10 Things That Can Make Your Employees into Rockstars


10 Traits of Successful Employees

While everyone has distinct characteristics that help them move forward in business, there are a few qualities every truly valued employee shares. That’s why we asked 10 Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members the following question:

“What one thing makes your most successful employee so successful?”

Traits of Successful Employees

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Determination

“When an employee doesn’t take no for an answer, it makes them a force to be reckoned with. They get things done that others couldn’t and in this employee’s case, they do them logically without missing a beat. That makes them my go-to person when it comes to important projects and moving our company ahead.” ~ Brooke BergmanAllied Business Network Inc.

2. Willingness to Learn

“We are lucky to have many immensely successful employees, and they all have one thing in common: a willingness to learn. Whether it is an advanced skill in his or her field or an entirely different skill that otherwise betters the department as a whole (or the team member as a person), this thirst for knowledge is one of the key factors that help our top performers.” ~ Chuck CohnVarsity Tutors

3. Initiative

“People that get promoted are usually the ones who are working beyond the expectations of their current roles before they are asked to. Taking this initiative upon themselves exhibits leadership skills and a passion for the business. They’re filling shoes before they own them.” ~ Sharam Fouladgar-MercerAirPR

4. Eagerness to Step Up

“A successful employee isn’t satisfied with hiding behind a computer or desk and maintaining the status quo. A successful employee is constantly thinking of ways to improve and innovations that will help the company meets its goals and strategies. The most successful employees are always learning and growing personally, professionally, and emotionally and are able to take on more and achieve more.” ~ Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now

5. Lack of Negativity

“Pessimists seek out issues and inflate any issue they find until it’s a serious problem. Optimists minimize issues and focus on achieving the bright future they see. My best employee for the past ten years has a daily process, doesn’t worry about other people in the office, and focuses on getting things done. When serious issues crop up, they are addressed directly and without emotion.” ~ Brennan WhiteCortex

6. Knowledge of Their Own Limits

“If you have an employee who you trust enough to deploy on any given project, it’s probably because you trust that if they hit a wall, they know exactly when and where to ask for help instead of floundering on their own or not executing to full potential. True self-awareness means they’ll do well at what’s in their wheelhouse and be upfront with you and themselves about what’s not.” ~ Roger LeeCaptain401

7. Constant Curiosity

“We have a team of successful employees who all share a common trait: natural curiosity. Each of my team members is always looking to learn and to expand their skills, whether it be through asking questions or signing up for an online course in their spare time. A successful employee is one who takes initiative. They constantly seek to improve upon themselves and support the people around them.” ~ Hank OstholthoffMabbly

8. Humility and a Willingness to Ask for Help

“Hard workers believe they need to accomplish everything on their own. But the most successful employees know that teams typically complete amazing projects when they work together. So, a common trait that high-performing workers share is humility. They know when to ask for help to ensure that they don’t make any critical mistakes.” ~ Firas KittanehAmerisleep

9. Big Picture Thinking

“Our most successful employees possess the ability to see past small details and focus on the big picture of our company. This way, they’re contributing to the success of everyone, which contributes to the success of the company, which finally, contributes to their individual success.” ~ Ginger JonesJones Therapy Services

10. Motivation

“Nothing beats a happy employee who enjoys and is motivated by what they do in the office every day. These are the people who go the extra mile, put in that little something more, and who are constantly concocting new ideas and tricks that might just work to make things better. It is essential however to give them the freedom and trust to go their own way and be creative.” ~ David TomasCyberclick

Guitar Photo via Shutterstock

3 Comments ▼

The Young Entrepreneur Council The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

3 Reactions
  1. Luckily I don’t have to worry about bad employees yet. These 10 tips are awesome though. They clearly explain every topic. Love the post!

  2. The problem is finding these people. People like these are rockstars because they have grown from their own problems. It is hard to find someone like this. A person has to undergo so much pain in order to mature.

  3. The challenge for business leaders is to make their company a place that attracts those “Rockstars”.
    Or even better: to make it a place that develops high performers – that help the business to move forward. Of course, the problem then becomes how to keep them.
    In either case a compelling business vision that supports the candidate’s personal goals will contribute greatly to getting and keeping the ideal people on board.