Mindset

No matter how many times you get knocked down, you must get up again. This is what it means to have resilience, mental toughness, or grit.

Throughout history and in every industry, you'll find that highly successful individuals share this ability to persevere in the face of challenge and bounce back from setbacks. Even if they were did not have the highest IQ or were not the most talented person in their circle, they persisted through every obstacle or defeat they encountered and tried harder the next time. This is one of the most important character traits you need to foster to get through the academy, and it's the mindset you must adopt in order to succeed.

The academy will be a difficult challenge, with courses that are academically, physically, and emotionally exhausting, pushing you to your limits and testing you daily. The academy is designed to expose your existing inner strengths and then to build upon them, molding you into a stronger, smarter, and better version of yourself; but the process is effective only if you have Resiliency, the ability to persevere.

Some of the other core characteristics that can help you succeed include:

• Drive – the unrelenting need for achievement and constant self-improvement
• Adaptability – the ability to adjust according to the situation, learn new things, innovate, and try new methods
• Humility – self-confidence in one's ability while understanding that there's always room for improvement and that others' experiences and knowledge are valuable
• Integrity – an adherence to not only what is legal but also what is right
• Effective intelligence – the ability to apply one's knowledge to real-world scenarios
• Team-ability – the ability to function as part of a team, placing the success of the whole above the needs of the self
• Curiosity – a desire to explore the unknown and question the status quo in pursuit of better, more effective solutions
• Emotional strength – a positive attitude, high empathy, and control over one's emotions, especially in chaotic and stressful situations

These are the characteristics we look for in our candidates, but they only become evident through our hiring process and then the academies. The candidates who have a combination of these traits are the ones most likely to excel, in this or in any other endeavor, so it is to your benefit to develop them within yourself as preparation for the academy.