Identifying
SuperAttainers
The
SuperAttainment Research Center is funding a multi-year study of high achieving individuals across a great variety of fields and geographies. The purpose is to determine key attributes indicating an propensity toward superior achievement that can be recognized by most people with experience managing other people.
The work is ongoing and is being expanded continuously.
The
SuperAttainment Research Center is an initiative to help people
in management positions identify high potential leaders and channel
them toward meaningful contributions to their organizations and to
society at large.
The
8 attributes of SuperAttainers listed below are considered some of
the
most common and easiest to identify when accompanied by other
aspects of career success.
8
Attributes of
SuperAttainers
1. Early Success
The Early Bird Gets the Worm…and Everything Else
SuperAttainers usually begin doing amazing things early in their life. In fields like music and sport, it has long been
understood that for a child to have a chance at greatness, he needs to begin around age 3 and then work at it for many years. In business and politics, unusual ability is also recognized early in a SuperAttainer’s career and is followed with many years of continued achievement. In the greatness game, it is the rabbit who wins the
race -- as long as he persists like the tortoise.
2. Contrarian
When in Rome, Don’t Do As the Romans
SuperAttainers generally think of themselves as different and apart from other people. They can often be described as rebellious and
disobedient by those who try to rule over them and are never willing crowd followers. Tremendous success seems to require doing things tremendously different.
Doing things a little better will yield results that are only a little better than others and this is not what SuperAttainers are interested in.
3. Conceited
The Pride Before The Rise
In order for someone to be thought of as great in the minds of others, he must first be thought of as great in his own mind. The tremendous achievements of SuperAttainers seem to be merely a realization in the outer world of what is already in their inner world. Predictably, it is uncommon for such people to be overly shy about describing their abundant abilities. Many SuperAttainers have come to recognize that being known as arrogant does not help their purpose and they do a good job of appearing modest. However, a bit of digging into their personality should uncover a deep feeling of self-significance.
4. Hard-Knocked
Nothing Succeeds Like Suffering
SuperAttainers have often experienced traumatic periods when their careers or even their lives were in great peril. It is during these times that they gain a deep seated feeling of personal vulnerability that can stay with them for the rest of their lives. The advantage to the future SuperAttainer is that they become consumed by the realization that they must accomplish all they can while they have the chance because it can all come crashing down at any time. It is a psychological condition that will drive them to greatness for
the rest of their lives.
5. Loner
One is Company, Two is a Crowd
SuperAttainers are often described by others as dreamers, outsiders, cold-hearted and similar labels often given to loners. They are comfortable spending long periods in the company of themselves to ponder, learn and envisage the future. Many develop a love of solitary activities such as book-reading early in their life. They are not usually enthusiastic participants in team activities except when they are
leading the group.
6. Mentored
& Motivated
Behind Every Great Man are His Parents
Parents often play
the key role in the cultivation and realization of SuperAttainers,
spending immense amounts of time and money to give their offspring
the skills, experiences and relationships required for immense
amounts of success. They tutor baby SuperAttainers from the crib,
send them to the best schools and put them in touch with the best
mentors. It has been shown that mothers, in particular, can play a
strong role if they are supremely confident in their son's innate
abilities and then take devoted and continuing action to develop
them.
7. Discontent
Patience is No Virtue
SuperAttainers have an abnormally intense need for continuous accomplishment. Success does not bring these people a sense of inner peace. There is always someone else to overtake or a higher target to aspire to. They are impatient, dissatisfied and edgy when not engaged in activities that lead to the fulfillment of their personal goals. They seem psychologically unstable in this regard compared with most people.
8. Promoted
Self-Flattery Gets You Everywhere
There have been many great people who have lived and died in the history of our species but nobody knows most of them because their achievements were inadequately documented. In order to be thought of as a great success by large numbers of people, someone needs to be a great success at publicizing the SuperAttainer. In most instances, it is the SuperAttainers
themselves who are great self-promoters. In other cases, another talented person takes on the critically important role.
TWO
TYPES OF SUPERATTAINERS
1. Aristocratic SuperAttainers
Pampered and pompous, these people excel despite having been given it all. They grow up with all the best things, attend the best schools and hobnob with the best minds. Because they are so deeply bonded to a powerful and privileged elite, they are often conservative and elitist. Real change seldom happens with these people in charge. On the plus side, they are less likely to lead themselves and their followers down paths of mutual destruction. Examples of Aristocratic SuperAttainers include: Winston Churchill, Peter the Great, Louis XIV and Frederick the Great.
2. Come-From-
Nothing
SuperAttainers
Rags to riches, these people pull themselves up to greatness through tremendous obstacles. Luck plays a role but most of their success is due to relentless force of character. Since they come from outside the establishment, they can be great agents of change. Unfortunately, they are prone to crash and burning when they inevitably overstretch themselves and their supporters. Examples of Come-From-Nothing SuperAttainers include: Joseph Stalin,
Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Mao Zedong.
Rules
for Managers
Rules
for Self-Help
Rules
for Parents
Men
Vs. Women
The
SuperAttainment Research Center is operated as a CSR
(Corporate Social Responsibility) activity of Chalre
Associates Executive Search to help business people identify and
develop future leaders for their organizations and society at
large.
Chalre
Associates is a regional provider of Executive Search services
in the emerging countries of the Asia Pacific region.
Multinational companies use them to bridge the gap between the local
environment and their world-class requirements in countries like
Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
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SuperAttainer:
Charles XII
Swedish King:
Charles
XII
Main
Life Accomplishments:
He
was the fourth king of the Wittelsbach dynasty in Sweden. As a child, many
people thought he was going to be sickly but Charles strengthened his body
for war by riding horses bareback and hunting wolves in Sweden's fir
forests.
He
is quoted by Voltaire as saying upon the outbreak of the Great Northern
War, "I have resolved never to start an unjust war but never to end a
legitimate one except by defeating my enemies." He took this
resolution to an extreme level, which eventually resulted in the end of
the Swedish Empire and its dominance of the southern Baltic Sea.
Basics:
Born:
June 17, 1682
Died: November 30, 1718 ( 36 years old)
Nationality: Swedish
Religion:
Fields: Politics, Military
Main Accomplishments: As one of the greatest kings of the Vasa
Dynasty, Charles XII defended Sweden and won many victories for his
country during the Great Northern War against Russia, Poland, and Denmark.
He brought Swedish power to a high point and also initiated its decline.
Chronology
of Life Events:
Jun 17 1682
Birth
of Charles XII
1697
When
his father died, Charles assumed the crown
Aug
1700
Charles
rapidly compelled the Danes to submit to the Peace of Travendal
1702
Charles
defeated the Polish king Augustus II and his Saxon allies at the Battle of
Kliszow
1716
He
invaded Norway, occupied the capital Christiania, today Oslo, and laid
siege to the Akershus fortress.
1718
Charles
once more invaded Norway and laid siege to the strong fortress of
Fredriksten, overlooking the border town of Halden.
Nov
30 1718
He
was mortally hit by a bullet which caused his death
Early
Life:
Charles
XII, king of Sweden (1697–1718), son and successor of Charles XI. The
regency under which he succeeded was abolished in 1697 at the request of
the Riksdag. At the coronation he omitted the usual oath and crowned
himself. Charles's youth and inexperience invited the coalition (1699) of
Peter I of Russia, Augustus II of Poland and Saxony, and Frederick IV of
Denmark that challenged Swedish supremacy in the Baltics.
The
resulting Northern War quickly revealed Charles's abilities. In one of the
most brilliant campaigns in history, Charles forced Denmark to make peace
(Aug., 1700), defeated Peter I at Narva (Nov., 1700), subjugated Courland
(1701), invaded Poland and, declaring Augustus II dethroned, secured the
election (1704) of Stanislaus I as king of Poland. In 1706 he invaded
Saxony and forced Augustus to recognize Stanislaus as king, end his
alliance with Russia, and surrender his adviser, Johann Reinhold von
Patkul, whom Charles then had broken on the wheel. Charles then
concentrated on his chief enemy, Peter I. He secured the alliance of the
Cossack leader Mazepa and invaded Russia in 1708.
The
Swedish army was outnumbered, weakened by long marches and a cold winter,
and without the active leadership of Charles, who was wounded; it suffered
a disastrous defeat by the Russians at Poltava. Much of the army was
captured, and Charles fled to Turkey, where he persuaded Sultan Ahmed III
to declare war (1710) on Russia. After the Peace of the Pruth (1711)
between Russia and Turkey, Charles, who had taken residence near Bender in
Bessarabia, became an increasingly unwelcome guest. He was requested to
leave Turkey but obstinately refused.
A
whole Turkish army was sent (1713) to dislodge him from his house; Charles
defended it with a handful of men for several hours until he was forced by
fire to make a sortie. Taken prisoner and detained near Adrianople, he
feigned sickness for over a year. Late in 1714 he unexpectedly arrived at
Swedish-occupied Stralsund and defended it against the Prussians and the
Danes until Dec., 1715. When it fell he escaped to Sweden and proceeded to
invade (1716) Norway. He was killed in the Swedish trenches while
besieging the fortress of Fredrikssten.
He
was succeeded by his sister, Ulrica Leonora, who was forced to recognize a
new constitution that gave most of the power to the nobles and clergy.
During her reign the Northern War ended (1721) with substantial Swedish
losses. His final failure cost Sweden its rank as a great power. The
classic biography is Voltaire's History of Charles XII.
Father
Background:
Charles
was born in the palace at Stockholm. His father, who died when Charles was
four years old, left the care of his education to the regents whom he had
appointed. At the age of seventeen, when Charles XI attained his majority,
he devoted himself to sports and exercises, including the pursuit of his
favourite pastime, bear-hunting, and appeared ignorant of the very
rudiments of state-craft and almost illiterate. According to many
contemporary sources, the king was considered poorly educated and
therefore not qualified to conduct himself effectively in foreign
affairs.Charles was thus dependent on his advisors and diplomats, mainly
because he had no foreign language skills beside German and therefore
could not interact with the foreign envoys, but also because he was
ignorant of the world outside the borders of Sweden.
Mother
Background:
Queen Ulrica
Eleonora (1656-1693),("the elder", born as a Princess of
Denmark), who was a cultured person with pleasant manners, lost four of
her seven children, and as a result of this, she died, tired and
heartbroken at 36 years of age (in July 1693). Charles was only eleven and
naturally took this very hard.
SuperAttainer
ANALYSIS SECTION:
1. Early Success
When did the SuperAttainer first display ability
that was greatly above average and what were his accomplishments?
REFERENCES:
1.
2. Contrarian
What actions did the SuperAttainer take that demonstrated a mindset that was very different from those around him?
REFERENCES:
1.
3. Conceited
What are the actions and documented statements that exhibit an elevated sense of self importance of the
SuperAttainer?
REFERENCES:
1.
4. Hard-Knocked
During what events did the SuperAttainer experience personal misery and severe anxiety?
REFERENCES:
1.
5. Loner
Is there evidence of the SuperAttainer being comfortable spending time apart from others?
REFERENCES:
1.
6. Mentored & Motivated
Who was vital to developing the SuperAttainer and guiding his career and what significant actions were taken?
REFERENCES:
1.
7. Discontent
What evidence is there that the SuperAttainer was unsatisfied with even great personal accomplishment?
REFERENCES:
1.
8. Promoted
What actions or events were responsible for
publicizing the tremendous achievements and abilities of the SuperAttainer?
REFERENCES:
1.
Overall
Score:
x
out of 8 = xx%
PASS
SuperAttainer
Type:
Describe the factors in the SuperAttainer’s background to indicate
whether he is a Come-From-Nothing or Aristocratic type..
Conclusion:
Executive Search
& Management Consulting:
Chalre
Associates provides its Executive Search & Management
Consulting services throughout the emerging countries of the Asia Pacific
region with specific focus on Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam
and Singapore.
Regional
Managers use us to help bridge the gap between local environments and
the world-class requirements of multinational corporations.
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