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Decoding Success: What A Leadership Expert Learned After Interviewing The World’s Most Successful People

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Many people want to know how to achieve success. But Ruth Gotian went out and found data.

Gotian, who is Chief Learning Officer of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology as well as assistant professor of education in anesthesiology, interviewed over one hundred of the world’s most successful people: Nobel Prize winners, Olympic athletes, astronauts and others. From these discussions she teased out the attributes that drive their success and shared them in her book The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Performance.

I sat down with Gotian to find out what she learned from being a student of so many successful people.

Alisa Cohn: You wrote The Success Factor for which you interviewed astronauts, Olympic champions, Nobel laureates and other high achievers about how they achieved their remarkable success. What surprised you?

Ruth Gotian: What surprised me the most was that despite all of their achievements and accolades, high achievers are continuous learners. They crave consuming new knowledge in informal ways - lectures, podcasts, webinars, talking to people, and of course, their team of mentors.

AC: What did you find they have in common?

RG: All high achievers have four mindsets in common.

First of all, they have found their intrinsic motivation and go all in on it. They don't do it for the external validation of awards, rewards, promotions, or bonuses. They do it because they love it. It’s not about the medal.

Second, they outwork everyone. They don’t necessarily put more hours in their day, but they focus their energy on how they will overcome challenges. They ask themselves, "What is the strategy I have not thought of yet to move past this obstacle." Then they are laser focused on making it happen.

Next, they always go back to the basics. The techniques and practices that led to their success are what they keep doing later in their careers. Top athletes still do the same warm-ups you would see junior high kids do. Scientists design experiments, even after winning the Nobel Prize. They never rest on their laurels.

And, finally, high achievers constantly consume new knowledge and look for connections that others don't yet see. They look for ideas within and outside their industry. They also surround themselves with a team of mentors who give them perspective, challenge their ideas, and encourage them to think bigger.

AC: There’s always a lot of talk about high performer’s habits. But you distinguish habits from mindsets. how do you think about that?

RG: We can’t necessarily copy other people's habits. Waking up at 5 AM might be a great habit to get things accomplished, but not if you are a night owl who goes to bed at 3 am. What's important is the process and mindset for getting things done. Mindset can be emulated, but habits should not be.

AC: How do you think these high achievers get their skills and attributes - are they born that way?

RG: They have a natural skill and talent but learned to double down on it and go all in. Take Dr. Bob Lefkowitz, the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry. He was trained as a physician but worked at the NIH during the Vietnam War. He learned to do science. At first, he didn't like it, but later on, he was enamored by it. Eventually, he did research full-time. His work changed science forever, and Dr. Lefkowitz won the Nobel Prize.

AC: One quality of high achievers is that they can handle massive pressure and perform when the stakes are high. Do you have any insight on what helps them be great in the clutch, and how they handle pressure? Can you offer any advice for readers?

RG: Every experience, success, rejection, challenge, or failure for high achievers is data. They thrive on it because they know it gets them closer to their next goal. That is why they crave feedback, as it will help them achieve success. The pressure ties back to intrinsic motivation. The pressure fuels you if you are doing something because you love it. If you are doing it because others will judge you and possibly reward you for it, it can deplete you. That's difficult to sustain, especially when the pressure is high.

The high achievers also surround themselves with a team of mentors who keep them balanced and hold them accountable. They force them to take breaks when needed.

AC: Do you think that networks are important to enable people to achieve amazing results? If so how?

RG: We don't know what we don't know, and it is our network that can teach us about things, opportunities, and people we didn't know existed. Every high achiever has built a network over decades which they tap into. It's crucial. Dr. Jon Cohen, the Executive Chairman of BioReference Labs, the third largest Covid testing lab, makes a point of contacting his network every quarter.

AC: You are a very big proponent of mentorship. Why is mentorship so important? How should people find the right mentor for them?

RG: The research on mentorship is clear. Those who are mentored, out earn and outperform those who are not. If every Nobel Prize winner, Olympic champion, and CEO who is successful has a mentor, why do the rest of us feel we don't need one?

A mentor is not necessarily someone who is in the role you may eventually want, as your future role may not exist at the moment. Instead, focus on those who you have natural chemistry with. Checklists in the operating room were first used by airline pilots before take off. It's an example of one industry learning from another. We can learn so much from other industries, so it is critical to diversify your network of mentors. Assemble a team of members who have your best interest at heart. My team of mentors includes physicians, scientists, educators, business people, a lawyer and a military officer.

AC: How has your definition of success changed over time?

RG: I used to think success was for 'other people,' those who were born to the right family or went to the right schools. I now realize that success can be learned. Success is also a moving target, so you cannot aim for perfection and should always focus on the next goal, not the ultimate goal.

AC: What are some practices that you adopted yourself as a result of your research?

RG: I was "patient zero." Once I realized that success could be learned, I taught it to myself and now teach it to others. I practice each of the four mindsets of high achievers every day. I am laser-focused on my goals and shed nearly all activities that aren't related to my goal or don't bring me joy. I've also worked to expand my network, not by collecting names of people or likes on social media. Rather, I am working to build meaningful connections with people who I know, like, and trust.

AC: Can you share one piece of advice you have for others to help them on their own journey to be more successful?

RG: I learned two important lessons, which I inscribe in every copy of my book, The Success Factor when people ask me to sign it.

1. Do something important, not just interesting.

This was taught to me by my mentor, Dr. Bert Shapiro, and underscored by Dr. Tony Fauci, when I asked him how he selects which projects to work on.

2. Fear not trying, more than you fear failing.

That really sums everything up perfectly. Once you realize that failure is data and will eventually get you closer to your goal, if you look for the lesson in it, you learn not to fear it. Instead, not trying becomes unconscionable.

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