Society has been lying to you
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably had the same outdated vision ingrained in your head of what success looks like. But, it’s 2023 — the definition of success has evolved significantly, and yet, society still places the same unnecessary requirements and expectations on successful people.
In my career, I’ve encountered every one of these prerequisites for success and proved the people around me wrong, and I’m here to turn each of them on their heads and show that success boils down to things that are a little more abstract.
1. A fancy degree
There are many successful business people that don’t have a college degree. I didn’t graduate from college, and neither did Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, or Michael Bloomberg. Why is that?
Because I — along with a long list of incredibly successful people — knew that I didn’t need a degree to build a successful business, and spending four years doing work for anyone but myself would only hinder my potential for growth.
Whether you’re not attending college by choice or for financial reasons, your success should not be limited by four years spent in a classroom and a piece of paper in a frame.
2. Complete control over all circumstances
Being in control is a great trait because it elicits trust from your stakeholders and business partners, but obsessing over being completely in control of all circumstances is probably stunting your growth in more ways than you realize.
If you’re worried about control, you’re probably not pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, and those moments of learning how to thrive in discomfort are where the most learning and growth happens. Stop living life without risks, even if those risks take you out of control.
3. An extensive network
While a network that you can lean on certainly won’t hurt your path to success, it’s not a requirement that defines how successful you’ll be. In fact, success is one of the best ways to grow your network, and it allows you the freedom to align and surround yourself with the right people who will foster that continued growth.
When I started my first business, my network was minuscule compared to the size it is now, but learning to trust in myself and grind it out without the extensive network made me a better and more effective business owner.
4. A perfectionist mindset
Nobody is perfect, but it’s easy for new business owners to fall into the mindset that everything about their business needs to be perfect in order for it to be successful. Growth happens in the face of challenges, mistakes, and failures, and if you’re constantly fearing those situations, you simply cannot grow. Take risks, and know it’s okay to fail.
5. A super high IQ
Being successful is not synonymous with being the smartest person in the room. Almost everything you need to know to be successful can be learned, and no successful person is born with all the answers or knowledge they need to succeed.
What is required, however, is having an open mind and seeking out ideas that are different from your own. Flex your creative and analytical muscles frequently, and those business smarts will follow.
6. Immense wealth
You don’t need to have millions of dollars in the bank to start a successful business — that’s what investors are for. If you have a good idea and are passionate about the execution of that idea, money should be the least of your concerns.
Bootstrapping your business is both valid and admirable and sets you up for future success with less debt and more confidence that you can do more with less.
7. Approval from everyone
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You can’t please everybody,” and that is absolutely true in business. Every person will have their own set of ideas, opinions, values, and priorities that may not align with your own. In fact, they probably don’t, and that’s okay.
If I waited to have everyone’s approval before pursuing my dreams, I would not be where I am today. Instead, I followed my gut and surrounded myself with other successful people who could both challenge me and support me in my decisions.
8. Knowing how to do everything
If you ask any successful entrepreneur or business owner how they scaled their business, hiring the right people is probably toward the top of their list. No person can do every role within their business, and even if they feel like they can, there’s simply not enough time in a day to wear all those hats and stay focused on growth.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a sign of being an effective leader and is the first step in acknowledging that your business can grow faster and stronger when you work with those who complement those strengths and fill in the gaps of those weaknesses.
9. Constant comparison with others
If you’re spending time comparing yourself or your business to others, that’s less time you’re spending making key decisions that will be integral to your growth and success. Keep your eyes on the prize and never sway from relentlessly pursuing your goals, no matter what your peers or acquaintances are doing. The grass will always be greener on the other side… unless you work to make the grass on this side even greener.
10. Years of experience
Some of the world’s largest and most successful businesses were dreamed up, built, and grown by people who had little to no experience when they started. I was under 30 when I started my first business, Sonus, and some of the greatest business leaders started theirs at an even younger age than that.
While experience may give you a leg up when applying for jobs to work for someone else, it’s not imperative to your success in almost any other context.
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So, what does it actually take to be successful?
Now that we’ve established what you don’t actually need to be successful, you’re probably wondering, “What do I actually need, then?”
It all comes down to four things, which I like to call The 3Ms: Model, Mimicry, and Mastery. Once conquered, a fourth, even more powerful M can be unlocked: Multiplying.
Your path to the success you’ve always dreamed of starts today. Join me and the Cardone Ventures team at our next 10X event to get all the tools and resources you need to be a more effective business owner. Register now before we sell out!
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