For years I panned for gold.

Not literally. But the question was the same one every time — what did the ones who made it have that the others didn’t? Same training. Same sales approach. Same product. Wildly different outcomes.

What set them apart? Was it technique? The tools they were using? Special strengths or qualities? The way they connected? Drive? Habits? Charisma? What made one person achieve so much more than the next?

What intrigued me along the way was how many of them reached high levels of performance whose backgrounds wouldn’t have predicted it. If an AI bot reviewed their resumes, they wouldn’t have made it past the first scan. Education, background, even experience — none of these were the indicator of who would succeed.

I’m not diminishing degrees and advanced education. Nobody wants a surgeon winging it in the operating room. Specialized training is a must for many professions. When it came to leadership, sales, coaching, entrepreneurs, executives, and business builders, the individual holding all the degrees wasn’t necessarily the driving force.

I’d met plenty of people with all the letters behind their name who struggled to apply what they had learned. Education didn’t translate to applied wisdom. On the other end of the spectrum, plenty more had fought their way out of hard circumstances to retool their path and create their own opportunities.

There are many examples we all recognize. Steve Jobs was fired from the company he built. Walt Disney was let go from a newspaper for “lacking imagination.” Oprah Winfrey was told she was unfit for television. Howard Schultz (Starbucks) grew up in the Brooklyn projects. Phil Knight (Nike) sold running shoes out of his car trunk. Sara Blakely (Spanx) sold fax machines door to door. Jay-Z (Roc Nation) grew up amidst poverty, drugs, and violence in the Marcy Projects. Each was someone’s caterpillar before they were anyone’s butterfly.

The stories I came to know were plentiful. None famous. All equally impressive. The 16-year-old mom who had the drive to become a six-figure earner. The high school dropout running a multi-million dollar business. The dyslexic CEO who could change the molecular structure of a room with one speech. The stay-at-home mom who surpassed her husband’s income ten times over. The Ford Motor factory worker whose side business eclipsed her day job salary. The military retiree whose next act was far bigger than their service to their country. The journalist who fled her country under fear of harm and went on to help countless others create a different future. The tradesman who built a business through craftsmanship and reputation that fuels numerous families now.

These people have a special place in my heart because I can relate to their beginning. I will never forget meeting with my high school guidance counselor for the first and only time. I was so excited to hear what she’d offer in the way of guidance. It was her job title for crying out loud. She looked at my transcript for a few seconds, having never met me or asked a single question, and suggested I become a secretary. (I know I’m dating the story with the language, but that’s what we called it then.) A secretary? Secretary? I was crushed. I had hoped for something bigger.

What she couldn’t learn from my transcript was that I loved learning but hated the school environment. Cliquey and cruel. I’d amassed some grit, experience, and responsibility at a young age. A paper route early on. A horse I cared for daily who taught me endless lessons about responsibility and teamwork. A tenacity to be self-taught. There was nothing you could put in front of me that I couldn’t figure out. Still not sure where it comes from. In my early 20s I had advanced to an executive level. Leading people in the organization far older than I was, some with way more formal education. From that point on, I was always in an executive role.

What sets a top achiever apart? What is it they have? There are qualities that many share. None of this is a set rule across all, but here’s what I see — and a few myths that need to go away.

The Qualities

The Capacity to Expand Capacity. Somebody saw something in them. Achievers have a belief they can achieve more. For some, that message comes from another person — a talent named, a quality worth expanding, a gift. For others, the voice comes from inside. No matter the source, it fuels the first steps.

A Little Spark That Combusts. Passion gets bantered about in conversations about top achievers. Few have told me they knew what they were passionate about in the early days. More accurately, they found something to be excited about. A little spark that combusted into something bigger. Not absolute certainty. Not complete know-how. Not a life-long passion. A spark. An idea. A direction.

Always Adapting, Changing, and Growing. The path to achievement is like riding the world’s most intense rollercoaster. Adaptability is a must. A stomach for change is necessary. Growth is the natural by-product.

Staying Tethered to Humility. You need a big enough sense of self to believe you can build. But when you start believing your own PR, the ego gets in the way. It can only inflate so far before damage gets done. Building long-term, sustainable results means staying tethered to humility along the way. Remembering where you came from and how far you have traveled.

The air gets thinner at the top, and if you’re not careful, it can mess with your head. Not everyone masters this. Some fall hard. The ones who stay tethered create even more capacity for themselves and those they influence.

Execution of Vetted Ideas. Not every idea should be acted upon. Those with good instincts know which ones to remember for later and which ones to vet before putting into play. They ride the wave between moving quickly and deeper analysis without getting stuck in the current.

Movement Creates Momentum. No moss grows on top achievers. They are willing to jump in, willing to move, willing to risk, willing to act. Not recklessly. Motion, activity, action, and putting something in play are where they are happiest.

Increased Tolerance for Discomfort. Moving in the face of discomfort is a muscle that gets developed. This is exposure therapy at work. Whether it’s taking the public speaking gig in spite of fearing it, learning the newest technology, or entering a difficult conversation. Vulnerable moments are a must. Avoidance is not an option. There’s no shortcut for earning confidence. It only comes from the friction of trying.

Good is Good Enough for Now. Perfection is impossible — come to accept that. There will never be a perfect plan. New data is being created every second of the day. There will never be a perfect time. There will never be a perfect approach. There will never be a perfect deal. It just doesn’t exist. Perfect is not the goal. Don’t expect it from others.

Ignore the Cheap Seat Commentary. Top achievers have somebody they don’t want to let down. A front row of people whose face they imagine before they act — would I be proud if they saw this? Often a spouse, parent, children, close confidante. For others, it is the self.

Not everyone can (or wants) be a front row fan. There will be naysayers, trolls, critics, and cheap seat commentary. Builders keep this commentary at arm’s length and shield themselves from it. A reaction is not required. And rarely helpful. Emotional Teflon is needed — the kind that is not a health risk. Criticism can be fast and cheap. Remaining objective without getting emotionally impacted is a practice.

Silence is a Tool. Top achievers come to learn that silence is a powerful performance tool. Used for mental clarity. Used to slow down before decisions. Used to quiet the mind when data overflows. In negotiations, sales closings, and difficult conversations, silence can be more effective than selling more. Holding space for meaningful silence is a skillset.

Living In Integrity. There are countless stories of the excess of success getting the best of people. It can be intoxicating to have a fanbase, influence over others, power, the choices money provides. Each one looks like a reward. Each one is also a test.

Living in integrity is what keeps the tests honest. Choosing what builds long-term over what’s tempting in the moment. Doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. On the toughest days. The guideposts don’t change when the success does. That’s the protection.

4 Myths Worth Setting Aside

There is a personality type that predicts performance. There isn’t. The achievers I’ve come to know are diverse in every way. Introverts. Extroverts. Ambiverts. Style, background, source of motivation, approach, Enneagram type — any category you can think of, I’ve seen examples rise to high levels of success.

They found a secret the rest of us missed. There's no secret. The tools are the same ones available to anyone. What differs is the application. The toolset travels. The application is where the difference lives.

Charisma is the difference-maker. Charisma alone will only carry you so far. Substance is the structural architecture required for long-term success. The room will give you attention for charisma. It won’t give you results.

They were born with it. Natural gifts, talents, and luck are real. They don’t tell the whole story. Most of what makes a top achiever is practiced and developed. The nature part is the smaller part. The work is the larger part.

I’m still panning. Forty years in, the nuggets keep showing up — and the people who carry them keep surprising me. Different personalities. Different backgrounds. Different paths to the same kind of impact.

What’s consistent isn’t the profile. It’s the practice. Believing there’s something to expand. Following the spark. Adapting. Staying tethered to humility. Acting before perfection is possible. Moving when it’s uncomfortable. Holding the line on integrity.

If you’ve been thinking you need the right personality, the right background, the right credentials — you don’t. The work is the path. Practice and time are the credentials.

If somebody saw something in you, run with it. If somebody never did, find someone who can — or become that person for someone else.

Top achievers are developed. So is the person who learns to see them.