When we started the Business Intelligence Group our goal was truly to help recognize great accomplishments and to leverage that success to help others. This month we have surely met that goal.

Today my 11-year-old son asked me “Who was more successful, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs?”

I did not know how to answer. Gates’ work at Microsoft changed the way we work and communicate, but the same could be said about Jobs and his work at Apple, especially considering the iPhone.

So I asked him, “How do you define success?”

Luckily for me, my mother was in town for Mother’s Day and she looked at my son and said, “Take it from an old lady, do what you love and you will be successful. The money will come if that is what you want.”

What would we do without mothers advice!

Over the course of the last few weeks we have published interviews (video/audio with transcripts) of some very successful leaders running very successful companies. Three of these interviews stood out as phenomenal examples of how to define success.

Caitlin MacGregor Co-founder and CEO of Plum — formerly Cream.hr (http://cream.hr)

Rene Lacerte Founder and CEO of Bill.com (http://bill.com)

Scott Knoll CEO of Integral Ad Science (http://integralads.com/)

Three commonalities stood out within each of these discussions and these commonalities are surely the drivers of their success.

Narrow/Laser focus on a single uniform issue or challenge in their market

Unwavering energy and passion for that issue and market

A willingness to share their knowledge for the betterment of others

As you start your week, remembering these “keys to success” will help you refine priorities, renew your own focus and allow you inspire others as you look to lead your teams in the hopes of changing your own world.

Photo by kevin dooley via Flickr

Originally published at www.bintelligence.com on May 13, 2013.