If we study the life history of successful people, we may find that successful people had their own unique journeys of challenges, achievements, and failures, but a certain mix of qualities or a mindset had led them to succeed in their chosen endeavors. Based on interviews of hundreds of achievers for my book ‘Success & Beyond’, I am listing herewith some qualities that help in success.

1. Power of Visualization & Goal setting. Once you see a picture of future outcome, your mind starts working on it. ‘Whatever the mind of a person can conceive and believe he can achieve it’- Napoleon Hill. Dr. WhatsApp founder Jan Kouma computer programmer born in Ukraine and working in USA could not talk to his father who had no means of communication in Ukraine and visualized a platform where people can communicate across borders. He invented Whats App which was later on acquired by Facebook for US$19.3 billion. According to Dr Abdul Kalam Former President of India ‘Dream is not what you see in sleep but what does not let you sleep’.
2. Optimism and fire of enthusiasm. What type of news attracts you more? When I ask people to share any recent news, many of them speaks of negative stuffs or sad news reported in the media and their focus starts on what is missing and face looks disappointed or helpless. When I remind them to recollect positive stuff or good news their body starts reflecting energy and happy feelings. I am not against their thinking about shortcomings and we should appreciate their concern for improvements but be aware of your demeanours. A pessimistic focussing on what is missing may become deaf to possibilities while an optimist focusing on what is still available may grab the opportunity. Optimist expects the best in life and realizes that in adversity and opportunity there is something to be gained.
3. Commitment and Perseverance. Once you have set the goal, don’t quit by leaving the efforts half heartedly. Be ready to travel that extra mile. Natarajan Chandrasekaran – a professional executive who rose to become the first non-Parsi Chairman of Tata Sons comes from a humble farming family, studied in a Tamil Govt School and as COO led TCS to become a global organization. He once said that his passion for long-distance running and marathons has helped him in developing perseverance and striving for betterment. Persistence is a commitment to finish what you started. When Achievers meet an upset rather than feeling exhausted and quitting they come back by bouncing with new vigour and improvements. Success is the result of lot of hard work and practice.
4. Joy in actions. You will find achievers passionate about their work as it helps them to put their best efforts. Honest work, without expectation of reward, usually leads to unexpected riches. Create joy in your actions by relating present actions with long term goals. Find your uniqueness, develop capabilities and take challenges. Do the things you love to do or start loving what you have decided to do and soon you may discover the opportunity to realize your passion.
5. Proactive approach. When I joined Hindustan Zinc at its HO in Udaipur as Management Development Officer, my role was to coordinate training programs. Excited to meet Eminent Speakers like Sharu S Rangnekar, Dr MB Atherya to name a few, I frequently received them at Airport in early morning, carry their bag as gesture of respect and listen to their inspiring journeys of excellence. Picking up from their programs and reading from varied other sources, I started conducting Supervisory Development Programs in HZL units. Based on its success, I soon started as faculty conducting Executive Development Programs that often had participants senior to me. Being a Government undertaking I was aware that our increment was the same as per grade rather than on initiatives or performance, but I continued my learning and contributions as passion. Soon HZL rewarded me with a sponsorship to IIM Ahmedabad as Management Trainer and at an age of 26, I was the youngest participant of the batch and got my grooming under great Gurus like Dr Udai Pareekh and Dr TV Rao. Roles keep on changing depending on one’s initiative and the challenge one accepts. Opportunities keep coming, but it is you who accept or rejects. By enlarging your circle of influence and reducing areas of concern you get more freedom to act and are empowering the self.
6. Solution orientation. Don’t be a problem by grudging, blaming, fixing and justifications. People around you can easily detect it from facial expressions. People as well as Organizations welcome those who are part of solutions and assume the ‘Takes Charge’. Apart from basic expertise interviewers look for the candidates who is solution orientated rather than speaking of entitlements.
7. Art of networking and seeking support.  Support from others is very essential for success and if you want it, keep sharing the credit of your success with others, compliment people, maintain a give and take relationship and provide space to others by understanding their view points. Enrolling others in your ideas is an art and needs to be mastered and starts with offering to others what is in for them. Once I had to travel suddenly to Mount Abu from Delhi by Roadways bus which had no vacant seat till Jaipur. While I was standing and had covered about 100 KM, I asked 3 persons in the front row if I could be adjusted as I had to travel quite far away. They made a space for me and after 5 minutes of settling one of them said ‘had you asked us in Delhi, we would have offered you there itself. (Sir Aap Delhi se puchte to bhi hum bita lete, aap ne poocha hi nahi). I discovered that day the ‘Power of Asking’ and use it appropriately when needed. Our life depends a lot on ‘Give and Take’ relationships and it simply starts by giving to others joyfully.
8. Courage and not being afraid of failing. A person with courage becomes a majority. When you kill your own idea, you are killing yourself, so have faith in the self and listen to your intuitions. Decide what is right for you and you can take suggestions from others but own the decision. Avoid the trap of ‘Pleasing Others’ as in that process you may decide on what will make other happy rather than listening to own feelings. Gandhi became Mahatama when he opposed after being thrown off the first class compartment in South Africa as he was not a ‘White’. He said ‘Enough is Enough’ and this courage became a great determination. Lakshmi Mittal -Steel tycoon who acquired Arcelor has said ‘Many people who lag behind are like those fishermen who wait for the fishes to come up to the shore. They do at times, but not enough’. You have to go deep into the sea rather than just waiting for the fishes to come up to the shore. Some people never try because they are afraid to lose. Ships that sail on water face risks of storms. But if they remain in the harbour, they would rust and that is not what they were built for. Losers want security and Winners want opportunity.
9. Curiosity for New Learning. Keep yourself motivated, upgrade your knowledge, develop good habits and nurture your childlike curiosity to expand your learning and explore avenues. I was curious about new learning and enrolled in NCC during College and in Yoga during MBA. Earning the ‘C’ certificate highest one in NCC and becoming University Winner in Yoga helped a lot in shaping my life. In May and June during summer vacations, I used to travel 60 KM daily to visit Delhi Public Library near Old Delhi Railway for reading inspiring stories and self development books. I continued this habit of learning through hundreds of in-company training, external nominations and investing in numerous training and certifications from World’s Top Gurus. In 1999, I went to Japan for certified training on Japanese Management through self-investment of Rs 5 Lacs, at a time when I was struggling for my housing loan EMIs and children still in school, but this investment and learning paid me rich dividends. I have participated in hundreds of other useful programs through volunteering or managing complimentary offers and suggest that such opportunities are always available to those who are willing and a neck for exploring. Learning creates new possibilities, remove stagnation and open up new horizons.
10. Learning from past mistakes. ‘If you have not failed, you have not hardened yourself. I prepared to do what I found I was excited about and failed 6 times before I got a success’. Ritesh Agarwal, Promoter of OYO Chain of Hotels comes from a small town of Orrisa, is son of a shopkeeper and started selling SIM cards at an age of 13. Ritesh Agarwal is the youngest self-made billionaire of the world. ‘When you make a new mistake, it is not a mistake-it is actually a valuable lesson. Fool keeps on repeating mistakes, while a wise man knows that mistakes are part of success process and keeps learning from own as well as other’s mistakes.
11. Calmness of Mind.  If you throw a small particle in a still pond, you can easily observe the waves in the water, but if you throw a big stone in an agitated river, you may hardly see any difference. Similarly if your mind is in a state of agitation inside, you may not observe the difference and miss on reflections and introspections to create new ideas. Are you reactively busy or proactive calm? Yoga/ Meditation/ Mindfulness or being close to nature helps the mind to be calm which is very essential for developing creative solutions and coming out from being struck or the reactive state of mind.
12. Handle the negative influences and difficult people. There are people, who you may find as negative or opposing your way of working or criticizing your thinking and interactions with them may suck your energy. You should not allow other’s negativity influence you or impact adversely. Since you may find such persons everywhere in different forms, it becomes difficult to avoid them. My advices to deal such cases is either ignore them if appropriate, or listen to them and avoid arguments as everyone comes with unique background, strengths, limitations and compulsions. My training in MBTI has helped me understand and accept realities that people are bound to differ due to personality types. Learn to respect the differences and leverage the diversity for betterment.
13. Honesty & integrity. Practice honesty, loyalty and sincerity. Duplicity is when you speak one thing to a person on his face and differently behind his back. Aristotle said ‘we should behave to the world as we wish the world to behave towards us’. Avoid criticizing, condemning; complaining as it returns back.  To boost your self esteem keep doing something good for those who cannot reciprocate.
14. Win-Win approach. Look for win-win solutions that are sustainable in the long term using collaborative approach Excellence is not in avoiding the conflict, but in confronting real issues and evolving creative solutions through mutual discussions. Swami Vivekanand has said ‘selflessness pays a lot. Only problem is that the people do not have the patience to practice it’.

Four Steps to Success

1. They start with a target or a goal (you can never hit one if you don’t have one).
2. They take effective action (knowing is not enough).
3. They have the ability to read others and anticipate situations by finding response and feedback.
4. They keep adopting, adjusting and changing their behaviour until they find what works by improvements.

Success is not a one-day affair, nor is being born with a silver spoon as it is a journey which starts with a mindset that needs to be mastered. If you have missed one opportunity, don’t carry the burden of past, but keep your eyes for the next opportunity. Luck is an opportunity picked up by a prepared mind and rightly combined with desired efforts. Make your success a joyful journey by adopting a holistic approach.