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:
Phillip II of Macedon
Ancient
Macedonian
King:
Phillip
II of Macedon
Main
Life Accomplishments:
He
was an ancient Greek king (basileus) of Macedon from 359 BC until his
assassination in 336. He was the father of Alexander the Great, Philip III
and possibly Ptolemy I, the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt.
Basics:
Born: 382
BC Pella
Died: 336 BC (aged 46) Aigai
Nationality: Greek
Religion:
Fields: Politics, Military
Main Accomplishments: His most important innovation was
doubtless the introduction of the phalanx infantry corps, armed with the
famous sarissa, an exceedingly long spear which was intended mostly to
counter cavalry, at the time the most important army corps in Macedonia.
Chronology
of Life Events:
382
BC
Birth
of Philip II
364
BC
Philip
returned to Macedon.
359
BC
The
deaths of Philip's elder brothers, King Alexander II and Perdiccas III,
allowed him to take the throne
359
BC
Philip pushed back Paionians and Thracians promising tributes, and
crushed the 3,000 Athenian hoplites.
358
BC
Philip
had married Audata, great-granddaughter of the Illyrian king of Dardania,
Bardyllis. However, this did not prevent him from marching against them
356
BC
Athens
declared war against him, he allied with the Chalcidian League of Olynthus.
He subsequently conquered Potidaea, this time keeping his word and ceding
it to the League.
356
BC
Philip
also conquered the town of Crenides and changed its name to Philippi: he
established a powerful garrison there to control its mines, which granted
him much of the gold later used for his campaigns.
356
Alexander
was born, and Philip's race horse won in the Olympic Games.
355–354
He
besieged Methone, the last city on the Thermaic Gulf controlled by Athens.
During the siege, Philip lost an eye.
354
Despite
the arrival of two Athenians fleets, the city fell
354–353
Despite
the arrival of two Athenians fleets, the city fell in 354. Philip also
attacked Abdera and Maronea, on the Thracian sea-board.
summer of 353 he invaded Thessaly, defeating 7,000 Phocians under the
brother of Onomarchus.
352
to 346 BC
Philip
did not again come south. He was active in completing the subjugation of
the Balkan hill-country to the west and north, and in reducing the Greek
cities of the coast as far as the Hebrus.
349
BC
Philip
started the siege of Olynthus, which, apart from its strategic position,
housed his relatives Arrhidaeus and Menelaus, pretenders to the Macedonian
throne.
348
BC
The
Macedonian king finally took Olynthus and razed the city to the ground.
347
BC
Philip
advanced to the conquest of the eastern districts about Hebrus, and
compelled the submission of the Thracian prince Cersobleptes.
346
BC
He
intervened effectively in the war between Thebes and the Phocians, but his
wars with Athens continued intermittently.
342
BC
Philip
led a great military expedition north against the Scythians, conquering
the Thracian fortified settlement Eumolpia to give it his name,
Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv).
340
BC
Philip
started the siege of Perinthus.
339
Philip
began another siege of the city of Byzantium.
338
BC
He
successfully reasserted his authority in the Aegean by defeating an
alliance of Thebans and Athenians at the Battle of Chaeronea
337
BC
Philip
created and led the League of Corinth
336
BC
When
the invasion of Persia was in its very early stage, Philip was
assassinated, and was succeeded on the throne of Macedon by his son
Alexander III.
Early
Life:
Born
in Pella, Philip was the youngest son of the king Amyntas III and Eurydice
II. In his youth, (c. 368–365 BC) Philip was a hostage in Thebes, which
was the leading city of Greece during the Theban hegemony. While a captive
there, Philip received a military and diplomatic education from
Epaminondas, became eromenos of Pelopidas, and lived with Pammenes, who
was an enthusiastic advocate of the Sacred Band of Thebes. In 364 BC,
Philip returned to Macedon. The deaths of Philip's elder brothers, King
Alexander II and Perdiccas III, allowed him to take the throne in 359 BC.
Originally appointed regent for his infant nephew Amyntas IV, who was the
son of Perdiccas III, Philip managed to take the kingdom for himself that
same year.
Philip's military skills and expansionist vision of Macedonian greatness
brought him early success. He had however first to re-establish a
situation which had been greatly worsened by the defeat against the
Illyrians in which King Perdiccas himself had died. The Paionians and the
Thracians had sacked and invaded the eastern regions of the country, while
the Athenians had landed, at Methoni on the coast, a contingent under a
Macedonian pretender called Argeus. Using diplomacy, Philip pushed back
Paionians and Thracians promising tributes, and crushed the 3,000 Athenian
hoplites (359). Momentarily free from his opponents, he concentrated on
strengthening his internal position and, above all, his army.
Wife
Background:
The
dates of Philip's multiple marriages and the names of some of his wives
are contested. Below is the order of marriages:
* Audata, the daughter of Illyrian King Bardyllis. Mother of Cynane.
* Phila, the sister of Derdas and Machatas of Elimiotis.
* Nicesipolis of Pherae, Thessaly, mother of Thessalonica.
* Philinna of Larissa, mother of Arrhidaeus later called Philip III of
Macedon.
* Oylimpas of Epirus, mother of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra
* Meda of Odessa, daughter of the king Cothelas, of Thrace.
* Cleopatra, daughter of Hippostratus and niece of general Attalus of
Macedonia. Philip renamed her Cleopatra Eurydice of Macedon.
Father
Background:
Amyntas
III (Greek Αμύντας Γ΄ ),
(Unknown - 370 BC) son of Arrhidaeus and great grandfather of Philip II,
was king of Macedon in 393 BC, and again from 392 to 369 BC.
He came to the throne after the ten years of confusion which followed the
death of Archelaus II, the patron of art and literature. But he had many
enemies at home; in 393 he was driven out by the Illyrians, but in the
following year, with the aid of the Thessalians, he recovered his kingdom.
Medius, head of the house of the Aleuadae of Larissa, is believed to have
provided aid to Amyntas in recovering his throne. The mutual relations
between the Argeadae and the Aleuadae dates to the time of Archelaus.
To shore up his country against the threat of the Illyrians, Amyntas
established an alliance with the Chalcidic cities led by Olynthus. In
exchange for this support, Amyntas granted them rights to Macedonian
timber, which was sent back to Athens to help fortify their fleet. With
money flowing into the Olynthus from these exports, their power grew. In
response, Amyntas sought additional allies. He established connections
with Kotys, chief of the Odrysians. Kotys had already married his daughter
to the Athenian general Iphicrates. Prevented from marrying into Kotys'
family, Amyntas soon adopted Iphicrates as his son.
After the King's Peace 387 BC, Sparta was anxious to reestablish its
presence in the north of Greece. In 385 BC, Bardylis and his Illyrians
attacked Epirus instigated and aided by Dionysius of Syracuse, in an
attempt to restore the Molossian king Alcetas to the throne. When Amyntas
sought Spartan aid against the growing threat of Olynthus, the Spartans
eagerly responded. That Olynthus was backed by Athens and Thebes, rivals
to Sparta for the control of Greece, provided them additional incentive to
break up this growing power in the north. Amyntas thus concluded a treaty
with the Spartans, who assisted him to reduce Olynthus (379). He also
entered into a league with Jason of Pherae, and assiduously cultivated the
friendship of Athens.In 371 BC at a Panhellenic congress of the
Lacedaemonian allies, he voted in support of the Athenians' claim and
joined other Greeks in voting to help Athens to recover possession of
Amphipolis.
With Olynthus defeated, Amyntas was now able to conclude a treaty with
Athens and keep the timber revenues for himself. Amyntas shipped the
timber to the house of the Athenian Timotheus, in the Piraeus.
By his wife, Eurydice, he had three sons, Alexander II, Perdiccas III and
the youngest of whom was the famous Philip II of Macedon. Amyntas died at
an advanced age, leaving his throne to his eldest son, Alexander.
Mother
Background:
Queen
Eurydice was a queen of Macedon and mother to Philip II.
She was married to King Amyntas III of Macedon and had four children:
Alexander II of Macedon, Perdiccas III of Macedon, Philip II and Eurynoe,
Princess of Macedon.
Her mythological ancestry can be traced to the Greek God of the sea
Poseidon based on Greek mythology and Greek writings. She died in 365 BC.
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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