Successful People Share a Common Habit

The ethos of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" to achieve success is ingrained into our culture. But in a New York Times opinion piece, psychologist Angela Duckworth—best known for writing about the virtue of perseverance in Grit— pivots from the myth of rugged individualism to a simpler, less glamorous habit she sees in high achievers: They ask for help. She opens with a harrowing story of nearly losing her 86-year-old mother in rough ocean water. "Ultimately, what saved my mother's life that day, and mine, too, was not fighting the current on my own," she writes. "It was calling for help."

The principle applies even when it's not a life-or-death situation, writes Duckworth, who lines up evidence and examples: a billionaire fund chief who credits much of his success to his assistant, entrepreneurs who fare better when plugged into collaborative networks, and research showing kids and college students thrive when they seek assistance. We routinely overestimate self-sufficiency, she writes, and underestimate how much others are willing—and even pleased—to step in. "Do it yourself" is overrated, she argues. Building a supportive environment is the real power move. Read the full essay.