Recently, at the Meet for Charity auction, I had an enlightening conversation with a bidder who asked me, “Kirill, what tools and techniques do you use to be successful?”

So, after giving my usual lecture on achieving success for the price of two thousand rubles (just kidding), I thought about the matter and finally came to a very important conclusion. Actually, I realized it not so long ago.

There are tons of strategies, tips, and tools out there. Believe it or not, most of them do work! But to be more precise, they work differently for everyone based on their unique situation and needs. There’s no magic, one-size-fits-all solution.

Here’s a quick look at some options:

• “Red” management, Agile, Kanban, turquoise management model.
• Meditation, tantra, psychotherapy, communication skills, math, physics.
• Todoist, Notion, Getting Things Done method.
• Consistency and organization, spontaneity, clear planning, being in the flow state.
• Taking notes, memorizing, journaling, writing morning pages, drawing, mind-mapping, Miro, FigJam.
• Working without distractions, doing several projects at once, working on a single project, workaholism, working four hours a day…

Give me another ten minutes, and I could easily triple this list of popular suggestions and advice. However, being successful is not about tools and techniques.

IT’S ALL ABOUT KNOWING YOURSELF

Asking myself questions helps a lot. Who am I? What’s best for me? How can I do things even better? Do I like selling or coding? Do I like socializing with people or working alone? Am I comfortable on stage? What if public speaking is not my thing?

The more I learn to understand myself, my strengths and growth areas, the nuances of my personality, my patterns and attitudes, and my traumas, the better I understand how to achieve more.

For example, telling a creative person who hates speaking in public to plan their life down to the last detail and talk at significant events wouldn’t be helpful. They might try it and end up feeling lost and unhappy (and blame me for the advice).

What’s the alternative? Instead, they could admit that they don’t really like planning and systematizing. They might work on this, and something may change. But at the moment, they are the way they are. They could focus on what they’re good at and maybe hire an operations director who loves their job and will do things a hundred times better.

Embracing your true self, acknowledging your abilities, strengths, personality traits, and acting accordingly is crucial. Listening too much to others is a bad idea. And don’t forget about the bullshit factor!

Understanding myself, recognizing what suits me and what doesn’t, not indulging my weaknesses but instead addressing and working on my concerns, choosing methods that I find comfortable, and achieving results through them — this is my approach.

Can a micromanaging boss find success? Absolutely. They’ll attract and hire individuals who are comfortable with that management style and okay with working under close supervision. Such a team can thrive, allowing the boss to lead effectively.

I view all the books, instructions, advice, and courses as alternative viewpoints on a subject. I try out what appeals to me but quickly abandon what doesn’t resonate. Conversely, I stick with techniques that I find helpful.

We’re all incredibly different. What works for one may not work for another.

The most accurate classification of people includes about 8 billion types. And everyone is unique.

So, the formula for success is rather simple: know yourself well, customize tools and methods to fit your unique profile, and remember to enjoy both the journey and its outcomes.

This is the only advice I can give.