It’s not surprising that many of the world’s most successful people share similar qualities and traits. You’ve probably observed or heard of some of them; being proactive, getting up early, ruthless prioritization, etc.

There is something that contributes to the success of many of them that isn’t quickly apparent, however.

Successful people surround themselves with other successful people.

You’ve probably seen this and assumed it was a by-product of that person’s success. That is rarely the case. There is an old adage that you are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with.

Take a minute to think about that, then take an inventory of who you spend most of your time with.

Now, examine the ways that you are similar to them. Often we assume that we are similar to the people that we spend the most time with because like attracts like.

In other words, you share general qualities and interests with somebody, so that contributes to why you gravitate towards them.

In fact, it’s the other way around.

Who should you surround yourself with?

If you have found yourself stuck in a dead-end, cubicle job, then I’m willing to bet the people you are spending your time with are also stuck in dead-end jobs. If you want to break out of that rut, you need to be surrounding yourself with people who are where you want to be.

What types of people are going to push you to succeed, though?

Who are the people that will elevate you?

We’ve broken them down into 5 easy to recognize personality types. There are always exceptions to every rule, but we think these are some pretty good guidelines to follow when surrounding yourself with successful people.

The Competitor

Competitors succeed not because they compete with others – though that is probably a natural by-product of their personality type. These individuals succeed because they are usually also always competing with themselves.

It is rare that you find a truly successful individual that is okay with doing as well today as they did yesterday. They won’t belabor it if they didn’t, but they’ll immediately start looking towards how they can improve things.

How to identify a Competitor:

• When sales or numbers for a given day are down from the previous one, they are the ones saying “That’s okay, we’ll bring them back up tomorrow!”
• These are the people signing up to run marathons or obstacle courses as a hobby.
• They spend their free time doing golf, tennis, or some other sport.

The Improver

Improvers are always looking for ways that they can better themselves. They can be deceiving in that at first they may seem as though they have a negative self-image. This is far from the case. The Improver sees any level of expertise, skill, knowledge, etc. as being able to grow.

Successful people are nearly always open to growing. They understand that if you aren’t moving up, you’re moving down – there is no plateau.

“Start taking your SELF to the next level so you can take your SUCCESS to the next level” – Hal Elrod

How to identify an Improver

• These are the ones who, when something goes wrong and everybody else is complaining, immediately steer the conversation towards how to fix it.
• Their reading list always seems to include non-fiction.
• When new systems or processes are introduced at work, they are the ones asking about training opportunities or seminars they can sign up to attend.

The Disciplined

Once the Disciplined set their mind to something, they nearly always follow through. These are the people who know their priorities and stay strictly committed to those.

Discipline is important to success. Successful people know that if they deviate from pursuing their goals, then they will never achieve them.

Surrounding yourself with disciplined people will act as sort of an accountability group for you. Your natural tendency will be to stay as focused on the end result as they are. They may not directly try to make you feel guilty when your own discipline falters, but just having them around you may give you those feelings of guilt. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it can sometimes push you to stay on track.

How to identify the Disciplined

• They are the ones at the office before everybody else and are never late to a meeting.
• They seem to always be following a personal budget.
• These are the people that regularly hit the gym before or after work, or on their lunch.

The Networker

Networkers are always making personal connections. From the barista at the coffee shop to local politicians and sometimes even celebrities. A networker usually can’t help themself and often may not even see themself as networking. They are the epitome of a “people person”.

The saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has much truth to it and the Networker is a perfect example of that in action. Successful people acknowledge that they can rarely do everything alone, and to have somebody they know and trust for any situation that may come up is a powerful tool in their arsenal. As such, they are always looking to add to that toolbox.

They also recognize that everybody has potential to be something so much more than they already are. That’s why the Networker doesn’t hesitate to connect with anybody and everybody. That barista at the coffee shop could be more important than the local politician one day. The Networker is often indiscriminate in who they make connections with.

How to identify a Networker

• Oftentimes you won’t need to identify a Networker – they’ll identify themselves by trying to connect with you!
• Networkers will talk to people they hardly know or even just met as if they are old friends.
• These are the people that seem to know somebody everywhere they go.
• The Networker never shies away from a social situation and often will jump headlong into them.

The Positive Thinker

The Positive Thinker seems to be a rare breed nowadays. They are the ones that can see a silver lining in every bad situation. These people have no time for negative energy in their lives.

Positive Thinkers usually believe in the Law of Attraction to some degree. It may not be an outward or even acknowledged belief, but their positive nature is usually in an effort to bring good things to them while removing the bad.

Successful people don’t have time for negativity. They are too busy chasing the positive things they want from life. Additionally, they know that dwelling on the negative doesn’t accomplish anything. They understand that to excel problems need to be overcome. This doesn’t happen by dwelling on the problem, it only happens when you focus on finding a solution.

How to identify a Positive Thinker

• Ironically, you will often hear the phrase “life is too short” coming from a Positive Thinker. Despite the negative connotation, this is often their way of actually excluding themselves from negativity.
• They seem to be smiling more often than anybody else.
• Positive Thinkers are the ones who will be thoroughly engaged in a conversation until it turns to complaining or criticism. At which point they silently or politely remove themselves.

Are all people who exhibit these traits successful?

Not necessarily.

Also, not everybody who is successful embraces all or even any of these traits.

There are exceptions to every rule, but surrounding yourself with these different personalities can only have a positive impact on your life.