Five Unconventional Traits of Successful People

Many of us picture successful people as the loud, outspoken, overly confident guy in the dark suit. He arrives to every gathering in a fancy car and is a bit obnoxious. He’s successful and he knows it.

However, successful people often have traits that run counter to this image and involve having a humble approach to life, along with a real talent for connecting with other people. Below are five traits to cultivate for success.

Be quick to listen and slow to speak. A successful person understands the important of listening and really hearing what others are going through and what their needs are. This enables them to be empathic to others and also to come up with creative ideas and solutions to real problems and issues facing their community and customers.

Be humble. True success and joy in your career path comes from an honest and humble assessment of your skills and victories. It’s necessary to realize that success is usually achieved in collaboration with others. Humility does not mean that we denigrate our successes or think lowly of ourselves but, instead, that we have a true and honest view of ourselves and others, and recognize that our achievements depend on the contributions of other talented individuals. And often even involve some luck.

Spread the credit for success around. Good leaders are sure to recognize the accomplishments of the team and make certain that the contributions of others are appreciated. They are quick to praise others and celebrate the strengths of those around them.

Help others succeed. Successful people are not in it for themselves. They actually seek to encourage and support the accomplishments of others, and aren’t afraid to work on a project or task that might seem “beneath” them or their position. The successful person humbly knows that success and happiness is not finite and they don’t need to “win” at the expense of others.

Generously mentor others. Successful people are curious and continuously learn, and then seek to share their knowledge with others. They do not fear sharing their secrets or “hacks” for success and productivity. They actively seek to mentor and pass on their knowledge and experience to others.

Seek to build and emulate these five traits of successful people.

5 Rules for (First-time) Managers

You just got that promotion to manager and your team of ten staff members is looking to you for leadership and direction. Now what?

Becoming a people manager for the first time (or any time, really) can be a daunting task, and it's not a job for everyone. However, here are five rules to become an effective manager:

1. Learn everything about the job. Take time to learn all aspects of your job and the work of your employees. You'll be a better advocate for your team and be a better problem-solver when you understand every aspect of your employees tasks.

2. Listen (and Learn) from your employees. Your employees are the experts. Learn from them and make an effort to listen before jumping in with suggestions. Be know as a someone who really hears his or her employees and you'll become a successful manager.

3. Communicate effectively and often. Don't hide in your office or cubicle all day. Be visible, and communicate with your employees often in person and by email. Become a student of effective communication.

4. Admit your mistakes. You will make mistakes and your employees will notice them (and talk about them behind your back). Make an effort to own your mistakes, admit them when appropriate, and correct them. Your team will come to respect you when you can take responsibility for your errors and work to fix them.

5. Praise your employees and put them in position to succeed. People respond well to praise and encouragement and you'll want to make this a regular part of your management style. Find unique and innovation ways to praise and acknowledge good work, but don't ignore the importance of a simple thank you. In addition, put your employees in position to succeed by allowing them to utilize their strengths in their jobs.

Follow these five rules for management and you'll make the transition from first-time manager to experienced supervisor that much easier.

4 Communication Tips for Work and Career

The way we speak and what we say--both our words and nonverbal communication--has a serious impact on our career and life success. Developing effective communication skills is integral to meeting your work and career goals.

When thinking about your communication patterns at work keep the following tips in mind:

1. Speak positively about your boss. It is inevitable that your boss will make decisions you don't agree with but you should never discuss this with others in a way that demeans your boss or demonstrates a lack of respect for him or her.

2. Encourage and support colleagues. Develop a reputation as one who praises, encourages, and supports co-workers and you will have others wanting to work with you, including those higher up the chain of command.

3. Do not disparage former workplaces or supervisors. Be sure not to speak ill of former companies, managers, or colleagues. The world is a small place and you might just find yourself working with, or for, some of those individuals again.

4. Speak with confidence. Believe in and own your opinions. Look people in the eye and state confidently what you believe about making the project a success. You will gain the respect of others when they see your confidence paired with your ability to follow-through.

6 Qualities of Effective Leaders

Leadership is a highly discussed topic, with many good books published each year on the subject. But for those who don't have time to read all those leadership books we've identified six of the top qualities you should strive to cultivate if you want to be a good and effective leader.

1. Effective leaders listen more than they speak. Leadership is not about making great speeches or
telling everyone else how to get the work done. A great leader spends much of his or her time listening to others in an attempt to better understand both the situation at hand and the people involved.

2. Effective leaders praise others instead of themselves. A good leader knows that others are the key to success and praises the members of his team rather than making himself look good. An effective leader is humble and doesn't waste time trying to impress others by constantly promoting his own "individual" successes. Very few successes are "individual."

3. Effective leaders take responsibility instead of passing blame. When things go wrong, as they inevitably will, great leaders take responsibility and acknowledge the mistakes rather than blaming them on others.

4. Effective leaders serve others. Leaders who focus on others, on the team, and work to serve the needs of the team and of customers will generate greater trust and respect. Leadership is about serving others and serving well.

5. Effective leaders lead by example. A good leader knows that she must do the hard work and not simply expect or demand others to work hard. Effective leaders work hard, demonstrate appropriate work-life balance, and show the appropriate way to communicate and treat clients, co-workers, and customers.

6. Effective leaders never stop learning. A great leader understands that he does not possess all knowledge and continues to learn. He or she is curious about the world and about others and strives to continue to learn more about being a better person and a more effective leader.