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What makes the successful, successful? This is the question explored and discussed in Malcolm Gladwell's #1 national bestseller Outliers. From the wealthy to the brilliant to those who have had some of the greatest influence on the world as we know it, Gladwell looks at these scenarios case by case and attempts to find similarities between them.
Despite the press it often receives, natural ability is nowhere to be found on this list of common traits of the world's most successful people. Instead, what Gladwell explores and finds as determinants of success can essentially be boiled down into six criteria with an additional seventh, which has the ability to change a scenario that is not necessarily ideal for breeding success.
First, an opportunity has to be given. Without an opportunity, without even the chance to begin, you have nothing.
Second, successful people work. Really, really hard. They put hours upon hours into their craft, on average putting an additional 25% of the hours that their peers who only end up "really good" do.
Third, successful people had a support system, meaning they had people who helped them along the way and saw value in what they were doing.
Fourth, the social timing had to be right for them. They had to be the just right age to be afforded the access and opportunities they were at a time when their market was able to handle what they were ready to provide.
Fifth, their cultural customs came into play. Did they grow up being taught to be more assertive or passive? Did they show complete respect towards their superiors or were they under the belief that everybody and their opinion are of equal value regardless of role and/or title in society.
The exception to this, as well as the sixth category, is if they are able to be shown that deviating from the norm has substantial value. If this is the case, cultural customs have much less influence.
Finally, there has to be the belief that attaining something better than their current situation is possible.
Each of these criteria is vitally important to the person becoming a true outlier--the best of the best of the best. If any of these are not met, the individual may end up really good, but will almost certainly fall short of remarkable.
This book provided great perspective on my life and how I see the things that have led me to where I am today. Of all of the criteria that needed to be met, the only things any one individual has control over his how hard they work as well as the belief they have in themselves. That means if your cultural customs don't need to be changed at all, at most you have control over 1/3rd of the criteria that would lead you to become the best in the world at something.
Two points to make from this: First, you can do SO much on hard work and belief. While you may not become the top of the top if you are unable to meet the other criteria, that doesn't mean you cannot make a great living and influence a lot of people by simply outworking everybody else and having an unwavering belief in yourself (quadruple negative, I know). Second, nobody who makes it to that world-class elite level gets there solely by their own doing. You have to have help along the way, so it would serve you wisely to surround yourself with good people who you can trust and who support you and believe in you if you don't already find that in your immediate circle.
I recommend this book to anybody who is striving to be better than they currently are. It will give you invaluable insight into the minds and lives of those who were once in your situation.
How hard you work and your belief in yourself are the only things each one of us has the ability to control that will determine our success. Some of us have more of an ability than others to surround ourselves with the necessary people to help us get to where we want to go. Of these areas, how much of your resources are you allocating towards what you can control?
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