Achievement orientation is when an individual's inclination and attitide toward the development and validation of one's ability to achieve is high. A person who exhibits achievement orientation is passionate about achieving their goals and their overall success. Having strong motivation is a prerequisite for having an achievement orientation. It often also involves having a strong set of leadership skills rather than following others.[2]
Factors that are conducive an achievement orientation are: a desire to meet or exceed a standard of excellence; meeting key performance indicators; self-control; welcoming the feedback of others; a strong desire to continually improve one's performance; interpersonal skills; teamwork skills; risk management skills, and understanding the context of a given situation relative to factors such as an organization's mission and goals, prioritization, and other important factors.[3][4][5]
See also: Conscientiousness and Neoroplasticity and the ability of individuals to improve their personality
Conscientiousness is the personality trait of being thorough, careful, consistent, vigilant and self-disciplined. Conscientiousness is positively correlated to a desire to perform a task well. Conscientious people are highly efficient and organized. They also exhibit: achievement oriented behavior; planning skills; organizational skills; and dependability.
According to Science Direct:
“ | For conscientious persons achievement orientation and goal-directedness color both their thoughts and their emotions around information seeking. Their search experience may appear rational and accompanied by fairly neutral emotions, but they may harbor a strong need to feel competent and successful. Conscientious persons are foremost focused on the goal of their search, and so their feelings are often related to reaching – or not reaching – it. If there are obstacles along the way or it takes a long time to find relevant information, they may feel frustrated. When they have solved their information need or feel they are making progress they feel happy and relieved. Conscientious persons have explained that they enjoy information interaction the most when they proceed towards completion of their search, and ‘finally find what [they] look for’, or ‘come across the perfect source’ (Heinström, forthcoming). The distinct focus of their emotions is hence on the outcome, on finding or not finding relevant information as opposed to experiencing gratification in the ongoing process of searching for it. One rational conscientious student describes her feelings in this way: ‘As long as I make progress, I feel I am making efficient use of my time. I get excited if I find exactly what I need or a perfect search term’ (Todd et al., 2005).[6] | ” |
The only major personality trait that consistently leads to general success in life is conscientiousness (People who test high in conscientiousness: get better grades in school and college; earn higher salaries; are happier at work; live longer; commit fewer crimes; stay married longer and tend to be more influential).[7][8]
See also: Growth mindset and Mindset and Change management and Kaizen and Performance goal and Performance goal quotes
According to Western Governors University: "A growth mindset means that you thrive on challenge, and don’t see failure as a way to describe yourself but as a springboard for growth and developing your abilities. Your intelligence and talents are all susceptible to growth. Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University first talked about the power of mindset nearly 30 years ago. Carol Dweck and her team became interested in the attitude of students when it comes to failure. After studying the behavior of students and children, the term “growth mindset” came about. Simply put, this mindset means that you believe in your ability to become better through hard work, and help from others."[9]
See also: Attitude and Optimism and Optimism bias
An attitude is a habitual way of thinking or a mental state.
The Los Angeles Times reported concerning a study: "A five year study of 120 of the nation's top artists, athletes and scholars has concluded that drive and determination—not great natural talent—led to their extraordinary success." [10]
See also: Grit (personality trait) and Goal setting and Self-control and Neoroplasticity and the ability of individuals to improve their personality
See also: Work ethic and Building a strong work ethic
The work ethic consists of choosing productive work over unproductive activities, in order to improve the condition of oneself, one's family, and society at large.
See also: Self-efficacy and Problem solving and Skill and Self-concept and Core self-evaluations and Mental toughness and Self-control and Motivation and Interpersonal skills and Social intelligence
Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments (Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997). Self-efficacy reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over one's own motivation, behavior, and social environment."[14] See also: Interpersonal skills and Social intelligence
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See also: Grit (personality trait) and Self-control and Mental toughness and Goal setting and Growth mindset and Psychological resilience and Essay: Grit, the key to outstanding achievements
Grit in the field of psychology is a personality and character trait based on an person's passion for a specific long-term goal, coupled with a strong motivation to achieve their objective.
The psychology researcher Angela Duckworth and her colleagues examined grit as a predictor of long-term success. It found that individuals who possess a drive to consistently work through obstacles, failures, and adversity to achieve their goals and are significantly better positioned to reach higher achievements.[15] For Ivy League students, Duckworth found that grit was a stronger predictor of success than a person's commulative GPA.
The clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist Caren Baruch-Feldman, PhD describes grit as "the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles".[16]
According to Jocelyn K. Glei's article The Future of Self-Improvement, Part I: Grit Is More Important Than Talent:
“ | Intrigued by what qualities would most accurately predict outstanding achievement, Harvard researcher Angela Duckworth picked up where Walter Mischel left off. ...Duckworth found that self-control is an excellent predictor of your ability to follow through on certain types of difficult tasks — staying on your diet, studying for a test, not checking your email — but it’s not the most important factor when it comes to predicting success at “extremely high-challenge achievement.”
...Duckworth isolated two qualities that she thought might be a better predictor of outstanding achievement: 1. The tendency not to abandon tasks from mere changeability. Not seeking something because of novelty. Not “looking for a change.” 2. The tendency not to abandon tasks in the face of obstacles. Perseverance, tenacity, doggedness.[17] |
” |
1. Finishing what you begin.
2. Staying committed to your goals.
3. Working hard even after experiencing failure or when you feel like quitting.
4. Sticking with a project or activity for more than a few weeks.[18]
How to grow grit?
1. Cultivate a growth mindset and optimism.
2. Focus on improving your performance while you are engaging in various endeavors related to your goals.
3. Stay passionate about your purpose.
4. Know when you have achieved your maximum potential in an area and are not quitting due to frustration.[19]
See also: Self-control
Self-control is defined by the Meriam Dictionary as "restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires".[20]
See also: Key factors for success
The article 10 Key Factors to Success (And Tips for Measuring Success) indicates these 10 factors for success in life:
1. Having a clear plan. See: Planning
2. Prioritizing your goals. See: Prioritization
3. Acquiring relevant education and skills. See: Skill
4. Cultivating good habits. See: Habit
5. Having a positive attitude. See also: Growth mindset and Optimism
6. Learning from your mistakes. See: How to Learn From Your Mistakes
7. Being open to new things. See: Openness
8. Taking risks. See: Risk management
9. Working hard. See: Work ethic
10. Always being prepared. See: Proactivity
See also: Business and Business ethics and Organizational skills and Planning and Communication skills and Collaboration skills and Teamwork skills
See: Sales
See also: Goal setting
Goal setting is the process of taking active steps to achieve your desired outcome.[22]
The acronym SMART goals uses a the below set of criteria to ensure that goal objectives are clearly defined and also attainable within a certain time period.[23]
SMART goals are:
See also: Social influence and Goal setting
The abstract for the 2024 journal article Achievement Goals: A Social Influence Cycle published in the journal Annual Review of Psychology indicates:
“ | Achievement goals have been defined as the purpose of competence-relevant behavior. In this respect they connect one of the basic human needs, i.e., competence, to one of society's core values, i.e., achievement. We propose to look at achievement goals through the lens of social influence. We review both the influence that cultural, structural, and contextual factors have on achievement goal endorsement and the influence that endorsing achievement goals allows people to have within their social space. The review allows us to propose a circular model of the influence on and of achievement goals: The culture, social structures, and contexts that are typical of a certain society shape the specific environments in which individuals develop their achievement goals, which in turn has an influence on the expression and circulation of these achievement goals into society, in a social influence cycle.[24] | ” |
See also: The Achievement Factors: Candid Interviews With Some of the Most Successful People of Our Time
Benjamin Eugene Griessman, Ph.D., was an internationally known speaker, professor, executive coach, thought leader on high achievement, Lincoln scholar, playwright, actor and television host.[25][26]
The 1993 book The Achievement Factors: Candid Interviews With Some of the Most Successful People of Our Time by B. Eugene Griessman is a book that focuses on the characteristics of high achievers. In researching the book, Griessman interviewed 60+ people from numerous fields.
Below is a summarized list of what he discovered summarized by coach Bob Starkey:[27]
1. High achievers discover their vocation and their specialty. They find something they love doing. See: Motivation
2. High achievers develop a competency. See: Skill and Self-efficacy
3. High achievers manage their time well. See: Time management
4. High achievers are persistent. See: Grit and Mental toughness and Psychological resilience
5. They channel their needs and desires into their work. See: Motivation and Work ethic
6. They develop the ability to focus and cut out distractions. (See: Concentration (Psychology) and Concentration (Psychology): Book Summaries)
7. "High Achievers Function Appropriately in Their Situations Virtually all the high achievers say that, and a large number of them use the word luck to explain their accomplishments. They also mention the importance of mentors and discoverers and teachers."
8. High achievers perceive opportunities and practice lifelong learning. They learn from others feedback. See: Growth mindset
9. High achievers seize opportunities. See: Results orientation and Comfort zone and Risk
See also: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Stephen Covey (1932-2012) was the author of the best selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and other management and business titles. He earned an MBA at Harvard.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are:[28]
1. Be Proactive. Proactive as defined by Stephen Covey means that you don't just let life happen to you, and don't respond "by instinct" like a dog.[29]
2. Begin With the End in Mind. See: Problem solving and Planning
3. Put First Things First. See: Prioritization
4. Think Win-Win. See: Interpersonal skills and Negotiation
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. See: Empathy
6. Synergize (Creative cooperation. Working with another/others to create something greater than you could do alone)[30] See: Collaboration skills
7. Sharpen the Saw (Sharpen your skills). See: Self-efficacy and Skills
The 7 Habits of Successful People | |
---|---|
Habit 1 - Be proactive | Private Victory |
Habit 2 - Begin with the end in mind | |
Habit 3 - Put first things first | |
Habit 4 - Think win-win | Public Victory |
Habit 5 - Seek first to understand, then to be understood | |
Habit 6 - Synergize | |
Habit 7 - Sharpen the saw | Renewal |
See also: Peak Performance Principles For High Achievers by John R. Noe
John R. Noe is a Christian author who writes on theological matters and he is also a mount climber.
John R. Noe's book Peak Performance Principles For High Achievers provides 6 attitudes for high achievers:[31]
1. High achievers set no small plans.
2. High achievers are willing to do what they fear
3. High achievers are willing to prepare
4. High achievers are willing to risk failure. See: Risk and Comfort zone and Risk management
5. High achievers are teachable. See: Growth mindset
6. High achievers have heart. See: Motivation
In his book Peak Performance Principles For High Achievers John R. Noe offers the following 10 questions that will change your life:[32]
1. Do you really want to be a high achiever?
2. Do you have a strong inner desire to reach out?
3. What matters most to you?
4. What are you willing to invest?
5. How much are you willing to endure?
6. What are you willing to give up?
7. How much responsibility are you willing to assume?
8. Are you willing to start where you are?
9. Are you willing to think for yourself
10. Are you willing to settle for nothing less than your full potential?
See also: Mental toughness and 4 C's of mental toughness
According to the company Mental Toughness Partners:
“ | Mental Toughness is a personality trait that determines your ability to perform consistently under stress and pressure, and is closely related to qualities such as character, resilience, grit and perseverance.
Peter Clough, Professor of Applied Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University and a pioneer on research into Mental Toughness further describes a mentally tough person as “someone who is comfortable in their own skin, can take whatever comes along in their stride and mostly enjoy the challenge”.[34] |
” |
Mental toughness is often referred to relative to sports and work performance and it is a predictor of success in sports, the workplace and education. Mental toughness is estimated to account for up to 25% variation in performance according to research carried out by Professor Peter Clough and his colleagues (See: MTQ mental toughness assessments).[35][36][37] In the workplace, salespeople have high levels of mental toughness compared to other workers.[38]
See also: 4 C's of mental toughness
The 4 C's of mental toughness of the MTQ assessments and their factors:[39][40]
The abstract for 2013 journal article Mental toughness: what is it and how to build it published in the journal Revista da Educação Física/UEM states:
“ | Mental toughness is a term that has been long talked about but often misunderstood. Fortunately, in the past 12 years, researchers have begun to study this phenomenon. Although there are differences among researchers, mental toughness appears to contain four critical attributes including motivation, coping with pressure, concentration, and confidence. In terms of developing mental toughness, one way to approach its development is to consider that it is sometimes taught and sometimes caught. Teaching mental toughness involves a deliberate attempt to train specific mental skills (e.g., goal setting, relaxation, focus) whereas sometimes mental toughness is simply caught due to environmental influences (e.g, having a sibling how was older but pushed you to be more competitive and to continually strive to improve). The paper concludes with some suggestions for future research including focusing on the early development of mental toughness as well as developing interventions to test the effectiveness of mental toughness training.[41] | ” |
See also: Psychological resilience and Mental toughness
Psychological resilience according to the American Psychological Association "is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands."[42]
Daniel Steven Peña Sr. is a successful businessman and business coach.
Below are Dan Pena's 10 habits of success:
1. Practice Daily Affirmations See also: Self-talk
2. Measure What You Do And Improve
5. Conventional Wisdom is Almost Always Wrong
6. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. See: Comfort zone and Risk and Risk management
7. Have Laser Beam Focus. See: Concentration
8. Don't Care About What People Think About You. See: Overcoming a fear of social rejection
9. Surround Yourself with Successful People. See: Social influence
10. Take Action
See also: Optimism bias
“Never underestimate how wrong you can be. Even the most careful planning can be overtaken by external events and circumstances.” - Dan Peña, American businessman and business coach[45]
Key variables to task engagement and achievement:
1. Possesses adequate skills to perform the task
2. Values the task or outcomes (Meaningfulness)
3. Expects to succeed (Environmental perception)
4. Confident in one's ability to perform the task (Self-efficacy)
5. Sets realistic expectations and implements realistic strategies to successfully complete goals (Self-regulation)
6. Home, peers and school are important inputs
See also: Conscientiousness and Concentration (Psychology) and Growth mindset
Factors that hinder achievement include:[46][47][48]
See also: Positive social influence
See: Relationship building skills
See also: Achievement oriented leadership
Achievement oriented leadership is a leadership style where the leader encourages subordinate growth and progress by setting goals that are challenging or at the highest level possible.[49][50]
See also: Sales
Harvard Business Review indicates about success in selling: "Eighty-four percent of the top performers tested scored very high in achievement orientation. They are fixated on achieving goals and continuously measure their performance in comparison to their goals."[51]
See also: Risk management
Risk management is "the continuing process to identify, analyze, evaluate, and treat loss exposures and monitor risk control and financial resources to mitigate the adverse effects of loss."[52] It is an organized method of identifying and measuring risk and developing, selecting, and managing options for handling these risks.
See also: Risk and Comfort zone and Optimism and Optimism bias
Part of reaching goals, making progress and mental toughness is stretching yourself to reach your goals which involves taking calculated risks.
The article Benefit from taking risks states:
“ | You never really know what you're capable of until you push yourself outside of your comfort zone. When you take risks, you learn more about your strengths and weaknesses. This self-knowledge can be invaluable in both your personal and professional life.
Taking risks can lead to new opportunities. If you're always playing it safe, you're likely to miss out on new opportunities. Sometimes, the only way to get what you want is to go for it. Even if you don't succeed at first, taking risks can open up doors that you never would have thought possible.[53] |
” |
"If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate." - Thomas J. Watson, the former CEO of IBM, who helped grow the company in its glory days.
See also: Jonah complex
The Jonah complex is the: fear of success; fear of change; fear of personal growth, fear of reaching one's potential; fear of achieving one's aspirations and dreams; and fear of meeting one's social and God-given responsibilities (golden rule, etc.).[55][56][57]
The Jonah complex may interfere with an individual's achievement orientation and hinder a person's ability to achieve organizational/societal aims and goals.[58]
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