When you think of being successful, have you ever wondered how the highly successful people in this world like Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Henry Ford and many, many others reached the top in their respective areas and stayed there.

What uniqueness did they possess that took them to such high levels ?

Research shows that there are some common characteristics that those people who have achieved extraordinary success have.

• LEARN AND TRAIN : Acquire a thirst for information and knowledge. Question things you do not know about. Read up on current affairs, other topics which will help you to develop your career and learn to use and apply what you study. Spend on your training and development of your skills, as there are options available everywhere to develop your skills by reading, attending courses in the evening, on-line etc.
• BE RESPONSIBLE : In order to be successful it in necessary to take responsibility for yourself. It means that you are not only dependable; you deliver on deadlines, meet commitments and accept the consequences for whatever you may say or do. Sometimes things may not go as planned; then focus on the reasons and learn from them. Not only that, never make excuses for your actions or mistakes nor should you try to put the blame on others when things go wrong.
• WORK HARD : A hard worker is always rewarded in the form of success. If you ask successful people the reasons for their success, one reason will definitely be hard and dedicated work ethics. Others possible reasons which may follow are determination to stick to ones goals, and the ability to persevere. Apart from that people who work hard and are ready to take the initiative are the ones who stand out in a group, are noticed and the first to be considered when an opportunity arises.
• BE ENTHUSIASTIC : When we are excited and keen about what we do, that leads to the highest probability of success. We show more energy, work harder and are more creative and also motivate others who are working with us. All these factors lead to a greater probability of success. A very big plus is also our personal sense of satisfaction, as we are the happiest when we are pursuing our passion in life.
• LOOK FOR ADVANCEMENT : To be successful and advance in your career you need to constantly look to improve upon what you are doing. You also need to create a vision of where you want to be 5 years down the road and further than that. The ambition to achieve should be burning within you and you should always desire to achieve.
• BE A DOER : To be successful it is necessary to focus, plan and work on your next step up the ladder. Your visibility will increase and your boss will receive the message you will be subtly communicating, by your body language and actions. Don’t wait for the time to be ripe, start working and accepting additional responsibilities and the challenge to move up to new and higher positions. There is never a better and riper time than the present.
• DEVELOP YOUR NETWORK : The biggest asset you can have during your career is your network. You have to build and expand your connections, within your own company, professional field and also friends and acquaintances. Involve yourself in company social activities to project your skills and join and be active within the available professional bodies in your field. Build contacts and get to know others in your industry, stay in touch with them so they know what you are doing and also what you may be looking for in your future career.

Building upon the ladder of your career and future successes is not always easy. It requires a continued effort to develop and construct upon your skills, competencies, qualities and experiences. To be successful and enjoy continued success over a period of time, be sure to construct a solid wall of skills and experiences so that as you grow you are supported by this.

In this manner as you move up the ladder, rung by rung, you can do so with confidence and be sure that the ladder will not collapse making you fail and taking your career down. Also, as you move up you need to continuously strengthen yourself so that you move forward confidently and continue to enjoy continued success.

FINALLY, remember that no matter how high you climb, reinforcing your ladder will help you achieve further successes and will always continue to remain critical to your future growth