The lack of clear plan and-or direction is probably one of the main factor of failure, regardless of the talent involved.
But there are other very important factors.
What I can tell you, as a constance, in the successfull people -men and women- I've been meeting so far, are those principles:
- clear plan - direction
- an incredible capacity to not experience discouragement when things aren't working according to the plan but on the contrary the hability to transform obstacles into benefit, learning from each of them.
- An obstination to reach their aims
- A clear knowledge of their wicknesses and the hability to surround themselves with the right people.
- A mastering and use of the intuition superior to average
- A very clever time-effort-energy management, no wastefullness
- An absolute lack of interest on what others might say, think or opinate, specially when it comes to new ideas.
- A total capacity to acheive the tasks in the moment and not "put off till tomorrow what you can do today" (that's key...has to do with point 6)