One of the most important qualities of successful people, says author Roger Fritz, is the ability to listen for the knock that announces opportunity. Oddly, the knock is so obvious that it's often overlooked! Too many people just sit back and wait patiently for fortune to smile on them. When it finally does knock, it's often unheard. When it smiles broadly, it's ignored. The ability to recognize the lucky break is a vital skill because it doesn't happen often.

There are other personal attributes that Fritz says are key to achieving success potential, including: Self-Esteem, Responsibility, Optimism, Goal-setting, Imagination, Awareness, and Creativity.

Among other things, successful people and leaders are:

As the author says, "The side roads are filled with brainy people who started fast but ran out of gas. They were replaced by slower, plain, deliberate types who just kept going and never looked back."