The secret to success is perhaps that there is no secret. Observation of successful people can give some insight as to what differentiates them from the crowd, since their habits are on display for all to see. These could be the result of natural tendencies, acquired by osmosis from a business environment or crudely practised as the direct result of professional training. Post Covid, everyone who will survive in business will have acquired some facets of the skills listed below. Failure to
to adapt may well lead to another Covid business fatality. However they are acquired, these habits are highly rewarding in careers or business. Let’s look at the five key habits of successful people.
Curious
Successful people are notoriously capable of discussing a wide range of subjects. This is the end result of an innate curiosity.
What could arouse curiosity more than the post and/or living with Covid discussion? Overwhelming changes in all facets of society necessitate that to be successful a person will need to enquire as to what opportunities have been created and how their current or potential business will be affected. Once interest is aroused, successful people launch into an obsessive burst of activity researching everything they can about their new found interest.
With Covid the doors were put in front of us and slammed wide open to an unknown future. Only the very alert and curious will survive.
Charming
Whether it be for gaining information or making contact for self-advancement successful people will be charming. To some, charm appears to come naturally whilst with others it is more like a manner turned on to meet the occasion. Charm, when applied professionally, includes a lot of interested listening.
Post COVID is an era of stress filled excitement. Interestingly the more things change the more they will stay the same.
Active listening has never been more rewarding as all the new ideas on how to survive post Covid will be talked about by people looking for a comforting audience. Listening to learn is often the essence of charm.
Optimistic
Sometimes to a fault these high achievers readily see opportunity when others are more circumspect.
Post Covid there are the lock downers and the break outers.
Optimists live by the saying “when the going gets tough the tough get going”. No seeking safe places for the successful, they will break out at the earliest opportunity with a new or revised business opportunity.
The successful only see the glass totally full. As surely as the greatest strength is the greatest weakness the reverse can also apply when they fail. The glass was empty and they crash. Of course true to form after any crash they see it all as a learning experience and bounce right back. This habit may be natural or learnt.
Committed
Fight or flight is triggered by a crisis. Covid triggered the first stage of fight or flight being the alarm stage. Let’s call that the daily Covid death numbers. The second stage is resistance, this is where the successful folks flourish. Total commitment to surviving. Always being prepared to deny the third stage of exhaustion that may more easily capture a less committed person.
Successful people are totally committed by habit. Work-life balance is not a concept to which they can relate. Work is life and life is work.
The downside of this situation is that to compete with a successful person you will need to be so committed that it is a habit.
Dreamers
Selling an idea or a product requires the ability to capture another person’s imagination. Almost everyone wants to hear how they will benefit now that we are at least living with Covid.
The old Chinese saying “tomorrow will be better” is now the unspoken dream.
Hearing an idea being discussed such that it becomes a desire or maybe even a dream is the sure sign of a successful person leading the discussion. You may feel that they could sell ice cream to Eskimos. Be ready, this person is not only successful but deep down they are a dreamer. Dreamers make great storytellers and sales people inevitably are telling a story to make a sale.
To be described as a curious, charming, optimistic and committed dreamer is a torturous way of saying successful. However, whilst the above habits are on display by successful people there is no fixed formula for success. The question being begged would have to be, could I be successful? Many of us could be if we were just a tiny bit braver. I wish you that bravery.