Let's first define what the word 'success' means. It means different things to different people and is a very subjective and multifaceted concept. Is success financial independence, personal growth, career accomplishment, or happiness? Success in academia may be influenced by a combination of intelligence, work ethic, and access to resources. Success in entrepreneurship may be influenced by factors like risk-taking and innovation.
Several studies have been published, but as I see success, you may see it differently.
Traits like perseverance and self-control are important for success. Self-discipline and not IQ are better predictors of academic success in students (from the "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology" by Angela Lee Duckworth and Martin E.P. Seligman in 2005).
There is a moderate correlation between cognitive ability and job performance, indicating that intelligence can be a factor in professional success (from a meta-analysis by Hunter and Hunter in 1984, which examined the relationship between cognitive ability, intelligence, and job performance).
Success in any field often requires a significant amount of deliberate practice, opportunity, and cultural factors, in addition to individual talent or intelligence (Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers" discusses the 10,000-hour rule).
The 'Big Five' personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism) have been extensively studied in relation to various aspects of success. For example, conscientiousness is often associated with better job performance and career success.
The importance of emotional intelligence in personal and professional success. Emotional intelligence involves skills like self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills (research by Daniel Goleman, a pioneer in the field of emotional intelligence).
Emotional intelligence is a significant predictor of job performance and leadership effectiveness. (A study by Matthews, Zeidner, and Roberts (2002), journal 'Emotion')
Access to education and economic opportunities can significantly influence an individual's chances of success ('The Fading American Dream: Trends in Absolute Income Mobility Since 1940' by Raj Chetty, David Grusky, 2017).
