Istherea"successpersonality"—somewinningcombinationofqualitiesthatleadsalmostinevitablytoachievement?Ifso,exactlywhatisthatsecretsuccessformula,andcananyonedevelopit?
AttheGallopOrganizationwerecentlyfocusedindepthonsuccess,probingtheattitudesof1500prominentpeopleselectedatrandomfromwho'swhoinAmerica.Ourresearchfindsoutanumberofqualitiesthatoccurregularlyamongtopachievers.Hereisoneofthemostimportant,thatiscommonsense.
Commonsenseisthemostprevailingqualitypossessedbyourrespondents.Seventy-ninepercentawardthemselvesatopscoreinthisquality.And61percentsaythatcommonsensewasveryimportantincontributingtotheirsuccess.
Tomost,commonsensemeanstheabilitytopresentsound,practicaljudgmentsoneverydayaffairs.Todothis,onehastosweepasideextraideasandgetrighttothecoreofwhatmatters.ATexasoilandgasbusinessmanputsitthisway:"Thekeyabilityforsuccessissimplifying.Inconductionofmeetinganddealingwithindustryreducingacomplexproblemtothesimplesttermishighlyimportant."
Iscommonsenseaqualityapersonisbornwith,orcanyoudosomethingtoincreaseit?Theoilman'sansweristhatcommonsensecandefinitelybedeveloped.Heattributeshistolearninghowtodebateinschool.Anotherwaytoincreaseyourstoreofcommonsenseistoobserveitinothers,learningfromtheir—andyourown—mistakes.
Besidescommonsense,therearemanyotherfactorsthatinfluencesuccess:knowingyourfield,self-reliance,intelligence,theabilitytogetthingsdone,leadership,creativity,relationshipswithothers,andofcourse,luck.Butcommonsensestandsout.Ifyoudevelopthesequalities,you'llsucceed.Andyoumightevenfindyourselflistedinwho'swhosomeday.