What does it take to be #1?

The last two of my posts have explored the correlations between criticism and jealousy (and why people hate and/or are jealous of #1). The final post in this series will explore the qualities that it takes to actually be number #1! The answer may surprise you, as some of those include . . . .

People who are the best at what they do often possess a combination of qualities. It is not always exceptional talent and skill, although that certainly helps! First off, they know exactly what they want and they go after it. They have an almost single-minded determination to get there. For those of us who have never quite figured out “what we want to do when we grow up,” or are good at a lot of things (making it difficult to choose just one!), this can be difficult to comprehend.

In his book “Open,” Andre Agassi talks about never wavering in pursuit of a goal. If you followed Agassi’s career or tennis at all, you know that he had a few distractions of his own before becoming one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He is one of only two tennis players in the world to have won a Career Golden Slam (all 4 major tournaments plus an Olympic Gold Medal). Because he hated tennis (one of the surprising revelations from his book), he thought about quitting many times. In fact, it would’ve been easy for him to quit but ultimately he did not, which speaks to persistence.

In sports, competitive athletes are also aggressive. They have to be in order to win. Think about the personalities of Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, and John McEnroe. In his book, “You Cannot be Serious,” McEnroe says “Everyone wants us to be nice, but we’re competitive athletes. We are not nice people.” (What I want to know is, is nastiness also a requirement to be a champion? In Agassi and Roger Federer’s case, I would say the answer is “no”).

Aggression and a need to dominate are required in order to win. It is almost a predator/prey relationship. “When somebody has something you want, you make them the enemy” [so you can take it]. This is a famous line from Avatar. This philosophy is what makes #1 a target! (see my blog post from 1/15/2011). Competitive athletes are also continually learning and improving. They invest in themselves and learn more than others, and which gives them a competitive edge.

Politics is also about winning. Aggressive people can’t let other people get what they want, and therefore they will do anything to win, especially once they have a taste of victory. Most people who were brought up in the United States were taught that a democracy is supposed to be representative of the people’s wishes. But many times elected officials pursue their own agenda once they are in office. With this in mind, do politics and a democracy seem like they are a good match? I once heard someone ask, “Are you too nice for politics?” Now I finally understand that question! In other words, do you have the stomach required to be in constant conflict?

In summary:

If you want something, go out and take it. Who is going to stop you? Yourself? If you don’t do it, then somebody else will. Don’t ever quit. Winning takes a mixture of talent, determination, persistence, aggression, and continual learning (how can you do something better?). Recognize and excel at your strengths, but also improve your weaknesses. If you are good at something, you have a better opportunity to win!

Now I ask you:

Have you ever experienced any of the above?

Have you single-mindedly pursued a goal?

Have you been the target of someone else’s aggression?

If so I would love to hear about it!