10 Characteristics that Define Winners

Success is much easier than you might think: You decide what you want to do. You take action every day. You stop listening to people who tell you it’s not possible. You understand that obstacles are part of the journey. You overcome these obstacles. You keep going. Ready. Aim. Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!

In a nutshell, that ‘s what it takes for you to become successful.

Here are 10 characteristics that define winners:

1. Develop a career plan that has precise deliverables. For example, determine if you wish to lead a department, the entire organization, or your own business.

2. Make sure you have the necessary skills to succeed. Have you met the educational requirements? Do you have the professional credentials?

3. You’re unconcerned about the petty issues that permeate in today’s organizations. It’s far too difficult to advance in your career if you are thinking about issues that can slow you down.

4. Have a clear understanding of the critical success factors. There are work requirements that are more important than others. Set up a time to meet with your manager to determine which activities carry more weight. Once you know, spend the majority of your time working on them.

5. Forget the minimum hours you’re required to be on the clock. The winners in your organization are committed to the work itself, and not to a 40-hour week. If the project is important, work into the evenings, and on the weekends.

6. Make a commitment to become a problem solver. When you observe a problem, determine how you can solve it without making a big deal. Learn how to accept responsibility and solve problems at your level. In other words, avoid escalating issues to upper management. It’s also unimportant to make a big announcement stating you resolved an issue. Good work will eventually be recognized.

7. Avoid thinking you are too important and irreplaceable. You can easily lose focus when you think that you are the answer to everyone’s problem. The fact is that the company will continue to operate even without you. A humble and hard-working approach is refreshing. Give it a try.

8. Make a commitment to focus on the real problems. It’s far too easy to worry about symptoms. For example, the customer is unhappy because the order arrived late. Before blaming the shipping department, conduct a quick investigation to determine the root cause. You want to make intelligent decisions, and this means having a clear idea regarding what caused the delay.

9. Avoid blaming others for issues you could have prevented. Becoming a winner requires that you are fully accountable for all work delivered by your team. It’s easy to scapegoat a team member, and it might make you feel better. However, you will soon lose respect, and eventually you will settle into mediocrity, or far worse.

10. Don’t turn off the lights until you make the final sweep. Before going to bed, make sure you’ve reviewed the critical items for the day. Winners have an alarm in their brain that is illuminated when danger is near. Resolve the issue before it becomes a catastrophe.

Winners have a clear focus, and they are going to do whatever it takes to get the work done. It may not be pretty, but effectiveness is important. Get your plan in place today, and start building your team. Your chances of success will skyrocket when others believe in your vision, and are willing to provide their talents to the mission.

Jimmie Flores - About Author:
Dr. Jimmie Flores,PhD,PMP,ITIL,SSBB,SPHR,GPHR is a seasoned organizational development and continuous improvement professional with 20 years of experience. In 2006, he founded the Flores Consulting Group, a company based in San Antonio, TX. Dr. Flores is also an expert in project management, ITIL, Six Sigma, Entrepreneurship, and Sports Officiating. Please visit our website at http://www.jmbok.com

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