As we all know, the path to success is a long and winding road paved with detours, potholes and the occasional ‘wrong way, go back’ sign.
It’s never smooth, and it’s never straightforward.
But persist, work hard and learn from your mistakes and you’ll get to the top of the mountain.
On your way, you’ll meet some interesting people.
Some will be helpful, some less so.
In my experience, there are five types of people you meet on the road to success.
Now, of course, this is not to suggest that there are only five types of personalities in the world.
What I’m saying is that people tend to react to those striving for success in fairly predictable ways and we can group these traits into five character types.
It’s worth learning a bit about these types as they can have a big impact on your life — good and bad.
You’ve probably met some of them already:
1. THE INTERROGATOR
We all know someone like the interrogator.
Every time you suggest an idea, even if it’s something pretty straightforward, they’ll want to know exactly how it’s going to come about.
They want details, costings, reports.
They are forever asking, ‘Have you thought about X?’ How do you plan to manage X and X?”
The interrogator can be off-putting at first, especially if your idea or business is new and you want to shout about it from the rooftops.
But they can also be handy.
Never dismiss an interrogator out of hand as they often force you to sharpen your idea and alert you to problems before they arise.
They’re not the most fun people to be around — who likes a killjoy? — but, they can be valuable if you want to test out an idea.
2. THE DOUBTER
Some people are just glass-half-empty types.
There’s no pleasing them and they tend to approach every new scenario with an expectation that it will end badly.
These are toxic types for successful people to be around.
What’s behind their negative attitude is a whole lot of fear, and they’ll project that onto your business idea until you end up as doubtful as them.
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of healthy skepticism (see the interrogator above), but 24/7 negativity is not healthy or helpful.
The good thing is, that these people are easy to identify because you walk away feeling drained and depressed when you talk to them.
3. THE JEALOUS TYPE
Then we have those types who would really love to be financially free and successful but lack the courage to go and do it.
Once you start taking steps towards success, the jealous types will start to knock you down.
Maybe they’ll try and tell you that you’ll never make it or cut you down in front of others.
These people are best ignored.
It may be tempting to put them, and their jealousy, in its place, but it’s best not to waste energy on jealous types.
The world is full of people who would rather see you fail than face their own lack of courage, and you need to learn to power ahead regardless.
Save your battles for those worthy of your time.
4. THE CLINGER
This type is a bit like an over-enthusiastic puppy dog.
They love teamwork, and they love your ideas.
They can see you’re headed for success and they want a part of it, too.
They grab on to you for dear life, determined to play a role in your success story.
What to do with a clinger?
Well, it depends on a lot of factors.
Do you like the person? Is their clinging more enthusiastic than annoying?
Are they positive people? Then maybe they could play a vital role in your success story.
If, however, they’ve attached themselves to you because they don’t want to do any hard work themself, well, then that’s a whole other story!
5. THE SUPPORTER
Finally, we come to the supporter, who, if working in the same industry as you, can often turn into a mentor.
They’re the people who really have your back.
They believe in you and they want to see you reach your full potential.
They’re there when things are going well, and they’re also there when the chips are down.
These people aren’t common, and you often find supporters in your partner, your family or a colleague.
Or maybe you met them by chance?
Either way, they’re absolutely crucial to your success.
You need people to spur you on, to encourage you to keep going, so make sure you have at least one supporter in your life.
As for everyone else?
Be choosy about who you let work with on your path to success.
The right people will help pave the way, but the negative types will just throw roadblocks in your path.
And that’s the last thing you need.
