Would it surprise you to know that some of the most influential people in my life are successful people whom I have never met?

I strongly believe to become great, you have to study people who have achieved greatness before you.

Over the course of my career, I have been mentored by several multi-millionaire entrepreneurs with great integrity, whom I know personally, but also by many I don’t. I have read their books, listened to CDs, and leveraged their lessons learned and tools of success in order to build a legacy in my own business.

Through personal experience and years of working one-on-one with business owners and sales teams, I’ve learned that successful entrepreneurs share very similar qualities.

The good news is, these qualities can be learned.

Here are 2 trademark qualities you need to master to achieve entrepreneurial success:

1) Master of Self-Discipline.

First and foremost, to achieve success as an entrepreneur, you need to develop great self-discipline. This tool is integral to success in every area of life. Look at any Olympic athlete, and it is clear that in addition to natural aptitude, they have reached the pinnacle of their sport as a result of dedication – persistent and tremendous self-discipline. They wake up early, do grueling training exercises day in and day out, and follow strict meal plans.

Work at disciplining yourself to do what you should do – regardless of whether you feel like it – and success will become inevitable. Work at taking personal responsibility and exercising control in one area, whether it’s becoming an early riser or scheduling a set time every day to make prospecting calls, and you will develop the self-mastery necessary to be disciplined in all areas.

What differentiates successful entrepreneurs from unsuccessful entrepreneurs? Simple: successful entrepreneurs make a habit of doing all the things other entrepreneurs don’t like doing.

Don’t be mistaken – it’s not that successful entrepreneurs enjoy doing these things; they just do them anyway. Why? They understand that these consistent actions are the price one pays to achieve success.

2) Master of Integrity.

The second trait you need to master to achieve success in business and in life is integrity. Integrity is a quality you cannot survive – let alone thrive – without. Living with integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances.

To be sure, it isn’t always easy to do the right thing. In today’s competitive, real-world economy, it can be tempting to develop an “end justifies the means”-mentality. But resist the urge to cut corners or to relax your moral compass. If you live honestly, not only will you be able to look yourself in the mirror, but your business will immeasurably benefit.

Why? It takes time to build a reputation as a person with integrity, but just seconds to destroy it. When you honor your word or are forthcoming when you make a mistake, your clients, customers and peers in the industry take notice, and communicate. People want to do business with characters of integrity whom they can trust to deliver, be honest and do the right thing. When you violate that trust, word inevitably spreads. It can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to regain that trust once it’s been damaged.

If you want to build a sustainable legacy business, never compromise your integrity. Your success as an entrepreneur is dictated by the number of people who trust you and are willing to work with you or buy your products and services. Remember, your character is the most important asset you will ever possess.

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I empower sales teams and business entrepreneurs to utilize a proven system for increasing sales and profitability in the new economy. While I can teach effective strategies and critical mindsets, each client has to work on developing the personal qualities necessary to reach their true potential and achieve lasting success.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article next week, where I will cover 3 more qualities you need to master in order to Double Plus your income and build a prosperous legacy business.