everything and Everyone Inclusiveness is not about thought policing. It’s also not about turning everyone into a liberal. It’s a normal..
-
Feb 23, 2018Leadership Role but Unprepared…
You Were Promoted To A Leadership Role But You Feel Unprepared - Don't Panic You’ve been at the job for years. As much as you..
-
Feb 16, 2018Fail at Switching Jobs?
This Is the No. 1 Reason Why People Fail at Switching Jobs (and What to Do About It) There's a reason changing careers is so..
-
Feb 2, 2018A Technique To Get…
Didn't Get Your Dream Job? This 1 Technique Could Get You a Second Chance Every job seeker experiences this at least once, if not several..
-
Jan 12, 2018Make 2018 a Productive…
11 Expert Tips To Make 2018 Your Most Productive Year Ever Could eating cake for breakfast and never listening to your voicemail help you get..
-
Dec 22, 2017Career Goals for 2018
How to Set Your Career Goals for 2018 and Achieve Them Each New Year offers the opportunity for a fresh start—and that includes your career...
-
Nov 24, 2017HR Function in 2024
Will You Be Leading an HR Function in 2024? Here are five things to look at to examine and determine if you’ve got what it..
-
Nov 10, 2017Your Impact at Work!
What Is Your Impact? We keep throwing this word around called "impact." Do you know what your impact is and how would you define, discover,..
-
Oct 27, 2017Inspiring Career Advice
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner's 3 Best Pieces of Career Advice Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn's CEO, has had nothing short of a successful career. After graduating from..
-
Sep 15, 2017Lost your Job?
Nine Things You Should and Shouldn't Do If You Lose Your Job Most of us wouldn’t think to associate the words "joblessness" and "fun," but..
-
Sep 8, 2017Why Risk Is A…
Why Risk Is A Necessary Component To A Successful Career - And How To Balance Risk With Reward Taking at least some risk is necessary..
-
Aug 16, 2017Write your first CV
It's all about potential: how to write a CV with no work experience Follow these tips to stand out among competing candidates – from research..
-
Aug 10, 2017Friends and Career
Being Too Busy for Friends Won’t Help Your Career Friendship matters. Everything we do to succeed in our careers is improved when we’re supported by..
-
Jun 30, 2017Career Development
Think Strategically About Your Career Development In a world where the average employee sends and receives 122 emails per day and attends an average of..
-
Jun 2, 2017Advance Your Career
How To Advance Your Career In A Crappy Entry-Level Job Yes, you can still bring yourself one step closer to snagging that dream job even..
-
May 8, 2017Interview Preparation
Interviews are generally regarded as the primary decision-making event in any recruitment process. Regardless of your academic credentials or career thus far, it is crucial..
-
Apr 3, 2017Interview questions you have…
Studies have shown that structured interviewing is more than twice as reliable a predictor of future employee performance than unstructured interviewing. That is why most..
-
Mar 19, 2012Job Search Tips That…
Cyprus unemployment has been steadily increasing monthly since 2008 and is getting closer to double digits (January 2012 Eurostat figure – 9.6%). However there are..