18 Traits That Differentiate Successful People From Unsuccessful Ones

Success comes from a lot of hard work and struggle. Being successful is not dependent on luck only. Although, even though one might be lucky enough to get an opportunity to succeed, s/he would still be required to put in some hard work in order to achieve success. People who are successful have a certain set of traits that makes them a winner and distinguishes them from rest of the world. Experts have narrowed down those qualities so that we not only appreciate those people but also try to inculcate such traits in ourselves.

Let us take a look at some qualities which shows the difference between successful and unsuccessful people:

1. They set their goals

First and foremost, successful people define and set their goals. They know what exactly they want and how will they try to achieve it. They also set a deadline which keeps them motivated. However, unsuccessful people mostly do not target their goals and even if they do, they do not worry much about achieving them.

2. They do not loose focus

Successful people do not change their focus from their goals. However their situations may change, they do not lose focus and keep working towards achieving their target. On the other hand, unsuccessful people find it hard to concentrate or focus on their goals. They usually get distracted or are very indecisive about their goals in the first place.

3. They know value of time

In order to be successful one must understand the value of time. Successful people are not only good at time management but also know its value and importance. And not only theirs but everyone else’s too. They are masters of punctuality and utilise their time in the most efficient manner. However unsuccessful people do not bother much about the time of others and even themselves. They are far from being punctual and can never seem to realise how important the timing factor is.

4. They focus on problem solving

Successful people have a knack for solving problems. They take special interest in looking out for solutions for all sorts of issues, small or big. They like utilizing their thinking skills for clarifying concepts and ideas, seeking possibilities, considering alternatives and solving problems. They possess exceptional capability in critical and creative thinking. On the other hand, unsuccessful people do not stand out much when it comes to problem solving. They are mostly dependent on others.

5. Welcome challenges

Challenges can be small or big, minimal or significant, negligible or consequential. However, successful people react to all the challenges in the same manner. They take on the challenge, no matter how big it is, and focus of beating it. However, unsuccessful people run away from challenges all the time. They also do not want to get out of their comfort zone and keep living their lives/ careers in the same old manner.

6. Approbation and feedback

While successful people do not seek praise or admiration, they welcome feedback with a strong receptive mind. They know how to make constructive use of negative feedback and are always welcoming new ideas and opinions that can help them in their line of work. On the other hand, unsuccessful people always look for praises and are resistant and unresponsive to any kind of negative feedback.

7. Successful people focus on self improvement/ Grooming

Successful people pay a lot of attention to keep themselves updated in terms of market, business, education, ideas, trends and competition. They frequently analyse and asses ways to improve their techniques. They also keep them groomed and abreast of all the latest work techniques and are willing to learn new things in order to do so. Whereas, unsuccessful people do not feel the need to improve their style of work or groom themselves in order to succeed more.

8. Opportunity in failures

People who are focused on achieving success do not give up and are bound to see opportunities even in failures. They do not get disheartened or demotivated by running into failures. Instead they find opportunities to learn in those setbacks. However, unsuccessful people do not understand the concept of learning from their failures and end up taking their failures to heart. They either give up or continue in diminishing confidence.

9. Strong work ethics

Successful people are known to have strong work ethics such as honesty, accountability, integrity, humility and demeanour. They have a sense of purpose and a feeling of being a part of a greater vision. On the other hand, unsuccessful people lack on one or many such traits.

10. Successful people are not scared of changes

Changes can be disruptive; but successful people are not scared of them. They welcome all changes, big or small, and instead of sulking over them, they chalk plans to succeed despite all the troubles that a change might cause. They would try to negate the negative effects of a change. Unsuccessful people though, would criticise the change and sulk over the damage it would’ve caused, if any.

11. Ownership and Accountability

Successful people take full ownership and accountability for all that they do. They do not pass the buck. They take responsibility for results and do not assume that it is someone else’s responsibility. However, unsuccessful people would be the first ones to pass on their responsibility to others; and also on others if the results were not as expected. They would leave the field the moment they get a chance.

12. They give due credit

People who wish to achieve success cannot do so all alone, they need to have a team which can work hard to achieve the desired results. And upon achieving or surpassing their targets, the leaders ought to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work of their team, as this results in creating a bond of trust for the future. Successful people are known to be such leaders. They give credit when due unlike unsuccessful people, who will leave no opportunity to snatch away the credit from a worthy person.

13. Grateful and full of appreciation

Successful people know when and how to appreciate others and do not shy away from doing so. They do it genuinely and not for selfish reasons. And it is one of the main requisites in becoming successful, appreciating others for their success or their efforts. As a leader, it goes a long way in encouraging and motivating a team. On the other hand, unsuccessful people would either shower fake appreciation or none at all. They would be overcome by a feeling of jealousy or despise.

14. Successful people don’t take shortcuts

Easy route or the process involving minimal level of challenges/ hurdles would be the route frequented by unsuccessful people. They would take the shortest and easiest possible way to achieve their targets, and would stay away from longer, more complicated but better yielding routes. Successful people would not consider any shortcuts for success and would even go the extra mile for betterment of work and results.

15. Focus equally on goals and people

Successful people know the importance of their goals but also realise the importance of people who would help in achieving those goals. They give equal importance to both. However, unsuccessful people only think about their targets, and end up either pressurising their team or creating an unhappy workplace for them; further affecting their productivity.

16. Transparency

In a successful endeavor, transparency and accountability are the two main pillars. Transparency refers to all the actions of an organization being scrupulous enough to bear public scrutiny. A successful person maintains a high level of transparency in his organization, as it goes a long way in building trust between him and his team. An unsuccessful person on the other hand, would have a certain level of secrecy in all his actions. And due to this it usually becomes difficult for the others to form a bond of trust with him.

17. Successful people are open and willing to learn

Successful people are always open to new information. They are willing to listen and learn. On the other hand, unsuccessful people think they know everything and no one dare to teach them anything. They are poor listeners and mostly talking about their experiences or the way they want things to be done. They are rigid and have zero tolerance for others giving new and fruitful information.

18. Move on Vs holding grudges

The art of living a healthy and peaceful life is moving on. This holds true even in a workplace. People who forgive others and move on focusing on achieving their targets have better chances at achieving the same. However, unsuccessful people keep dwelling on the issues and refuse to move on by holding grudges for the longest possible time. This comes in the way of achieving success and affects their work, behavior, attitude, team work and finally their targets.

To conclude, there are many qualities that are responsible in making a person successful; and while some of those are natural, some can be easily inculcated based on learning and experience. These traits are what define a successful person and can really help if someone who wants to be successful adopts them. So, keep in mind that your luck is not solely going to help you if you do not work hard or exude the mentioned traits.