A few months ago I spoke at an event that Steve Wozniak also spoke at. As you can imagine, when it was time for Steve's session, it was jam-packed. Packed with attendees, vendors and all the other speakers.
As I sat there and listened to Steve poignantly share the story of Apple and his relationship with Steve Jobs, I was enthralled. He started from their middle school years and went right up until the present, after Steve Jobs' passing.
It seemed like he did not leave out a single detail. He just talked. There was no power point presentation, there were not even note cards -- he just told his story from his heart.
What struck me the most was not Steve Wozniak's extreme brilliance or his exuberant passion.
No, what struck me the most was his overwhelming sense of gratitude. His gratitude for having the opportunity to make the world a better place. To help us all to be able to communicate with loved ones, to run our businesses better and to have an enhanced life.
That evening I had the opportunity to sit with Steve at dinner. This was one of the smartest individuals I have ever met, and he was literally thanking all of us at the dinner table for allowing him to create some of the best technology in the world.
This experience prompted me to go back and examine a chart I created a year ago about the characteristic traits of successful people vs. those of unsuccessful people.
I have enhanced that chart and added traits that I believe to be some of the most important because nothing in life is satanic.
This chart was inspired and composed after meeting and working with some of the smartest, most successful entrepreneurs in the world, many of who are dear friends.
The following is that chart I compiled of characteristics, traits and behaviors of successful people vs. unsuccessful people.
Drum roll please . . .
The Success Factor Indicator
Successful People
Have a sense of gratitude
Forgive others
Accept responsibility for their failures
Compliment
Read everyday
Keep a journal
Talk about ideas
Want others to succeed
Share information and data
Keep a "to-be" list
Exude joy
Keep a "to-do/project" list
Set goals and develop life plans
Embrace change
Give other people credit for their victories
Operate from a transformational perspective
Unsuccessful People
Have a sense of entitlement
Hold a grudge
Blame others for their failures
Criticize
Watch TV everyday
Say they keep a journal but really don't
Talk about people
Secretly hope others fail
Horde information and data
Don't know what they want to be
Exude anger
Fly by their seat of their pants
Never set goals
Think they know it all
Fear change
Take all the credit of their victories
Operate from a transactional perspective
If you are ready kick up the success meter a bit, make a conscious effort to eliminate the traits on the right hand side of the chart above.
Hey, none of us is perfect but as long as we recognize and identify where we need to improve and continually strive to get there -- greater success will follow.