By Scott A. Heintzelman

I have been thinking about success and more specifically, the drivers of success.  What do some people seem to always win?  Why are certain organizations great?  I love the book Good to Great and believe that Jim Collins nailed much of what makes a company great. 

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But what about individual success.  Woody Allen had a great quote when he said, “80 percent of success is just showing up.”  I often laugh when I hear that, but I suspect it is fairly accurate.  For instance, when it comes to getting fit – just showing up to the gym is critical.  If you showed up at the gym every day would you start to get more fit? 

What else helps someone succeed?  Clearly some level of talent is important, but it takes so much more.  Many talented people have never succeeded.  I think it also takes a level of passion or exuberance.  A certain persistence that drives people; a refusal to quit.  Vince Lombardi said it well, “Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.” 

When it comes to success, I am convinced it requires a winning mentality. A winner will do the little things in order succeed. As Napoleon Hill  (author of Think and Grow Rich) stated, “Before success comes in any man’s life, he’s sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures.  When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit.  That’s exactly what the majority of men do.”   

Make a decision today that you will win!