Self-reliance Top achievers rely primarily on their own resources and abilities. Seventy-seven percent give themselves an A rating for this trait. Self-reliance is not how you feel or how good you are; rather, it's whether you have the gumption to take definitive action to get things moving in your life. It includes plain old willpower and the ability to get goals.
Two-thirds of the respondents say they've had clear goals for their lives and careers. And half of those we interviewed give themselves an A in willpower. Among other capabilities, willpower encompasses the ability to be a self-starter and to persevere after a project has begun.