Evidence matters. We've spent years learning from Presidents, Olympic champions, astronauts, entrepreneurs and Nobel Prize winners. Combined with insights from more than 370 academic references, these conversations have helped shape our understanding of what drives success.
To achieve something extraordinary is to accomplish something that once felt out of reach - whatever that means for you. For some people, that might be climbing Everest, winning an Olympic gold medal or starting a successful business. For others, it might be building a career they love, supporting their family or overcoming challenges that seemed impossible at the time.
These goals may look very different, but they have something important in common: they all require people to grow, learn and become more capable than they were before. By definition, very few people will reach the very top of their chosen field. But every one of us can improve. We all have the capacity to learn, develop and achieve more than we thought possible.
But what does that actually take? Why do some people and teams achieve remarkable things time and time again while others struggle to fulfil their potential? Is it simply motivation? Tennis legend Roger Federer doesn’t think so. Is it just hard work and dedication? Oscar winner Julia Roberts says the answer is more complicated than that. Is it resilience or 'grit'? Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes thinks not. Self-confidence? Bear Grylls says ‘no’ to that as well.
Our research suggests there is no single secret to success. Instead, extraordinary achievement is built on a combination of attitudes, behaviours, skills and relationships that can be understood, developed and strengthened over time.
What is it that enables some people to achieve extraordinary things?
It's tempting to believe that success comes down to talent alone - that some people are simply born with abilities the rest of us don't possess. The evidence suggests otherwise. While factors such as physical attributes can influence certain outcomes, success is rarely determined by talent alone. In the right environment, with the right support and opportunities, people can develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and relationships needed to thrive.
Drawing on years of interviews, academic research and practical experience, we developed the X Model - a framework that captures the factors we consistently see in high performers and successful teams.
The X Model sits at the heart of BecomingX Education. It informs our lessons, films and resources, helping young people build the skills, knowledge, attitudes and relationships they need to succeed in education, work and life.
To demystify what it takes and help people achieve more than they thought possible, we believe you have to show the way, and share the real stories of those who've done it. We interview the world's most inspirational and iconic people to understand what truly lies behind extraordinary achievement, and to help others build the skills and confidence to pursue it themselves. We've interviewed Presidents, Nobel Peace Prize winners, Olympic champions, CEOs, Oscar winners, astronauts, humanitarians and adventurers, creating films with some of the most accomplished people in the world. But that's not enough.
Our aim is to turn understanding into actionable insight for others, so we also interview many people you won't recognise. People who have achieved truly extraordinary things despite a tough start in life. People who have experienced homelessness. Who were abused. Who grew up in care, or spent time in prison. It's often in these stories that we find the greatest lessons.
We tell real stories - not the curated fiction of social media, but the authentic accounts that change how people think about their own potential. Our interviewees aren't perfect. None of us are. But where it can be measured, they are among the very best in the world at what they do, and we believe they have something valuable to pass on.
“If you do your best, at least you'll have no regrets, and you can look back and you can be proud of what you achieved.”
Success is shaped by many different factors. The skills, attitudes and behaviours we develop matter, but so do the environments we grow up in, the opportunities available to us and the people who support us along the way. There is no single formula for success, which is why understanding human potential is such a fascinating and important area of study.
Over the years, we've explored hundreds of books, research papers and studies to deepen our understanding of what helps people thrive. Below is a selection of books we regularly recommend to educators, young people and anyone interested in learning more about success, human potential and high performance.
