At the dining-room table, during our holiday dinner, the discussion turned to the tenets of business success.  Was having the right intuition enough?  No, we all agreed, if that great idea wasn't executed, we didn't move ahead--didn't succeed. 

How about the willingness to take risk?  We agreed that risk was often a component of success, but many at the table felt that in hindsight frequently those who succeeded took little risk.

What about curiosity?  What about vision? Flexibility?  Innovation?  An awareness of other sectors of our business environment--and the ability to see it all together--to put it into perspective?

The consensus, after long debate, was that there are many factors that contribute to success and they are dependent on the particular circumstances of the situation--and upon what is important to each of us.

While at the conclusion of our discussion we weren't able to offer a definite path to success, we realized that in the workplace, just as at the table listening to and considering a variety of viewpoints and ideas certainly opened a door.  (From that perspective I would be happy to hear [and post if you are amenable to it] your ideas on how success can be achieved).