One of the things I noticed during my career is that you don’t need to be a genius or work 16 hours a day to succeed. I believe there are two key elements, among many others.
First and foremost, love what you do. You need to work in a field you love because that’s the recipe for becoming good at it. When you love what you do, you want to learn more each day, improve continuously, and wake up excited to start your day. If you do what you love and love what you do (generally speaking, as we all have bad days), your mind, body, and spirit will work in harmony, and things will naturally flow in your favour.
Second, add more value than you are asked to deliver. You need the hunger to serve others—not just doing your job, not just keeping your little corner tidy, not just saying, “I’m doing exactly what I was told to do”. People who succeed always do more than they are asked. They observe deeply, are intuitive, and sense what is needed even before those around them know what they require. This is one of the key characteristics of a good performer—they can anticipate what needs to be done and do it without making a fuss. Gradually (though not suddenly), everyone around them starts to trust them deeply and gravitates towards their ideas. Very naturally, that person becomes a key element of the team. You don’t need to speak a word about your work; your work will speak loudly for you.
This, in my view, is what a successful person looks like.