Why do some people seem to have the desirable ability to get things done—to get results—while others seem to continually spin their wheels?

I believe that the results getters have three common qualities or traits; great self-talk, great alliances, and great ability. The complexity of these three traits is part of the mix.

1. Great self-talk is driven my a number of factors including; personal experiences both positive and negative, environment, personal goals, the prices that one is willing to pay for their success, personal desire to continually improve, minimal concern for what others say about them, and a host of other elements. Together, these factors create in a person something that most of us would identify as passion.

The much talked about issue is if passion can be taught or acquired; or does it have to be innate? Many believe one has to be born with passion. I, to the contrary, do not believe this. There are too many negative examples today of religious fanatics that became passionate about their cause after their conversion, or perhaps better stated; indoctrination. This is proof to me that passion can be taught or learned.

If you, or your employees, are not enjoying the results you need or desire; positive self-talk is the first step toward results.

2. Great alliances appear in many forms; camaraderie, friendship, partnership, networks, collaborative activities, master minds groups, and mentorships, depending on the situation. The relationships you, and your employees, enjoy will affect your self-talk and also your abilities. Great alliance relationships are the glue between the first and third steps to results.

Building great relationships comes natural to some people, however it is a skill that can be taught and learned. Organizations that adopt partnering as a key strategy for growth must learn the skills to develop and implement profitable alliances. The same goes for results driven individuals.

3. Great ability is more than the sum of one’s God given talents. Ability is the collective body your knowledge, skills, experiences and talent synthesized through your self-talk. The relationships you build greatly affect your ability.

One’s abilities come from their empirical knowledge and experiences. Few people knew how to drive a car upon leaving the womb. Similarly, few people knew how to effective run multi-billion dollar companies when they were in third grade. These skills were taught to them. Ability comes from the gained knowledge and skills garnished from relationships with others—paid or reciprocal, or through trial and error. Trial and error is costly and time consuming.

What does this mean to you? You want results? What do you care about? You can have results; if you are willing to change your self-talk, build better relationships and learn from the people that currently embody the skills you need. Volumes of books have been written to explain the above, yet it is as simple as 1—2—3.