The Most Important Trait Of Successful People May Surprise You

December 2, 2013 Leave a comment

The Most Important Trait Of Successful People May Surprise You

DANNY RUBIN, CAREER ATTRACTION

NOV. 29, 2013, 9:12 PM 39,691 14

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit.html

Hey, super smart people. Got some news for you. During a recent TED Talk, psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth said that while intelligence matters, a high IQ is not the greatest predictor of success. Rather, the key is to have grit, or determination — the willingness to push through even when the odds are against you. Watch Duckworth’s short lecture, and then we’ll keep going: OK, so grit matters more than any other talent or trait. That means a great deal for your career, especially in these top cities for job-seeking Millennials. Which means it’s time to start asking yourself some hard questions. Do YOU Have Grit When…

You apply to 10 jobs and get no response? Can you find the motivation to keep firing off resumes until someone answers?

You send off a job application and want to make sure it was received? Do you ask via email or phone call, and do you refuse to let up until you get a response?

You sit down to write yet another cover letter? Do you have the discipline to make sure it’s tailored to the particular job — even though all that writing is tedious and a giant pain?

You prepare for a job interview? That means knowing the four questions to ask an employer and taking the time to research the company beforehand.

You have no energy, after a draining day of work, to attend a networking event? Do you dig deep and go anyway because you never know who you’ll meet?

You wrap up a networking situation? Grit means you take time to write a thank you note, even if someone only connects you from one person to another. (Use these templates to get started.)

You get passed over for a promotion? Gritty people then work twice as hard, rather than checking out mentally or looking for a new gig.

You realize you lack certain skills? Do you voluntarily teach yourself what you need, even if it won’t result in a raise or bonus?

You start a side hustle? Here are nine reasons why you should stick with it.

You hit a low point and life doesn’t seem to be working out? As Duckworth said, all the smarts in the world won’t save you. Your best weapon is a heavy dose of determination.
WATCH: The Surprising Trait That’s MUCH More Important Than IQ

Posted: 11/15/2013 8:00 AM

Updated: 11/19/2013

UPDATE: Angela Lee Duckworth weighs in on the outpouring of comments inspired by her talk.

“In response to just a few of the thoughtful comments… I agree that luck and talent also matter. I happen to think kids often underestimate the importance of hard work and sticking with things, but of course, hard work without any ability or good fortune doesn’t yield results, either. As for success being more than good grades or accomplishment generally, I concur. I want to be a success (personally), but I also want to be honest and kind. So, it’s probably more accurate to consider grit as a determinant (among others) of achievement than of any broad conception of success.”

Never give up! It’s more than just a platitude. In her extensive research, psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth found that more than IQ or talent or any other factor, the #1 predictor of a person’s success is their unflagging commitment to a long-term goal… in other words, their grit. Find out why…

This post has been updated from a previously published version.

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Kee Koon Boon (“KB”) is the co-founder and director of HERO Investment Management which provides specialized fund management and investment advisory services to the ARCHEA Asia HERO Innovators Fund (www.heroinnovator.com), the only Asian SMID-cap tech-focused fund in the industry. KB is an internationally featured investor rooted in the principles of value investing for over a decade as a fund manager and analyst in the Asian capital markets who started his career at a boutique hedge fund in Singapore where he was with the firm since 2002 and was also part of the core investment committee in significantly outperforming the index in the 10-year-plus-old flagship Asian fund. He was also the portfolio manager for Asia-Pacific equities at Korea’s largest mutual fund company. Prior to setting up the H.E.R.O. Innovators Fund, KB was the Chief Investment Officer & CEO of a Singapore Registered Fund Management Company (RFMC) where he is responsible for listed Asian equity investments. KB had taught accounting at the Singapore Management University (SMU) as a faculty member and also pioneered the 15-week course on Accounting Fraud in Asia as an official module at SMU. KB remains grateful and honored to be invited by Singapore’s financial regulator Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to present to their top management team about implementing a world’s first fact-based forward-looking fraud detection framework to bring about benefits for the capital markets in Singapore and for the public and investment community. KB also served the community in sharing his insights in writing articles about value investing and corporate governance in the media that include Business Times, Straits Times, Jakarta Post, Manual of Ideas, Investopedia, TedXWallStreet. He had also presented in top investment, banking and finance conferences in America, Italy, Sydney, Cape Town, HK, China. He has trained CEOs, entrepreneurs, CFOs, management executives in business strategy & business model innovation in Singapore, HK and China.

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