6 characteristics of highly successful people

Success is a journey. No success, however, comes overnight. Successful people have to go through lots of struggles, uncertainty and pains. Struggle is different for everyone but psychologists say some characteristics are very common in all successful people.

In her book “Suite Success”, leading psychologist Liza Siegel argues that certain core beliefs and attitudes are shared by those who succeed, both on reality shows and in reality. She also says that anyone can learn how to develop these traits.

Here is the list of five characteristics of successful people.

Optimism:

There are of course ups and downs in life but successful people are generally optimistic. You need optimism for success because you might fail in your first attempt or several times in the journey to success. Optimism is the best strategy for success. An optimist always expects positive outcomes. He or she does not take failure personally but keeps on trying. Optimist people see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty and utilise every opportunity he or she has. 

Creativity:

Whether you are in the field of business or politics, creativity matters. “Out of box” thinking requires for success. A creative business person has more chances to be successful than a business person who is not creative. “Out of thinking” was the key to the success of Steven Jobs. The same can be applied to Mark Zuckerberg.

Passion:

It is quite difficult to be successful if you do not have the passion for the work you are doing. When you have passion, you will try again and again even if you fail. However, if you do not have passion, you will give up if your first attempt is not successful. It is said that life is 10 per cent what you experience and 90 per cent how you respond to it. Be engaged with something you have passion for and you will be successful.

Self-Control:

Self-control is also needed for success. In your journey to success, you have to give-up many bad habits. Without self-control, it is highly unlikely that you will reach your goal. If you read successful people, you will find that they rarely lose control.

Big Dreams:

If you go through biographies of successful people, you will hardly find anyone who did not have big dreams from their childhood. Walt Disney can be at the top of our list. Biographies of Steven Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, J K Rowling all will tell you about their big dreams. If you are afraid of dreaming big, chances are slim that you will come out successful.

Communication:

Communication is another important characteristic that is common in all successful people. They can communicate themselves either by verbal communication or by their writing. Most importantly, they listen to every one. Billionaire Warren Buffett thinks the art of public speaking is the single greatest skill to boost your career. According to Forbes article, Buffett revealed his early insecurity in an interview with Levo League, a career website for young women. In the interview, Buffett was asked, “What habits did you cultivate in your 20s and 30s that you see as the foundation of success?” and he replied: “You've got to be able to communicate in life and it’s enormously important. Schools, to some extent, under emphasise that. If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential.”