HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done (HBR Guide Series)

Chapter 2

Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

by Heidi Grant Halvorson

Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren’t sure, you’re far from alone. Even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer—that you’re born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others–is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement suggest that successful people reach their personal and professional goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

What follows are the nine things that successful people do—the strategies they use to set and pursue ...