The great thing about working as a consultant is seeing clients, projects and organisations being successful. Whether that be through growth of an individual through a coaching program, a challenging project being delivered on time and on budget or an organisation that leads a business transformation turnaround, it is a great thing to be part of and to have hopefully contributed in a small way towards their success.

When analysing and seeking to understand successful individuals, what strikes me is that when questioning their background, history, academic qualifications and other areas that have brought them to where they are, there is not one recipe that all follow.  The beauty of each story is the uniqueness, the ups and downs and the different journey each person has been on.

In addition to this, when successful individuals discuss the influence of parents, families and role models, this is also varied for each person. Talking to each person, it is not always the case that their parents are successful, good at what they have been successful at with their careers nor have they received significant mentoring from them.  There does not appear to be a direct causal link between success and what you have inherited or received through your genes.

My theory on success is very simple.  Passion combined with hard work over a long period of time leads to mastery of key activities you undertake.  Combine this with focus and learning to choose what not to do with your path towards success so you don’t become distracted and the rewards will follow.    This is backed up by observing people that have achieved success from very humble beginnings.  Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and others that have achieved amazing things.

This should give great hope and encouragement to everyone who wishes to be successful.   It is a marathon not a sprint, you need to be passionate about what you want to be great at and also surround yourself with others who believe in what you do.   Your DNA does not matter in the success game but a learning mindset combined with a willingness to work hard does.

Success may not be directly linked to DNA but the other critical ingredients that are required are.   Unlock the secret herbs and spices that allow you to design your life around passions and watch success follow.