Kazuo Inamori, CEO and founder of Kyocera, developed an equation to reflect on how he achieved extraordinary results despite considering himself to have only mediocre talents. Inamori's "human equation" is simple yet profound: Success in Work and Life = Attitude x Effort x Ability This equation multiplies three qualities: ability, effort (enthusiasm), and attitude (way of thinking). Ability and Effort: Rated on a scale from 0 to 100. Attitude: Rated on a scale from -100 to 100. Inamori argues that by assessing individuals based on these three factors, you can predict their overall success in life and work. In his classic book 'A Compass to Fulfilment', Inamori emphasizes that success is the product of these three factors multiplied together. But the most critical component of Inamori’s equation is ATTITUDE. It’s the factor that can make or break your success because it determines the direction of your efforts and abilities. Inamori explains that people can focus their efforts and abilities positively or negatively. Therefore, attitude is unique because it can have both positive and negative values. A negative attitude, no matter how high the effort and ability scores, results in negative outcomes. For example, a talented person who uses their skills for fraud or theft will ultimately fail because their negative attitude undermines their efforts. That's why Inamori urges us to cultivate a positive attitude, as it ensures that our abilities and efforts lead to beneficial results for both ourselves and society. Here's an extract of his book: "When we are young, we often conclude that natural ability is the most important factor for success. Over the long term, however, we learn that we can supplement our natural ability with hard work and sheer will to achieve better results. Effort, we realize, may influence our success even more than our natural ability - and our effort is something we control. But the real difference-maker is attitude; among the three factors, it is the most powerful. Acting on a negative attitude, even momentarily, can bring disastrous outcomes. Fortunately, positive attitudes - such as being cooperative, humble, hardworking, and optimistic, to name a few - can be practiced daily. Positive attitudes undoubtedly lead to the most positive results, in our own lives and for humanity as a whole". Source: Corporate Rebels