Thursday, 21 May 2020

Super-achievers: How They Do It So Well? (Part 1)




In the book ‘The Art of Doing: How Superachievers Do What They Do and How They Do It So Well’, Camille Sweeney and Josh Gosfield, the authors had interviewed 36 star performers that climbed to the top of their fields. The couple didn’t want to theorize about success, instead, they went straight to the source by asking the super-achievers, “How do you do what you do?”

No matter how diverse their goals or crafts, these super-achievers shared many of the same habits. How can you follow in their footsteps? Jenna Goudreau from Forbes has summarised 10 qualities that will set you apart:


1. Dedication to A Vision

Glossy magazine success stories often don’t show the dark moments, the daily grind or flagging energy that super-achievers endure to realize their goals. However, that dedication is essential to their success.

One super-achiever’s story is that of four times Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who won his first ever Grand Prix as a rookie back in 2007. In the Canadian Grand Prix, he said ‘I, always knew I was going to win; it was just a question of when and where.’

If you have that level of certainty and belief, not only mindset but your whole being, what’s going to happen? You’re going to win!

2. Intelligent Persistence

When failure is never an option, you don't give up. You find another contact, another way, another point of entry, and you keep trying until you accomplish what you have set out to do.

One thing successful people know: Dedication and blind persistence are two very different things. “You can work hard but not smart,” says Sweeney. “When something’s not working, you’ve got to tweak it. Some people just keep banging their heads against the wall.”

3. Fostering A Community

Star performers know they can’t achieve success on their own. Instead, they must galvanize a group of people around their idea or goal. When an entrepreneur has large professional networks, he increases his access to knowledge, which can spur innovation within his own company.

A community doesn’t just include partners and coworkers. It might also mean employees, customers, investors, mentors, fans and social media followers. Teamwork, or having an ecosystem of supporters, turns out to be critically vital for success.

4. Listening and Remaining Open

“You don’t normally think of hard-charging, action-oriented leaders as being good listeners,” says Sweeney. “These people’s ability to practice the art of listening helped them learn what they needed to know about the world around them.”

Active listening requires an open mind. Often in conversation we make decisions and judgements about what we are hearing, and we think about how are we going to respond. When we stay active in listening, we suspend judgement and allow our minds to stay curious and open to possibilities.

5. Good Storytelling

Stories have the ability to transport people to your world. They then are more likely to invest in you and your brand. Philippe Petit, famous for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York City's World Trade Center in the 1970s, believed other wire-walkers were trying to make it look hard. “But he wanted to be a poet in the sky and seem effortless,” Sweeney says. “His narrative wasn’t in words, but it was a story he was communicating.”

Another successful business with good brand stories is Nike. Nike has always excelled at brand storytelling. One of their best campaigns is Equality. It made a strong statement about the company as a force for positive social change, offering something more to today’s athletes than just a pair of sneakers and branded workout gear. This is an example of using brand storytelling to connect with the audience, inviting them to become a part of a collective movement by wearing Nike products.

We will continue with another five (5) qualities next week! Stay tuned!


References:

1.     Jenna Goudreau, How To Be A Super-Achiever: The 10 Qualities That Matter https://www.forbes.com/
2.     Royston Guest, 7 key traits of high achievers https://www.roystonguest.com/
3.     Michael Brenner, 6 Examples Of Genius Brand Storytelling You Have To See https://marketinginsidergroup.com/


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