To think that truly successful people just have a completely different mindset?

[AdeptEagle]

It’s not just about luck, connections, or talent - some people just think differently, take more risks and push themselves in ways others don’t. Is success really down to mindset or is that an oversimplification?

I’m convinced that, in certain industries, the ‘special mindset’ is actually just sociopathy . . .

Agreed. I just think it is often assumed that mindset is shorthand for resilience and drive but one only has to look at the likes of Musk and Trump to realise that very negative character traits can also propel people to success. Lying, bullying and backstabbing can get you a long way in a career.

This^

I think the OP means exceptionally high achievers.

I always think something similar when I hear people interviewed on Desert Island Discs.

I think its complicated. I remember a while back reading an article from a successful entrepreneur in my field. She spoke about how her parents had raised her to believe she could do anything and she was successful because she took a risk. She quit her job, moved back into her parents and worked full time on her business ploughing everything she made back into her business. If she hadn't have taken that risk her business wouldn't be what it was.

This stuck in my head because the contrast between the two of us was stark. I was emotionally abused by my parents, had to move out for good at 16 and was on my own from there. I was raised to believe I was no good, I had no parents to move back in with and pay for my keep while I ploughed everything into the business. It made a huge difference to me knowing that I had nobody to catch me if I fell, if I fucked up I wasnt back in my parents spare room I was on the streets.

I know some very successful people and it’s a mix of reasons and industry dependent

sometimes it’s pure talent in a particular skill/knowledge set

Sometimes it’s just incredibly hard working and a very focussed mindset

Sometimes it’s right time/ right place

sometimes it’s the ability to be a chronic arselicker/liar/ huge self publicist /not give a shit about morals or standards ( or variations s on this)

there is no fixed format

I think it’s a particular personality type and some luck that makes a difference.

Some people are driven to achieve. I'm reasonably high achieving I think (PhD, book, senior management etc) but not in any way exceptional. I have no interest in being hugely successful, in career terms or financially or similar. Just want to potter along, enjoing the ride, having lots of time to chill. So yes I guess it's a mindset. But I do think success is often very narrowly conceived.

Some people just seem to have more energy, and a blinkered enthusiasm for all the corporate bullshit.

I used to but I can't be arsed anymore.

My energy has left the building and enthusiasm seems to be on permanent siesta.

Companies are constantly looking for ways to get employees to give a shit, but most of us don't. Just pay people properly and maybe they will pretend to be more enthusiastic.

We can agree to disagree here. Whilst I wish them both a very successful (one way) trip to Mars, the traits you listed aren't the ones which propelled them to success.

Edited to add: this thread somehow is heavily focused on success in corporate environment, I guess OP meant it much wider.

Of course they are part of it. trump lied repeatedly about his wealth to investors and lenders (just as one example). Indeed they both lie brazenly and regularly.

I know a few people with net worth of over 100 million and they are around my age or younger. They work very hard but all share one mindset, they are rather fearless amd not as risk averse as normal people. And they get to do that because their family are rich too. They are also very confident, again because life has been treating them well since childhood. They network easily with this confidence. They have great academic background because daddy paid for it. I truly believe it's less of a mindset but a very lucky life circumstance from birth for most of them.

I'm really interested in reading about narcissists at the moment. Apparently a lot do tend to be successful because they have to feel superior and admired by others. So they'll stop at nothing to get there.

I think a lot of successful people have the ability to be able to only think of themselves and go after what they want. They don’t worry about stepping on people toes.
I wish could do that more.

I knew a very successful bloke who seems to. When we were at secondary school together, he was mature for his age and a born leader. He had plenty of self-confidence, but was also very diplomatic. I liked him.

Later, he joined the Armed Forces and pushed himself to be in the top 5% in fitness tests and other assessments. He soon became an officer and was eventually in charge of a platoon in a combat zone. I think many people would baulk at that responsibility.

After a few years, he left the forces and went into sales. I think he now manages the European sales division for the large company he works for.

I want to add, that although he was of above average intelligence, he wasn’t super bright in the academic sense. He tended to get B’s rather than A’s. I think it was his ambition and his people skills that propelled him up the career ladder.

Do you? That's interesting (genuinely not sarcastically meant), as I mostly think the opposite, how pretty average they sound, much of it circumstance and luck and sometimes the right kind of family.

Most new businesses fail - most people who take risks in that area crash and burn. There's a definite survivorship bias with this stuff - we just hear the success stories.

@blackcatsarethebestcats , I did not see that in the OP’s comment at all. I interpreted it that those who succeed either with luck on their side or not do so because they possess a certain mindset. That’s not blaming poor people if anything it’s a kick in the teeth for those who start out with many advantages and still manage to fail.

Absolutely. I have zero ambition so I’m not rich. I’m happy going to my job and coming home at the end of the day with no stress. It’s not all luck, you have to have the personality

@blackcatsarethebestcats you were a tad irritable last night. There really was no need to be so rude and aggressive. Ffs. 🙄

Due to my job I have quite a lot of high achievers and HNWI as clients and I think they do share some characteristics
They are generally quite hyper, not much chill
Very hard working, work late, start early
Physically fit, at least run a lot but also go to the gym or play a sport regularly
Not much free time but don't seem to want it
Unconcerned with details unrelated to their job
Expect high standards from everyone around them
Dress well
I know its a generalisation and some people who have MW jobs may be like this but its what I have seen. I have never met a high achiever who was overweight though.

How curious that you’ve never met an overweight high achiever. I’m a fat woman with a PhD (not to suggest that I’ve been a stratospheric success, of course, but I wouldn’t exactly class myself as mediocre, either). Several of my colleagues, widely published tenured professors, are large people. Plenty of fat people reach the very top of political power. Lots of extremely rich people I can think of are overweight.The current US President is a fat guy (and that’s far from his greatest weakness, obviously). The list goes on.

I’m not trying to get at you here, by the way - you were only commenting on your own experience. But I do find the broader idea that fat people don’t tend to achieve at high levels concerning. I wonder to what extent it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy for many of us. I’m fat because of disability, and I’ve certainly had to coach myself not to accept people telling me I can’t be successful because I’m disabled and fat.

Well I am fat so I am certainly not judging
I am talking about CEO's of large companies or similar high level execs.
I wouldn't dream of suggesting that overweight people cannt achieve, I have done Ok myself BUT my clients are all pretty physically fit and spend quite a bit fo what little free time they have doing exercise.

I’m sure you’re not - as I said, I know you’re only commenting on your own experience. And it’s not like you’re conjuring an image that’s totally unrecognisable, either - I do know the hustle culture bunch tend to see the grind and the gym and getting up ten minutes before you go to bed as part of the same LinkedIn fantasy. It’s always seemed a bit of a soulless iteration of ‘success’ to me, but it takes all sorts.