Success is hard to achieve. Personality traits are similar to birth certificates; we’ve all got them, but we often don’t really know how they can be useful. For instance, a person may think that he/she is an outgoing and confident leader internally, but, if those personality traits aren’t exhibited externally towards others — especially when it comes to professional life — many may assume that person is shy or introverted.
Since personality traits are what make us, well, us, it’s interesting to see what characteristic some of the world’s most successful people exhibit. After all, businesspeople like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Cuban and Warren Buffett, among others, weren’t just born with some of these traits, but, instead, developed them through their surroundings and experiences.
That said, for those high-potential personality types, here are the six personality traits that are believed to be the most frequent. And, don’t worry, even if you don’t have these now, in time, you can develop them through your experiences, too!
Acceptance
OK, so you failed at something in your life, as long as it didn’t kill you, hopefully, you’ve accepted the outcome, learned from it and know what to do the next time you’re in that situation. This is what successful people do, not allowing themselves to fall into the trap of worrying about the past. A person can only play the hand he/she is dealt, and, by exhibiting acceptance, making the most of the situation with a positive outlook.
Adjustment
Are you the type of person who has a singular way of thinking and, if a strange twist occurs, has difficulty adapting? If so, it might be something to work on, because adjustment is one of the major personality traits of highly-successful people. That’s right, people with this trait understand how to control their emotions when they can’t control a situation, quickly adjusting to avoid a major dilemma and/or stress, while realizing that the bad comes just as frequently with the good.
Competitiveness
From great athletes like Michael Jordan to nearly every CEO, successful people exhibit a competitiveness nearly unmatched by their peers, with many admitting that the feeling of losing hurts more than the joy of winning. It’s because of this personality trait and drive that make them so influential, digging deep to motivate themselves to overcome hurdles. Successful people know they may not always be the smartest person in the room, but their competitiveness will allow them to adjust to situations and walk away learning something new, if nothing else.
Conscientiousness
Successful people who display this personality trait are the ones who have an idea, make a plan and get it done. Sure, it may take years to reach the overall goal, but, rather than get distracted by outside influence, will commit to the objective and see it through. Being conscientious doesn’t mean just completing a task, it means doing so in the best possible way without cutting corners to get there.
Curiousity
Being curious means more than wondering what that breathing-sounding noise coming from around the corner might be. Instead, it means bettering oneself byway of research and education. Many successful people have this personality trait; and aren’t afraid to use it. That is, they get a new idea, research it and use their creativity as an opportunity to better enhance themselves. Think of this trait as “Googling” something you might not know the answer to — like how to ace a first business plan. It’s easy to see how curiosity breeds success.
Risk
Success is in many ways about taking risks that others don’t. We all fall into traps and routines, for better or worse, but it’s those who avoid such regularity who make great things happen. That’s where risk comes in as a key personality trait, with successful people investing in themselves and risking one opportunity for something that might be even bigger. For instance, do you think Bill Gates would have gotten to where he is today had he followed the social norm and stayed in college instead of dropping out to, eventually, start Microsoft? Possibly, but he took a risk and gambled on himself, ultimately, becoming one of the most successful people and influential leaders on the planet. Taking calculated risks means being unafraid of failing, and, if you don’t succeed, learning from those mistakes to better yourself for next time.
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