Five Traits for Successful Career

Over three decades and thousands of conversations, there are a few commonalities across individuals considered "successful" in career. Many are experts in their field and spend their lives creating a better world for others. Others have uncovered an unmet need that has created a financial windfall. However success is defined, having control over your own destiny is a common denominator of achievement. As I peel back these discussions with diverse talent, there are several shared traits. Some are innate, others are learned, and all can be improved with focus.

1. They work in the service of others. At some point in a successful executive's path, he/she begins to prioritize the growth of those around them. The incentive comes from the positive ripple effect experienced by inciting others. They make decisions thinking of the impact to their team harmonized with the mission at hand.
2. Passion. Successful people think about their work most of the time, and the feeling it evokes is energizing. There is physical and emotional confirmation of being in the natural course of life in exactly the role you supposed to be playing.
3. Time is the number one asset. Successful people spend time on their craft. Time is precious and spent with gratitude. Learning, reading, and mastery involve forgoing alternative options and time management is in constant state of self negotiation. It is understood that career is a choice and is chosen wisely.
4. Trust in others. Successful executives have learned how to entrust others, and how to be trusted. Letting go of total control allows for more scalable success.
5. Trust themselves. Those who achieve great career success have spent time on understanding themselves. Each of us have default behaviors, some serve us, others do not. There is time put in to identifying these behaviors and working towards positive change. They listen to those around them, yet ultimately make decisions that are their own.

Success is defined by individual measures, appearing wildly diverse at initial glance. However, successful executives share many attributes that align goals of their heart and head. They rise others up, while owning missteps along the way. They internalize each lesson as a badge of honor. They are successful because they never stop growing.