Common Habits of Effective CEOs, Winners and Successful People. Emulate them if you too want to be at the top.

My profession allows me many privileges and one of them is opportunity to meet successful people and interact with them thoroughly. Present among these people is a size-able number of professionals who have either reached the top level in their line of profession / organization or are on their way and almost there.

The demand of my consulting profession is that I have to meet them on a regular basis. Being a keen observer of the Laws of Success, I found that they had some simple, yet common traits, attributes and habits which made them so successful in their career.

I also found that if one were to adopt these habits, imbibe their approach, absorb the essence of their good qualities then she or he too can make rapid strides to reach the top level in his or her line of career.

The success in one department of life (such as career) can not be kept isolated from other aspects of life. Therefore, do look forward to enjoying the achievements in you education (if you are a student), harmony and peace (in your domestic life) and growth (of your earnings, savings and wealth) and a lot of self development (including health and spirituality).

Proudly, I must confess that I have had the good fortune to meet a lot of successful people and they have always let me learn a thing or two about keys to success. But in this hub, I would specifically be sharing the styles of a few great personalities who have made an indelible mark on my psyche.

In alphabetical order, they are:

A.N. Singh (Mr.) MBA, Successful Entrepreneur, Businessman, Corporate Strategist

J.S. Madan (Mr.) Engineer, Successful Entrepreneur, in Exports Businessman

Sanjeev Zutshi (Dr.) MD, a very busy, sought after and much thanked Doctor

V.K. Seth (Mr.) Chemical Engineer, Managing Director of a Japanese Multinational

My sincere thanks to all of them from the bottom of my heart.

These are very basic and so simple that you will be amazed !

Here are a few general guidelines for the most effective business appearance:

• Dress Appropriately
• Dress for the position you want, not the position you have
• Dress conservatively
• I have a very special observation that 100% of them have their shoes well polished and this observation is going on for the last 20 years in my career.

Although, a good professional qualification is not a guarantee for success in the profession yet almost 99% of the successful people studied by me had the advantage of a good formal education which equip them to not only compete with other professionals but contribute significantly in their chosen field of work.

It is equally important to continuously expand the knowledge; add to the skills sets; learn new techniques; know about latest innovations in the related field of work besides keeping well informed about the developments in the industry and the extended socio - political - economic circle.

This they would do by attending seminars, workshops, training programs and being committed to profuse reading.

So if you want a career growth always say Yes to learning.

It is common knowledge to be courteous, friendly, professional, enthusiastic and soft spoken. Yet, it is so uncommon to find many people who have tasted some success (only) to be practicing these regularly and with all colleagues, customers, clients, juniors.

I have always notice the role models to be:

• A good and empathetic listener
• Punctual
• Respecting time and working hours of self and others
• Making notes before, during and after the meetings
• Remaining calm, composed and unbiased
• Always accessible to customers and colleagues.

Here too, I have noticed that each one of them promptly answers his or her phone. Should there be any reason that the call cannot be taken then the call is returned within a few minutes. In case it is not possible to return the call soon then a text message is sent accordingly. Never have I seen my target study group to avoid taking a call!

To be successful in your career, do not avoid communication from others and do not delay responding.

My role models are always ready and willing to take more responsibilities without asking or negotiating first for additional benefits or compensation. They seldom sit contended. Rather than being told what to do next, they are always looking for areas or methods to improve and take the organization to higher level.

Let me share a secret hint for predicting someone’s success.

Even if the person is somewhere at the middle level but if you notice that he always has a neat table top with a very few papers and the other office accessories such as pen, land line phone, desk top computer - all well laid out, you can safely predict that he will rise much higher.

I have always found successful people having a very clean table, if a paper of file is sent to them, it is promptly studied, action is taken and put back in its place.

It shows promptness and ability to take decision.

Similarly the office space of a leader is only an extension of his / her personality. The good thoughts, harmony in work and personal life, positive thinking, good energy - all are naturally manifested in the office environment which also gets invigorating.

Nobody is perfect in every aspect or all the time. The successful persons I studied often had their eyes on the goal with clear strategies to achieve them and the path to success. Never would they stop to study or analyze the faults or shortcomings of an individual.

It is normal to come across an expression of envy or jealousy – especially in the professional circle whenever one of them achieves something. On the contrary, I found that these successful people celebrate the accomplishment of the people they care for and they are always genuine.

Another interesting observation with most of them is that they are particular about what they eat and when they eat. Disciplined food timings, intake of balanced and nutritious food (instead of gorging out at parties or official lunches / dinners) is their style of staying healthy.

I also wish to add the importance of exercising, which hardly needs any detailed discussion.

Each successful CEO, I observed had a very personal way of tapping into the unlimited power of the universe. Some may term it a Meditation (Dhayana) or Prayer (Pooja) or repeating His Name (Japa) or just always Remembering Him. It may be difficult to prove in the ways of modern science but almost anyone can see an aura of divine radiance around them.

Whether the business leaders or celebrities are from East or West, almost everyone connects and draws extraordinary power and energy from the Universe.

The good news: these traits are not genetic. It’s not as if you have to be tall or left-handed to be an achiever in career. These qualities are developed through attitude, habit and discipline — factors that are within your control.

They will make you stand out in not only your career but other facets of life too.

These habits / attributes / qualities will make you a better employee, manager and leader. They will lift the trajectory of your career and speed your progress.

Wishing you all the best in your Career Growth. See you as a successful CEO.