A friend recently attended a Leadership conference in Amsterdam. Alongside inspiring keynotes from Obama to Michaela De Prince was Marshall Goldsmith, a veteran coach. From Goldsmith’s experience, what makes people exceptional is not their innate talents or strengths, it’s their ability to commit to what they want.

Famously, Obama understood the importance of public speaking aged 11yrs. It wasn’t his birthright, he dedicated himself to the craft long before we had even heard him speak.

Michaela DePrince was inspired by a magazine cover of a ballerina when she was just 4yrs old in war-torn Sierra Leone. Her debut professional performance was to be 13yrs later.

Not all of us want to be the leader of the free world or a principal ballerina. Some of us just want to be fulfilled, to have balance in our lives or be happy.

Many people know what they want, most people know how to get it but it is those who are willing to fully commit that become the exceptional few.