I’m a newsman.  Like all news people, I have a beat -- a territory I cover. Mine is the mega-successful. I’ve investigated and reported on those who have reached “the top of the top” in the fields of politics, business, and culture. People like Warren Buffet, Martha Stewart and Bill Bradley.

Everybody knows these people’s accomplishments. There’s no news there. What I do is observe them at length and interview them about how they think and make choices, so I can decipher how their minds and hearts work. 

From doing hundreds of interviews, I’ve found many of these newsmakers to be ruthless and some, even miserable. They’re feared if not hated, not only by their competitors, but by their associates and staffs. What’s more, they care little about the plight of others and the world at large. A few even seem to hate themselves.

Among these mega-successes, however, there’s another group; a minority that’s exceedingly aware, egalitarian, happy, balanced, and genuinely decent. Their associates and staffs love them, and their competitors respect them. These people seem to care deeply about others, and use their positions to help the larger world.

They're a more elusive subset – a small minority who don’t seek the limelight even though they’re often in it, and whose achievements endure as the world changes.  They fascinate me. They’re the good among the great. 

While researching these extraordinary human beings, I started to see patterns of behavior and attitude: in what motivates them, how they think and behave. I recognized the same personality traits and private strategies echoing among all these good people.  And every one of them was happy to share how they think, why they believe certain things and behave in certain ways… and how most of us can learn and adopt all of these same traits.  

The best among us are not just big-name successes. You probably know some wonderful, uncelebrated characters in your life.  I do too.  I’ve been lucky enough to know several all my life, who have taught me about success in more intimate, but no less valuable ways. These are people with the same traits who thrive within and contribute mightily to their families and communities.

That then is what my upcoming essays will be about. They will be a "how-to" guide to life success. I will describe the nineteen personality characteristics that are common among people who succeed at life.  They are successes materially, emotionally, even spiritually. They will be profiled in my upcoming book which is a peek into the lives of great human beings.  It will provide ways for you to identify the traits in others and adopt some yourself, so that you might make an even bigger impact on the world.

Here's the first of the 19 traits: 1. Reality Recognition or Reality vs. Perception

Cheers from Sonoma,

Donald

Donald Van de Mark has interviewed hundreds of leaders in business and politics including: Andrew Weil, MD, former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, Jack Welch, Starbucks' Howard Schultz and Intel's Andy Grove, in his nearly 3 decades as a correspondent and anchor at CNN, CNBC and public television.

He integrates practical tips from these great leaders to provide a riveting motivational speech on the personality traits of successful people. Donald is also the host of the corporate training video, The Wisdom of Caring Leaders. 

Donald will speak at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club on July 16th, 2009 about great and good leaders, the subject of his upcoming book.