There are certain traits that are more desirable than others when it comes to how well one succeeds in the business world or career. This is heavily backed up by scientific studies, podcasts, endless Youtube videos and Instagram captions;
- Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness, is the way in which people control impulses and the ability to delay gratification rather than giving into rewards that often produce undesirable long term consequences.
Treating yourself to cocktails at the end of a good work week rather than whenever you feel like having one creates financial discipline and good for your health.
Conscientious people tend to be very organised, rarely late and are very excellent at making plans and going through with them.
This trait is particularly useful in setting goals and sticking to them. When the goals are super ambitious and impossible to reach, most conscientious people simply adjust the goal to something more attainable guaranteeing success.
Intelligence is another factor that deserves to be mentioned specifically as a predictor of success but it is not a separate personality trait but rather a part of one’s conscientiousness.
Conscientious people are often perceived by others as highly intelligent . These people might not score high on an IQ test or have high SAT scores but everyone will want to work with them.
- Agreeableness
Agreeableness negatively predicts success. Being too agreeable is not necessarily an undesirable trait to have as you will get along with more people however it won’t serve you well in advancing in your career or growing your business.
The business world is not a kind or cuddly place. You have to be ruthless sometimes and not give in all the time to other people’s needs and wants. You have to be able to stand your ground which builds character and integrity.
Non- agreeable people are largely paid more than agreeable people who have the same job because of their ability to argue for a higher wage and not settle for anything lower than that. Salary or contract negotiations are often unpleasant conversations to have but this won’t stand in a non- agreeable person’s way and they will most likely get what they want.
Non-agreeable people often place their own self-interest above other people’s which serves them well in advancing in the workplace or business however it’s not optimal when it comes to social interactions as they are often perceived as unconcerned and not willing to extend a hand to other people. They are often skeptical towards other people’s motives as this can come off as unfriendly or uncooperative.
There is a need to find that balance and mix both these traits is the overall best solution rather than always being extremely on one.
- Neuroticism
This is the tendency to experience high negative emotions. People who score high on the scale of neuroticism tend to react emotionally to events or situations that will not affect people who score low on this scale. Neurotic people see ordinary situations potentially harmful and threatening. The problem with high levels of neuroticism is it diminishes a person’s ability to think rationally and clearly in order to make better decisions and cope with stress.
You are more likely to succeed if you score low in neuroticism as these people can stay calm free from negative emotions and seemingly stressful situations resulting in making overall better decisions in the long term. They also tend to have a more positive outlook on life, carefree and self-confident.
It is not uncommon to battle high levels of neuroticism through therapy, hiring a life coach or practising stoic philosophy which is heavily used by most top achievers worldwide.
- Openness to Experience
This is a trait that measures creativity, curiosity and eagerness to learn new things which is obviously a great trait to have. The other side of the scale, if you score low on openness, you are most likely open to change, resist new ideas and are not very imaginative which are not very good traits to have in the world of business or career growth.
- Extraversion
The ability to score high on this last trait in the five factor model of personality traits can help one become a very effective leader. Dominance and sociability are the most important attributes for extraversion. However there are many leaders like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg who are famously known as not naturally extroverted . There are also many extroverted leaders who are lacking in other areas.
These five traits do not come naturally to everyone and you can always work towards improving yourself when it comes to your personal success. Our advice is to always start with one at a time, perfect it and get on with the list.
Let us know in the comments which trait you’re struggling to pick up on!
