John - Traits Successful People Have In Common: 8 To Be Great

Copyright 2010 by Train of Thought Arts Inc.

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The 8 Traits Successful People Have in Common: 8 To Be Great

Kindle edition.

ISBN 978-0-97390-009-6

BISAC Categories:

Business and Economics / Motivational (BUS046000)

Body, Mind, and Spirit / Inspiration and Personal Growth (OCC019000)

Religion / Christian Life / Professional Growth (REL012090)

Self-Help / Personal Growth / Success (SEL027000)

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INTRODUCTION

It all started one day on a plane about ten years ago. I was on my way to the famous TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference in California, and in the seat next to me was a teenage girl. She was very excited because it was her first plane trip. It looked to me like it might also be her last, because she came from a poor family, her parents were separating, and she was going to stay with relatives.

As I tapped away on my computer, she kept asking me about my work. Then, out of the blue, she asked, Are you successful? I said, No, Im not successful. Oprah, now theres a big success, or my hero Terry Fox, a kid who ran thousands of miles on an artificial leg and raised millions for cancer research. Or Bill Gates, a guy who owns his own plane and doesnt have to sit next to some kid asking him questions. She laughed. But after I told her about some of my accomplishments in business and sports (see About the Author) she said, You have been successful. So, are you a millionaire?

I didnt know what to say. When I grew up it wasnt polite to talk about the money you made. But I figured Id better be honest, and I said, Yes, Im a millionaire, but I dont know how it happened. I didnt go after the money and its not that important to me. She shot back, Well, its important to me. I dont want to be poor anymore. I want to get somewhere, but its never gonna happen cause Im not really smart. Im not doin great in school.

I said, So what? Im not smart. I barely made it through high school. I was never voted Most Popular or Most Likely to Succeed. Nobody thought Id ever become successful, including me. I had nothing going for me, but I achieved success and also became a millionaire. So, if I can do it, you can do it. Then she hit me with the big question: What really leads to success? I said, Sorry, I dont know. Somehow I just did it. I felt bad that I couldnt answer her question, but she really got me thinking...

THE SEARCH FOR WHAT SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON

I got off the plane in San Francisco, rented a car, and on the long drive to the TED conference in Monterey, I kept thinking about her question What really leads to success? I wondered, How did a guy like me, who barely passed high school, end up becoming successful while other people I knew, who seemed to have much more going for them, didnt achieve much success? Growing up, I had always admired successful people, whether they were in my own community or big stars. I had no desire to become a huge success, but I wanted to do things well and keep improving, so I listened to what successful people had to say and tried to pick up tips from them.

One thing I noticed was, even though successful people were quite different from one another, they seemed to develop similar traits that helped them succeed. Oprah would talk about working hard and many others, from businessman Donald Trump to athlete Lance Armstrong, had the same trait. I wondered, are there things that help everyone succeed, whether its business people, scientists, surgeons, astronauts, architects, artists, athletes, or people in any other field? What does homemaking guru Martha Stewart have in common with basketball superstar Michael Jordan that helped them both get to the top? (And its not height or baking.)

I thought, Someone should interview a lot of successful people and find the traits they have in common that helped them all succeed. Then I thought, Why dont I do it? The answer to that question would have been: Because it will take you a decade and consume your whole life, you idiot! But at the time I thought, Itll only take a couple of months, and I have the skills to do it.

I had built a successful marketing company by being a de-mystic. I loved to analyze complex subjects, like technology products and services, and figure out what makes them tick, then demystify them and communicate them in a way that people could understand. Now I thought it would be a fun challenge to demystify the subject of success and make it simpler for people to understand and apply in their own lives.

HOW A SHY GUY INTERVIEWED OVER 500 PEOPLE

To get the real story of success, I needed to interview many successful people but how? I had no connections or access to big names. Then I arrived in Monterey, and as I walked into the TED conference, I realized the answer was staring me in the face. I was standing in a room full of extraordinarily successful people. I had been coming to TED for years. It was my annual brain-expander to hear talks by great people in many fields. I was far too shy and intimidated to actually speak to them, but now I had a mission. I wanted to hear the reasons for their success in their own words.

I remember standing there, wondering who to interview, when suddenly the self-doubts set in. I thought, Why would these great people want to talk to me? Im not a famous journalist. I was ready to abandon the project before it even began, when I saw Ben Cohen, the famous cofounder of Ben and Jerrys Ice Cream coming towards me. I figured its now or never, so I jumped out in front of him and said, Ben, Im doing this project, and I dont even know what to ask you, but can you tell me what helped you succeed? He said, Sure, lets get a coffee and ice cream, and Ben told me his story.

Now when people ask me how I was able to talk face-to-face with over 500 people such as Bill Gates and Martha Stewart, I say, Its simple. Go to a conference where theyre speaking and stand outside the washroom. Then beg a lot. The tough part was pushing through my shyness and walking up to these people. For the first few hundred interviews, I always had butterflies in my stomach, but as the great Helen Keller once said, Its okay to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation. (A heartfelt thanks to all the great people who were so kind to me.)