The artistic field is full of talent. No doubt about that. It’s also incredibly hard to get recognized in. But what is it that sets the successful apart from the rest? Is it pure talent, luck, or something else?
Hughes Norton says the answer is all three.
As an agent to stars like Tiger Woods and Greg Norman, he’s been privileged enough to see beyond the surface level – what fame and stardom looks like beyond the scenes, and the immense work it takes to achieve. There’s no better person to help us hack the formula for success than this guy.
Here’s a summary of what Hughes believes it takes to get to the top.
Talent: The Foundation of Success
What is talent? It’s hard to define in black and white as there are so many ways to identify the quality. But even between disciplines like golf and art – what makes someone naturally gifted at what they do the underlying principles remain very similar. It takes a trained eye to be able to spot talent in development and an even more trained hand to nurture and develop it into something great.
Agents like Hughes spend their entire careers endlessly searching for that ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’ that makes an athlete stand out from the rest. They scour high school games and local tournaments, looking for that one player who has the potential to be a star. Although he admits a little luck was involved in finding superstars like Tiger Woods, Hughes believes there is indeed something noticeably unique about seeds bound for success.
“To get those six players that I [worked with], they’re superstar talent. They’re all different. They swing the club differently. They don’t do things the same,” He says.
That’s all scouts are looking for in the beginning. From golf to entertainment, those whose job it is to market unknowns into stars want someone who stands out from the rest, who has that special something that can’t be taught or replicated. And when they find it, they will do everything in their power to nurture and cultivate it.
Work Ethic: The Engine of Sustainable Growth
It’s been said time and time again, but we’ll say it once more: hard work beats talent. Talent may get you noticed, but hard work is what will keep you there. Hughes has seen this principle play out in real life enough to attest to its validity.
While he may be most well-known for working with big-name stars, there’s a long list of other players he’s worked with, and likewise many who he never believed were worth his time as an agent. The ones who ultimately ended up being successful were those with a tenacity for improvement.
They were the ones who showed up early, stayed late, and constantly pushed themselves to be better. This determination and drive is what truly sets the great apart from the good. Even with talent, no one stays successful when hard work is the main currency of the trade.
Competitiveness: Yearning to Stay Ahead
Getting to the top means having to step on others’ toes to get there. And being okay with it. The foundational characteristics of success already mentioned aren’t worth anything if they can’t be applied to the field. This unveils a third, equally important trait: competitiveness.
It’s one thing to strive for personal excellence, it’s an entirely different game when you have to compete against others who are just as talented and driven. Hughes knows this all too well, having seen his players go head-to-head with the world’s very best.
Yet he also recognizes the important fact that not all competitiveness is made equal. The best kind – the kind that helps natural talents push themselves to the top – is intrinsically motivated.
Take Tiger Woods as an example. Not only was he an unbelievably skilled 20-year-old who worked harder than anybody else, but on top of talent, Tiger was the most competitive kid you’d ever seen in your life.
“He liked to beat you at checkers or whatever you were doing,” Hugh says.
It wasn’t just about winning for Tiger, it was about constantly pushing himself and striving to be the best in everything he did. This fierce determination and work ethic is what propelled him to become one of the greatest golfers in history.
This principle isn’t limited to sports. In the creative field, which is, again, full of talent, competitiveness is what will set you apart from the rest. It’s that one factor bound to get you right back up again after experiencing a setback and likewise the reason you’ll keep pushing yourself to improve.
Passion: The Ultimate Differentiator
Another thing – you won’t get far without a real passion for what you do. Invariably, the most successful people are those who truly love and have a deep interest in their work.
To go back to the example from before, Hughes attributes a large part of Tiger Woods’ success to passion. Not only would this guy smash you at checkers for the fun of it, but he was also deeply connected to the game of golf on an intrinsic level.
“He loved the game, and I will submit to you, and you do this across all different fields of activity, if you don’t love what you do, I will postulate you’re never going to be superb at it.”
You are competing against yourself, at the end of the day.
Resilience: The Ability to Navigate Challenges and Setbacks
Resilience is the last, commonly overlooked but crucial factor that sets successful individuals apart. It’s the ability to bounce back after facing challenges and setbacks, instead of letting them bring you down.
In sports, resilience is what allows athletes to keep pushing through injuries and losses, never losing sight of their ultimate goal. In business, it’s what allows entrepreneurs to keep going despite facing multiple failures and rejections.
But resilience isn’t just about powering through tough times. It also involves the ability to adapt and evolve in the face of change, learning from past experiences and using them to improve future outcomes. Take recent advancements in AI as an example. While some may see it as a threat to their job security, resilient individuals see it as an opportunity for growth and development.
The truth is that we all have what it takes to be successful – it’s ultimately a question of how we view and cultivate that potential. Start with yourself and the world will take notice in no time.
After speaking with Hughes Norton, it’s easy to see that success in the artistic field – and really, any field – is a combination of talent, luck, and an unwavering passion for what you do. I highly recommend reading ‘Rainmaker‘ for a complete compilation of this iconic sports agent’s career-earned wisdom.
Enjoy!
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