What does it Take to be Successful?

What trait do you think is critical in achieving success? Some would say intelligence; others might say having a good education. What about vision, passion, being a goal-setter? Knowing the right people certainly helps.

Yes, all those things can help lead you toward success, but they are not the key element.

Resiliency is a critical ingredient in success, because no matter how much education you have or how smart you are – you will face obstacles. If you don’t have the ability to bounce back, or the grit to keep going when you’ve just had your legs taken out at the knees, then you will not reach your success potential.

We all know leaders in various fields, who are not the most educated, the most intelligent or the most passionate. But they are mentally tough and have the ability to handle the stress of their position. Many of them have overcome obstacles that would have caused other people to throw in the towel.

Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey are names that we are all familiar with. We would not know any of those names if they were not resilient. What made them great might have been their vision, their determination, their passion, or their creativity, but none of them would have reached their potential without resilience. Whether it was losing several elections, public humiliation, jail, getting fired, coming from a broken home and suffering from abuse, they all faced immense adversity and pushed through.

The same goes for us. Everyone has heard the saying “There is no sure thing except death and taxes”. I would add adversity to that cliché. Everyone faces adversity. Today’s business environment is highly competitive and highly fluid. It is filled with challenges and obstacles. I guarantee that you will have setbacks and adversity. I also believe that setbacks are not fatal; although they may feel like it at the time. You will get knocked down, but when you get back up, that alone will do more for your ultimate success than any other quality you possess.