Even the world’s most successful leaders and top performers, whether Fortune 500 CEOs or a chart-topping artists, view the pursuit of mastery as a continuous journey, not a destination. What separates the top 1%, though, isn’t just their initial success, but their relentless commitment to growth long after others plateau. Think Warren Buffett, who is still learning at 94, Madonna, reinventing her music decades into her career, and Gordon Ramsay or Heston Blumenthal, who constantly push culinary boundaries. All these legends embody this principle because the more skilled you become, the more you see the subtleties, possibilities, and depths you hadn’t noticed before.
“The gap between good and extraordinary isn’t talent, it’s the tiny, deliberate choices that compound over time,” says Jacqueline van Rooijen, Transformation Coach and Founder of Ycagel. “Most people optimise for comfort; the top 1% optimise for growth.”
She reveals 10 little-known mindsets and micro-habits the top 1% use to stay ahead, with insights you can adopt right now.
1. Strategic Vulnerability
Admitting “I don’t have all the answers” isn’t weakness, it’s a catalyst for innovation. When Satya Nadella became Microsoft’s CEO in 2014, he openly acknowledged areas he hadn’t mastered. That humility ignited a culture shift toward collaboration and reignited the company’s growth.
2. Daily Mind Audits
A nightly “win/loss” journal where you record one triumph and one misstep builds self-awareness. Lady Gaga credits this simple reflection practice for her ability to reinvent herself and deliver hit after hit. It builds the self-awareness that separates good performers from great ones.
3. Worst-Case Rehearsals
Rather than fearing failure, challenge yourself to map out exactly how you’d respond if the worst-case scenario happens. Jeff Bezos famously required Amazon teams to conduct ‘pre-mortem’ sessions – imagining their project had failed and working backwards to identify and prevent potential causes.
4. Micro-Mentorship
You don’t need boardroom heroes – wisdom lies everywhere. Turn everyday interactions in unexpected places into five-minute mentoring Pharrell Williams (well-known musician) has said his best musical insights often come from non-artists, like cab drivers or store clerks. He listens for mood, rhythm, and emotion in everyday speech.
5. “Over-Overcommunication” of Vision
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings believes that over-communication of context far outweighs persuasion. He famously published the company’s internal “culture deck” for the world to see, making it available not just to employees, but to investors, competitors, and anyone curious enough to click. His goal? To ensure total clarity on where the puck is headed.
6. Harness the Habit
Track one tiny habit, like reading a paragraph of a classic each day, and celebrate each small win. Serena Williams treated her serve routine as a ritual: with five bounces on first serves and two on second, helping her stay focused and consistent under pressure.
7. Mastering Deep Work
Reserve two 90-minute “deep work” sessions per week with no distractions. Warren Buffett spends around 80% of his time quietly reading and thinking, immersed in financial reports and books, purposely avoiding social media to focus on his long-term investments.
8. Embedded Generosity
Multiply your impact beyond profit. Marc Benioff entrenched giving into Salesforce’s DNA with his 1-1-1 model (1% equity, 1% time, 1% product), creating a culture that boosted both employee engagement and customer loyalty.
9. Preemptive Planning
Draft your “what if something goes wrong” analysis prior to starting a big project. Before launching Barbie’s 2023 rebrand, Mattel ran scenario planning exercises to anticipate backlash and missteps before a single ad went live. This pressure-testing helped the team fine-tune messaging and strategy, turning potential pitfalls into global success.
10. Thriving Rhythms Over Work Life Balance
Forget a rigid 50/50 split. Design weekly rhythms that let different facets of your life shine on different days – family night on Mondays, creative Fridays. Richard Branson credits his adventurous pursuits for fuelling his creativity.
“Leadership development isn’t optional”, concludes van Rooijen. “It’s the lifeblood of sustained success. Use these strategies as your blueprint to elevate performance, spark innovation and cultivate resiliency; and even share it with colleagues and contacts who refuse to settle for ‘good enough’.Samsung’s education-focused, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes strive to promote innovation and empower youth through technology; with the ultimate aim of addressing societal issues.
These programmes offer support to underprivileged youth and aim to cultivate creative thinking while also providing critical skills training needed by the local economy. By doing so, Samsung is creating opportunities for young people to make a positive impact on their communities and society. Samsung spoke to some of the beneficiaries from its education-focused initiatives that are driven through technology and this is what they had to say:
Siyabonga ‘Siya” Mojalefa Tshabalala originally from Qwaqwa in the Free State was part of the 2022 Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) programme in partnership with Central University of Technology (CUT). SIC is a global initiative that upskills youth aged 18-25 in future technologies to enhance their employability while focusing on AI, IoT, Big Data and Coding. Siya explained: “ Through this SIC programme – I gained hands-on experience through paper coding, peer programming and projects and these skills have helped me to solve real-world problems. The programme also taught me some important soft skills that are required in work environments, these included communication, critical thinking, problem solving skills and ability to collaborate with others.”
Another beneficiary, 26 year old Mulalo Ndou, did her undergrad in Mathematical Science and majored in Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). She also completed her honours in Risk Analysis (Cum-laude) at the University of the Free State (UFS).
According to Mulalo, Samsung’s bursary fund was her light at the end of the tunnel. Mulalo received funding from Samsung when she needed it to complete her last year of studies. “I lost the funding I had for my studies in my final year and had to go back home, but Samsung came through for me, she said. “This bursary fund paid for my annual fees and accommodation in my final year and postgraduate studies. It also provided me with a monthly meal and living stipend as well as an allowance for a laptop.”
After Mulalo finished her postgrad, Samsung provided her with an internship opportunity. “When the internship period was over, Samsung gave me a full-time position as a Process Improvement Data Analyst/Reporting Specialist am very grateful to the individuals at Samsung who helped me to be successful in my role,” she added. In an effort to pay it forward, Mulalo also works as a volunteer at Rising Females in STEM, as she is also a Rising Female in Technology and Mathematics.
Mulalo said that she has always wanted to be one of the mentors in the Samsung Solve For Tomorrow (SFT) programme. “This SFT opportunity came at the right time and has been an amazing experience. I am learning something new each day from the participating learners and most importantly, how to become a great mentor.”
Nzumbululo Todani, an 18 year old learner from Mbilwi Secondary in Thohoyandou, Limpopo. Nzumbululo is one of the beneficiaries from the SFT contest that challenges students to use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills to solve real-world problems in their respective, local communities. His participation in the SFT competition has proved to be invaluable – he attributes his academic achievements in 2024 to his experience in the programme. Nzumbululo was awarded the top learner in the province for the 2024 NSC examinations with an average aggregate of 97%. Also, he was awarded for obtaining 300/300 in two gateway subjects: Physical Science and Geography.
“When I participated in the contest, I assumed the role of team co-ordinator, managing and planning the daily landscape of the project and doing quality control on the prototype as well as all papers written and the final presentation. The competition left me with invaluable communication, leadership, planning, evaluation and time management skills.”
Thoriso Rangata is a 32 year male entrepreneur and the owner of KTO Digital – a Business Process Automation, Software Development Services and Background Screening Software as a Service (SaaS) solution provider. He currently stays in Johannesburg but is originally from Limpopo and is one of the beneficiaries of the Samsung EEIP Entrepreneurship Development Programme. Thoriso became part of the programme when he responded to a public call for applications. At the time, his business needed support so that they could meet the company’s growth objectives.”
Since being part of the EEIP programme, Thoriso won the Nedbank Business of the Year Award in 2022. His company also launched their own product and received accreditation for the business as a credit bureau in 2022.
“The other direct benefits that we received from being part of the programme included: Grant Funding, Asset Financing and Continuous Business Mentorship that our business needed in order for us to move forward, Thoriso added. “We strongly believe that the skills we acquired from this EEIP programme, which included Business regulatory governance structures and strategic business growth approaches/methods – have contributed to the success of our business to date.”
Through these education-focused CSR programmes that are driven by technology, Samsung is actively promoting the transfer of critical skills as well as both employment and entrepreneurship opportunities that are needed by the country’s youth and the local economy.
The testimonials from the youth that participated in Samsung’s programmes mentioned above, are a clear indication of the impact the company is making in South Africa. By continuing to fund such programmes, Samsung is working towards winning the fight against youth unemployment, inequality and poverty in the country; through job creation and the development of a skilled workforce.
