New Rules for Success

These guys are exactly where you want to be. Here's how you can put their advice into action to net your own wins-in business, life and health.

- By Kieran Legg

Success is a combination of hard work, boundless talent, and a little bit of luck. Unfortunately, there's no magic formula to sidestep that trifecta of ingredients. As such, if you're in the market to level up, you need to be ready to shed blood, sweat, and tears-the chosen cocktail of every CEO, entrepreneur, athlete, fashion designer, and entertainer on this list. However, there are a few ways to give yourself the edge, namely, tapping the aforementioned all-stars for their hard-earned rules for all-round success. We polled the experts so that you can reap the rewards.

RULE #1

DON'T FEAR CHANGE (LEARN TO EVOLVE)

Transitioning into a professional athlete, Cheetah's lock Oupa Mahojé watched as something fun turned into a full-time, high-pressure commitment. The sport changes, and it becomes a whole lot more competitive, he says. It's always a big adjustment for all players. However, instead of resenting this sudden shift, Mahojé took it as a sign to level up his approach. As rugby went from something tough and physical to a new beast that required an in-depth, tactical understanding of the game, the athlete rose to the occasion. “I took notes during meetings and watched clips of opponents closely, he says. The sport has gotten to the point where there's not a lot of time to switch off-even at home-so you have to make use of every moment you have to find ways to beat opponents. This approach has translated into an ironclad mindset: Whatever happens, you have to stay in the fight, even when things are tough. That means adapting to everything the sport can throw at you, whether it's to new rules, injuries, or a bad result on matchday.