14 tips for success from the world’s most influential people

Success is different for everyone. We all define it in our own way and no journey looks the same.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from those that have come before us.

Wise and successful people often share with others their tips for success and what they’ve learned over the journey.

From successful businessmen to creative geniuses, these tips for success come from some of the most influential people there are.

Take in the message and apply it to your own journey of success.

1) Always keep your integrity

“Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it; it’s true. If you hire somebody without [integrity], you really want them to be dumb and lazy.” – Warren Buffett

Integrity is one of the most character-defining attributes a person can have.

It defines who you are and what you stand up for, and whether or not you can brave through conflict and hardship while sticking to your guns.

You can have all the intelligence and energy in the world, but without integrity, you’ll end up being self-centered and cold, which will only come back to bite you in the long run.

A person with integrity has the courage to face challenges as they come and stand up for those in need of help.

And in this world of ours, we are in dire need of people who are exactly that.

2) Learn to say no

“It’s only by saying “no” that you can concentrate on the things that matter.” – Steve Jobs

Say “no” a lot more. Take it from Steve Jobs, the word can be incredibly liberating.

In life, we always tend to want to be accommodating and agreeable, but being too agreeable means that those around you will continuously take advantage of you and your kindness.

This is not a recipe for success.

You need to be clear and focused on what you need to do to get the results you want in life.

It’s tough to say “no”, but sometimes it’s imperative.

You can’t take care of everyone all the time and allow everyone to take advantage of you every day.

Find your boundaries, set them, and stick to them, and don’t let anyone come close enough to break those boundaries ever again.

3) Taking risks is the key

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg

There is no growth without risk. If your journey of success is a safe one, then it’s very unlikely you’ll ever get anywhere.

Some people believe that taking risks will only bring unhappiness and failure, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Great leaders are never afraid to take on risks. They know that failure is inevitable in any endeavor, but they’re more concerned with how you recover and move on from failure.

If they’ve failed, then there’s a problem and they can learn from it.

The more times you fail, the stronger your resolve becomes to succeed in any future endeavor.

4) Be committed

“There’s that moment every morning when you look in the mirror: Are you committed or are you not?” —LeBron James

You must be committed to your goal.

Many people will go through their lives without ever putting their all into any endeavor.

They coast through life expecting things to just happen without the necessary effort.

These types of lazy people won’t be successful because they lack the persistence and commitment necessary to succeed in life.

To create success there needs to be a steady, prolonged commitment.

You can’t just quit; you need to get serious and passionate about your goals.

5) Be persistent

“Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up.” – Elon Musk

When you’re first starting on a journey of success, it might be disheartening to see how much work needs to be done before you achieve your goal.

There are hills to climb, mountains to overcome, and obstacles in the way. Everything is stacked against you, but that does not mean that you will not succeed.

To become successful, you need to persevere and be persistent in your approach.

So many people give up too soon. They don’t believe enough in their abilities or they’re easily swayed by negative opinions from others.

Keep going. Don’t listen to negative comments. Focus on continual improvement, however small that might be, and everything else will fall into place.

“Persistence is the bridge between where you are and where you want to be.” —Andrew Zolli

6) Don’t believe everything you hear

“Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

Don’t let others’ opinions influence your decision-making or discourage you from achieving your goals.

People have a way of convincing you that your goals are unrealistic and you shouldn’t pursue them.

These people are usually the ones who aren’t motivated enough to go after their dreams, so they feel the need to bring you down as well. Don’t let their criticisms bring you down.

If you listen to them, then they’ll continue to discourage and criticize.

But if you stand by your goals and your convictions, then they can do nothing but watch as you achieve success in your life and career.

7) You will encounter challenges

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” – Paulo Coelho

Achievement and success in life are not a straight line. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and patience to build a successful career and life.

You will hit roadblocks along the way, but the key is to stay committed and persistent in your endeavor.

You can either choose to embrace your challenge and do all you can to overcome it.

Or you can accept comfort and stay where you are right now.

The choice is yours.

8) You can only rely on yourself

“If you look inside yourself, and you believe, you can be your own hero.” – Mariah Carey

Modern society places such an emphasis on material possessions that we tend to measure our level of success by the amount of money we have or how others perceive us.

However, a peaceful life can only be achieved by acknowledging who you are within.

As soon as you start seeking happiness outside yourself, you give up your power to live the life you want.

And this is the same when it comes to achieving your goals as well.

You might think that you can rely on people to help you achieve your goals and dreams, but the truth is that when you need them most, they’re not going to be there for you.

Be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, but understand that you are responsible for achieving your own success in life.

9) Be a strong communicator

“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.” – Roy T. Bennett,

To reach your goals you need to be a strong communicator. You must be able to speak and listen effectively to get what you want out of people.

If you’re not good at communicating with people, then that’s something you need to work on.

No matter how good you are, if you can’t speak well and listen effectively then there will always be an obstacle in your way.

10) Just do it!

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie

It’s time to stop talking about what you’re going to do and start taking action.

You need to stop thinking too much about your goals and start taking action towards achieving them.

You don’t need to decide right now how you’re going to achieve your goal, just start working towards it. It will come to you in time.

The moment you commit to achieving something is the moment your journey begins.

So what are you waiting for? Just do it!

11) Don’t resist change

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu

Change can be tough. Change has to be embraced and enjoyed because it’s the only constant thing in this world.

If you are afraid of change, then you’re afraid of life.

Be open and embracing all the changes and challenges that come your way, because they make you stronger and wiser; they help you achieve more success than you were ever before capable of achieving.

12) You have to work hard for it

“Hard work compounds like interest, and the earlier you do it, the more time you have for the benefits to pay off.” – Sam Altman

Sometimes it gets really hard to find motivation and continue working towards your goals.

It does not matter how committed you are to achieving a goal, there will always be times when you feel like quitting.

You need to learn how to keep going, even when you don’t feel like doing so. You have to learn how to push through the times when you feel like giving up on your goals.

Only when you learn how to endure the tough times will you become a truly great person.

13) Achieve little things every day

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” – Bill Gates

Do the little things every day to help you achieve your goal. If you’re consistent and work hard, you’ll be extremely surprised what you can achieve in years to come.

In many cases, you don’t even need to work that hard. As long as you’re improving slowly every day, you’ll eventually get to where you want to go.

Doing the little things each day will make your journey towards success less difficult, and you’ll have a greater chance of achieving your goals in the future.

14) Don’t listen to people who tell you “you can’t”

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t achieve your goals in life. It makes you feel like you’re unworthy of being successful.

Listen to those who will help you achieve your goals and dreams, and know that no matter what challenges come your way, they are only getting in the way because that’s exactly what you were waiting for. You need challenges to grow. You need failures to set you on your path to success.