by Dr Victor SL Tan
I still remember a consulting assignment many years ago that quietly reshaped how I view success in a project.
The company was struggling. Productivity was low. Morale was worse. Managers complained about staff attitudes; staff complained about management. Everyone wanted results, but few were willing to do the unseen work required to create them.
During one session, I asked a simple question:
“Who here wants success?”
Every hand went up.
Then I asked,
“Who here is prepared to do the hard, consistent work that success demands — even when nobody is watching?”
Only a few hands remained.
Over the next six months, we focused not on fancy strategies, but on fundamentals: showing up on time, keeping promises, following through, improving small processes, and holding each other accountable. Slowly, something shifted. Performance improved. Relationships strengthened. Profits followed.
What changed?
Not intelligence.
Not talent.
Not luck.
That experiences of my many consulting jobs in Asia reinforced a powerful lesson: success is rarely dramatic. It is quietly constructed, day by day.
Over time, I distilled this into what I now call The 7 D’s of Achieving Your Goals — seven pillars that consistently show up in high performers, resilient leaders, and organizations that thrive. It is like watching a movie in 3D, 4D or 5D feels richer because you’re more involved — and it reminded me that achieving our goals works the same way. When we add the 7 D’s — diligence, dedication, dependability, discipline, determination, drive and direction — we move from merely watching life happen to fully engaging in many dimension through our journey toward success.
Let me walk you through them.
1. Diligence – Doing the Work When It’s Not Convenient
Diligence is steady effort over time.
It is the willingness to do what needs to be done — even when motivation is low, results are slow, or recognition is absent.
I’ve met brilliant people who never fulfilled their potential because they lacked diligence. And I’ve met average performers who rose to extraordinary heights simply because they refused to quit.
One manager I coached struggled initially with confidence. But she had one powerful trait: she prepared obsessively. She reviewed every meeting agenda, followed up on every commitment, and reflected on every mistake. Within a year, she became one of the most respected leaders in her organization.
Diligence compounds. That is why there are so many smart people who are low achievers because they do not stretch beyond their comfort zones.
Small actions, repeated consistently, eventually create massive outcomes.
There are so many cases where it is proven that diligence beats intelligence when it comes to achieve a goal.
2. Dedication – Commitment Beyond Comfort
Dedication goes deeper than diligence.
It is emotional ownership of your goals.
Dedicated people don’t treat their work as a job. They treat it as a calling. They care. They invest themselves. They persevere when circumstances are difficult.
I once worked with a sales leader whose team consistently underperformed. Instead of blaming market conditions, he took responsibility. He started coaching individuals after hours, accompanying them on client visits, and personally mentoring struggling staff.
Within nine months, his team topped the regional rankings.
Dedication changes energy.
When leaders are dedicated, teams feel it. When teams feel it, performance rises.
3. Dependability – Becoming Someone Others Can Trust
Dependability is often overlooked, yet it is one of the strongest currencies of leadership.
Dependable people do what they say they will do. They arrive when they promise. They deliver what they commit. They follow through.
Trust is not built through grand gestures. It is built through hundreds of small, reliable actions.
I once asked a CEO why he promoted a particular manager so quickly. His answer was simple:
“He may not be the smartest in the room, but I never have to chase him.”
In today’s world of excuses and shifting accountability, dependability stands out.
Be the person others can rely on — and doors will open.
4. Discipline – Mastering Yourself Before Leading Others
Discipline is self-leadership.
It is choosing long-term gain over short-term comfort. It is controlling impulses, managing time, and maintaining standards even when nobody enforces them.
In my own journey, discipline showed up in early mornings, constant learning, writing even when tired, and saying no to distractions that did not serve my purpose. Recently as I shared in my previous article, I overcame my slip disc problem from being on a wheel chair 8 months ago not being able to even stand for one minute without excruciating pain to being able to walk 20,000 steps in two hours with gradual and constant movement starting with a few steps, then tens, hundreds and thousands.
Through my BTFAR framework (Beliefs, Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, Results), I teach leaders that results always begin internally. Without discipline at the belief and action levels, outcomes remain inconsistent.
One executive I coached transformed his leadership simply by adopting three disciplines: daily reflection, weekly planning, and monthly self-review. These small habits reshaped his clarity, confidence, and effectiveness.
Discipline creates freedom.
5. Direction – Making Sure Your Effort Is Aimed Correctly
Perhaps of greater importance is setting the right direction.
Hard work without direction leads to exhaustion.
Busyness without clarity leads to burnout.
Direction means knowing where you are going and why.
I’ve seen many capable people trapped in activity but lacking purpose. They work long hours, attend endless meetings, yet feel unfulfilled.
When one client finally clarified his personal vision, everything changed. He realigned his career, restructured his priorities, and redesigned his schedule. Productivity improved, stress reduced, and meaning returned.
Direction turns effort into impact.
Ask yourself regularly:
What matters most?
Where am I headed?
Does my daily activity support my long-term goals?
6. Determination – Refusing to Quit When It Gets Hard
Every meaningful journey includes obstacles.
Determination is what carries you through them.
I’ve watched entrepreneurs lose businesses, rebuild, and rise stronger. I’ve seen professionals retrenched in mid-career reinvent themselves. I’ve observed leaders fail publicly, learn privately, and return wiser.
What separates those who succeed from those who stop?
Determination.
Determined people don’t ask, “Why me?”
They ask, “What now?”
They adapt. They learn. They persist.
Failure does not define them. Their response does.
7. Drive – The Inner Fire That Keeps You Moving
Drive is internal motivation.
It is the invisible engine that pushes you forward when external rewards are absent.
Some people wait to be motivated. High performers generate their own momentum.
Drive is not loud. It is quiet persistence. It shows up in continuous improvement, curiosity, and hunger to grow.
I once coached a young professional who constantly sought feedback, volunteered for stretch assignments, and invested in personal development. Within five years, he rose into senior leadership — not because of privilege, but because of drive.
Talent opens doors.
Drive keeps them open.
Bringing It All Together
The 7 D’s are not independent traits. They reinforce each other.
Diligence fuels dedication.
Dedication strengthens dependability.
Dependability builds trust.
Discipline sustains performance.
Direction gives purpose.
Determination overcomes adversity.
Drive maintains momentum.
Together, they form a powerful success ecosystem.
Most importantly, they are not talents you are born with.
They are habits you cultivate.
Success is rarely the result of one big decision.
It is the outcome of thousands of small choices:
Choosing to show up.
Choosing to improve.
Choosing to persist.
Choosing to grow.
If you are serious about achieving your goals, don’t wait for perfect conditions. Start with one D today.
Be more diligent in your preparation.
More dedicated to your purpose.
More dependable in your commitments.
More disciplined in your routines.
More intentional in direction.
More determined in adversity.
More driven in learning.
Your future is being shaped by what you repeatedly do.
And remember:
You don’t rise to the level of your dreams.
You fall — or climb — to the level of your daily habits.
Unleash the 7 “D” s in achieving your goals in your work as well as in your life.
Dr Victor SL Tan is the Chief Executive Officer of KL Strategic Change Consulting Group. He is an author 21 books including Changing Mindsets, Releasing Trapped Minds, Changing Your Corporate Culture and Lessons of Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow (the late founder of Public Bank Berhad). KL Strategic Change Consulting Group is the winner of The Brandlaureate Award for the company that makes the most positive and profitable impact on organisations through corporate training. For a complimentary copy of Achieving Your Goals Through the 7 “D” s brochure, email him at victorsltan@klscc.com or contact him at 0123903168
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