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.
 +632 892 6703
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SuperAttainer:
Mahatma Ghandi
Indian Nationalist Leader:
Mahatma
Ghandi
Main
Life Accomplishments:
Was
a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian
independence movement.
He was the pioneer of Satyagraha — the resistance of tyranny through
mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence
— which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil
rights and freedom across the world.
Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for the alleviation of poverty, for the
liberation of women, for brotherhood amongst differing religions and
ethnicities, for an end to untouchability and caste discrimination, and
for the economic self-sufficiency of the nation, but above all for Swaraj
— the independence of India from foreign domination. Gandhi famously led
Indians in the disobedience of the salt tax on the 400 kilometre (248
miles) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and in an open call for the British to
Quit India in 1942.
Basics:
Born:
Born October 02, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat
Died: Died January 30, 1948 (aged 78) at New Delhi, India
Nationality: Indian
Religion: Hinduism
Fields: Politics
Main Accomplishments: Famous activist from India of Hindu
religion.
Chronology
of Life Events:
Oct
2, 1869
Birth
of Mahatma Gandhi
1883
Gandhi
was married through his parents' arrangements to Kasturba Makhanji
Sep
4, 1888
Gandhi
went to University College London to train as a barrister.
1918
Gandhi's first major achievements with the Champaran agitation and Kheda
Satyagraha,
Dec
1921
Gandhi
was invested with executive authority on behalf of the Indian National
Congress
Mar
10, 1922
Gandhi
was arrested
Feb
1924
He was released after an operation for appendicitis
1928
Gandhi
pushed through a resolution at the Calcutta Congress
Mar
1931
The
Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed
Sep
1932
Gandhi embarked on a six-day fast
May 8, 1933
Gandhi began a 21-day fast of self-purification to help the Harijan
movement.
1936
Three
unsuccessful attempts were made on his life.
Gandhi
returned to the head with the Nehru presidency and the Lucknow session of
the Congress
1938
Gandhi
had a clash with Subhas Bose, who had been elected to the presidency
Aug
9, 1942
Gandhi
and the entire Congress Working Committee were arrested in Bombay by the
British
Feb
1944
His
wife died
May
6, 1944
He was released before the end of the war because of his failing health
and necessary surgery
1946
Gandhi
advised the Congress to reject the proposals the British Cabinet Mission
offered
Jan
30, 1948
Gandhi
was shot and killed while having his nightly public walk on the grounds of
the Birla Bhavan (Birla House)
Early
Life:
Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi was born into the Hindu Modh family in Porbandar, in
1869. He was the son of Karamchand Gandhi, the diwan (Prime Minister) of
Porbandar, and Putlibai, Karamchand's fourth wife, a Hindu of the Pranami
Vaishnava order. Karamchand's first two wives, who each bore him a
daughter, died from unknown reasons (rumored to be in childbirth). Living
with a devout mother and surrounded by the Jain influences of Gujarat,
Gandhi learned from an early age the tenets of non-injury to living
beings, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance
between members of various creeds and sects. He was born into the vaishya,
or business, caste.
In May 1883, at the age of 13, Gandhi was married through his parents'
arrangements to Kasturba Makhanji (also spelled "Kasturbai" or
known as "Ba"). They had four sons: Harilal Gandhi, born in
1888; Manilal Gandhi, born in 1892; Ramdas Gandhi, born in 1897; and
Devdas Gandhi, born in 1900. Gandhi was a mediocre student in his youth at
Porbandar and later Rajkot. He barely passed the matriculation exam for
Samaldas College at Bhavanagar, Gujarat. He was also unhappy at the
college, because his family wanted him to become a barrister.
At the age of 18 on September 4, 1888, Gandhi went to University College
London to train as a barrister. His time in London, the Imperial capital,
was influenced by a vow he had made to his mother in the presence of the
Jain monk Becharji, upon leaving India, to observe the Hindu precepts of
abstinence from meat, alcohol, and promiscuity. Although Gandhi
experimented with adopting "English" customs — taking dancing
lessons for example — he could not stomach his landlady's mutton and
cabbage. She pointed him towards one of London's few vegetarian
restaurants. Rather than simply go along with his mother's wishes, he read
about, and intellectually embraced vegetarianism. He joined the Vegetarian
Society, was elected to its executive committee, and founded a local
chapter. He later credited this with giving him valuable experience in
organizing institutions. Some of the vegetarians he met were members of
the Theosophical Society, which had been founded in 1875 to further
universal brotherhood, and which was devoted to the study of Buddhist and
Hindu Brahmanistic literature. They encouraged Gandhi to read the Bhagavad
Gita. Not having shown a particular interest in religion before, he read
works of and about Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and other
religions. He returned to India after being called to the bar of England
and Wales by Inner Temple, but had limited success establishing a law
practice in Bombay. Later, after applying and being turned down for a
part-time job as a high school teacher, he ended up returning to Rajkot to
make a modest living drafting petitions for litigants, but was forced to
close down that business as well when he ran afoul of a British officer.
In his autobiography, he describes this incident as a kind of unsuccessful
lobbying attempt on behalf of his older brother. It was in this climate
that (in 1893) he accepted a year-long contract from an Indian firm to a
post in Natal, South Africa.
Wife
Background:
Kastürbā
Gāndhi was born to wealthy businessman Gokuladas Makharji of
Porbandar, Kasturba married Mohandas Gandhi in May 1882, through
arrangement. They were both 13 years old. At the time, she was illiterate,
and so Gandhi taught her to read and write — a potentially radical move,
given the position of women in India at that time. When Gandhi left to
study in London in 1888, she remained in India to raise their newborn son
Harilal. She had three more sons - Manilal (1892), Ramdas (1897), and
Devdas (1900).
In 1906, Mohandas Gandhi decided to practice brahmacharya, and the couple
became celibate. Although she stood by her husband, she did not always
easily accept his ideas. Gandhi had to work hard to persuade her to see
(and agree to) his side of the viewpoint. Kasturba was deeply religious.
Like her husband, she renounced all caste distinctions and lived in
ashrams.
Kasturba often joined her husband in political protests. She traveled to
South Africa in 1897 to be with her husband. From 1904 to 1914, she was
active in the Phoenix Settlement near Durban. During the 1913 protest
against working conditions for Indians in South Africa, Kasturba was
arrested and sentenced to three months in a hard labour prison. Later, in
India, she sometimes took her husband's place when he was under arrest. In
1915, when Gandhi returned to India to support indigo planters, Kasturba
accompanied him. She taught hygiene, discipline, reading and writing to
women and children.
Kasturba suffered from chronic bronchitis. Stress from the Quit India
Movement's arrests and ashram life caused her to fall ill. After
contracting pneumonia, and being denied penicillin by her husband, she
died from a severe heart attack on February 22, 1944.
Father
Background:
His
father is the prime minister of the principality.
Mother
Background:
His mother
is a deeply religious Hindu. The entire family follows a branch of
Hinduism that advocates nonviolence and tolerance between religious
groups.
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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