Being exceptional is multifaceted. It is a combination of innate skills, intense effort, and a set of enabling factors that make extreme success possible. There isn’t just one characteristic of Bill Gates that you can look for or copy to become as exceptional as him. Even Bill himself will be unable to accurately list all the traits—the multiple, interacting traits—that make him unique.

Connection with the Future:

The exceptionals have a clear connection with their “future-selves,” or who they will become in the future. People who identify closely with who they will be in the future are more willing to make short term sacrifices to achieve the long-term vision they hold for themselves. The most exceptional individuals have a clear view of who they want to become, and very often a written plan of what they want to achieve.

When you are investing millions of dollars into individuals and looking for game-changing results, you can’t afford to operate without a clear understanding of whether they have the potential to become exceptional. And without that understanding, the very people you are betting your organization on will be the reason you fail.

Source Credit: Forbes