As host of a public-affairs TV program and a journalist, B. Eugene Griessman has interviewed successful people from all walks of life, including Tennessee Williams, Jack Lemmon and Malcolm Forbes. In examining their lives, he identified nine factors that led to their success, and these he discusses in ”The Achievement Factors” (Dodd, Mead).
Q-Can you name one of these achievement factors?
A-The first is finding something that you can do well and love enough to work hard at. Helen Gurley Brown, the publisher of Cosmopolitan magazine, found what she was good at almost by accident. She had a boss who let her write letters, and she discovered she had the ability to communicate well. She says she can look at printed material and tell whether it will communicate or not. She modestly says it`s not much of a talent, but it has taken her a long way.
Q-What are some other achievement factors?
A-Developing competence is another. Nobel laureate Herbert Simon did a study of great chess players and learned that they have memorized 25,000 to 50,000 patterns that they recognize when they appear on the board. It takes a minimum of 10 years to store that many patterns. It appears that 10 years of diligent work is a sort of minimum for becoming world-class in any field. Time consciousness is another. High achievers don`t let you-or themselves-waste their time. Stanley Marcus of Neiman-Marcus always carries a book with him; he doesn`t want to get stuck, say, with having to read old magazines in the dentist`s office.
Q-Do you have to sacrifice to achieve success?
A-Absolutely. Kris Kristofferson became a janitor at Columbia Records in Nashville so he could pursue his interest in music. The need to succeed in these people is very complex. Sometimes it takes neurotic forms. Tennessee Williams said he wrote to avoid madness. High achievement is not for everybody. Some of these people have led unhappy lives, partly because they poured so much of themselves into their work.
Q-How single-minded do you have to be?
A-Completely. Hank Aaron said what separated the superstar from the average ballplayer was his ability to concentrate. When he was in the dugout waiting to face a pitcher, he would often put his cap over his face and look through the little eyelet in his cap to focus directly on the pitcher. He knew every pitcher in the National League like the back of his hand. He even dreamed about them.
Q-What part does luck play in success?
A-You have to be in the right place at the right time, but that is not entirely a matter of luck. High achievers position themselves for success. It looks like luck, but it really isn`t.
