Richard St. John does a fantastic job explaining the 8 “real” secrets to success. One of the best points that he makes is one that I wanted to reiterate here. Success is not complicated, and there is no magic formula that turns normal people into success stories. If you want to know how to be successful, here are the only tools that you will ever need.

Tools To Success

• A desire to learn.
• A fear of losing.
• An understanding of your weaknesses and strength.
• A willingness to change.
• The humility to say you’re wrong.
• A hatred for mediocrity.
• The ability to communicate your vision.

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What this all boils down to, especially in the fast-paced digital economy, is adaptability and hate. You need to be able to adapt to constantly changing situations and be willing to throw out preconceived notions as quickly as the context requires. Also, you need to truly loathe mediocrity and have the kind of restlessness that will allow you to get through the frustrations that make up the majority of business.

Next time you are wondering what separates your average middle manager from Steve Jobs (other than a taste for turtlenecks), this is a good place to start.

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