Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

Conclusion

Most of us look at people at the top of their game—the captains of industry, the wielders of political power, the movers and shakers in the arts, film, and music—and explain their successes using words like “genius,” “ability,” and “talent.” Which would be fine if most of us understood how genius, ability, and talent work. Being successful is not about winning the DNA lottery; it’s about reaching goals. It’s about making smart choices, using the right strategies, and taking action. Study after study shows that so-called “innate” ability measures, like IQ, do a remarkably poor job predicting who succeeds and who doesn’t. Measures of effective strategy use and persistence, on the other hand, tell us a lot about who is likely to rise ...