Develop These Traits to Succeed in Business

Quick question; what does it take to succeed in business? Well, you might answer, it requires a bit of startup capital, an active and dynamic approach to marketing, a good knowledge of the industry, the right sort of contacts…

While there may be a wide range of things that contribute to the success of a business, ranging from the points listed above more obscure industry-specific factors like a good knowledge of motor trade insurance policies, the common feature influencing your performance in any given business arena is — you.

And, that being the case, it is well worth having an awareness of some of the kinds of traits that foster and promote success and productivity.

Here are a few of those traits.

Being biased towards action

One of the common features of virtually all successful businessmen in the long run — and one of the points often raised by business gurus, and promoted in the autobiographies of the rich and successful — is a bias for action.

In many areas of life, it’s typically considered best to reflect and plan and strategise for long stretches of time, and to take action sparingly, avoiding it altogether if possible.

While there may be certain areas of life, or certain environments, where such an approach is appropriate (a man walking in a minefield, for example, really should think things through and not move any more than necessary), it’s a clear bias towards action yields the benefit in business.

One way that this idea has been rendered is as “firing, aiming, and firing again” instead of “aiming and firing”. The point of this metaphor is to suggest that you begin with action, adjust your approach quickly based on what you’ve learned from that action, and then take action again.

The world of business is quick and dynamic. Those who are on the ball, proactive, and fast, have an advantage over those who are overly hesitant.

Being able to drive yourself forward despite not being in the mood

While your career should ultimately be something that you find fulfilling, it is a given that you will, at times, have to drive yourself on to perform when you would much prefer to surf the web idly for half an hour, read a book, watch TV, or clock off early.

The ability to drive yourself forward despite not feeling like it is an essential skill for success in business.

The ways you develop this skill can differ from person to person. Practice, is the most reliable option, but even reading the right kind of motivational literature might help firm your resolve.

Automatically implementing effective habits and systems at every stage

Being action-oriented and disciplined are core skills, but it’s equally as important to become comfortable with ritualising and systematising the various elements of your professional life for peak productivity.

You need routines and positive habit loops in place in order to ensure that, day by day, you’re going through the right motions rather than just acting haphazardly.

Identify those systems that have the best chance of leading to long-term success, and then implement them.