Success Advice
6 Things All EGOT Winners Have in Common
Today’s society cherishes the people who win Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tony Awards. Those individuals capture the headlines, as well as the hearts and minds of the fans who admire them. Dozens of people earn those accolades every year, but only a small group of people accomplish the incredible feat of winning all four in their career. Besides that remarkable accomplishment, EGOT winners have some other things in common with each other.
Here are the 6 things all EGOT winners have in common:
1. They’re Versatile
EGOT winners show they’re the best of the best in multiple kinds of art. In case you aren’t up to speed on the different types of awards by name, the Emmys are for excellence in TV, while the Grammys recognize outstanding musicians. The Oscars showcase fantastic individuals in the film industry, and the Tonys are for Broadway theater.
Keep in mind, not all the recipients are necessarily people you see on screen. Some earned recognition from their peers by composing music heard on TV or in movies, the theater, or within the music industry.
2. They’re Part of a Very Short List
John Legend became the latest person to win EGOT honors in September 2018. However, he made history in other ways. His age, 39, made him one of the youngest people to do so — composer Robert Lopez was another 39-year-old person on the EGOT list.
Legend also became the first African-American artist to reach this milestone. Beyond Legend, there are only 14 other people on the EGOT list. The composer Richard Rogers was the first to win the quartet of awards, and that feat happened in 1962. So, when you consider only 15 people have achieved EGOT status in the past 56 years, that element of exclusivity is extremely impressive.
“Soul is about authenticity. Soul is about finding the things in your life that are real and pure.” – John Legend
3. They Were Patient and Persistent
When some people think about the feats of famous people, they often unconsciously start only focusing on the outstanding achievements, not all the hard work it took to get them — and the inevitable failures along the way. To put things in perspective, consider every person who demonstrates excellence by becoming an EGOT winner had a long career.
It took each person at least 10 years to get their awards, and in most cases, the span of time was significantly longer than a decade. Robert Lopez was the only person to win all the necessary awards in a decade. However, Audrey Hepburn had the longest wait between earning all the awards. Her first was an Oscar in 1953. However, she didn’t win the last prize in the EGOT group — in her case, a Grammy — until 1994, over four decades later.
It’s extraordinarily rare for people to have “overnight” successes, and even more unlikely they’ll enjoy sustainable careers afterward. These people knew how important it was to work hard and stick with their careers for the long haul.
4. They Didn’t Let Shortcomings Stop Them
These people all had to get used to keeping proper perspectives, even when they didn’t win awards. After all, the list of “almost-EGOTs,” or the people who were on track to become such winners but ultimately didn’t receive the last awards they needed, is longer than you’d probably expect.
It’s crucial to remember that despite the ways these people get featured in headlines for all the fabulous things they do, they also go through things that are much more common, such as doubts and feelings of discouragement. When those struggles arose, they let the challenges shape them as people, instead of allowing the hardships to convince them to give up.
5. They Have An Amazing Work Ethic
Indeed, people who win EGOTs undoubtedly had teams of people supporting them along the way — parents, friends, teachers, coaches and mentors. But, the individuals themselves had to take what they received from their support systems and stay committed to working hard and staying focused on deliberate practice.
Some practice involves mindless repetition. Maybe you can relate by thinking back to the hours you spent learning major scales before piano lessons. In contrast, deliberate practice means paying attention to the task and having the perpetual goal of doing it to improve performance.
People from all walks of life take part in deliberate practice to master their careers, but something they have in common, like the people who won EGOTs, is they aren’t afraid to work hard. They know putting in the effort is a necessity for reaching the desired points in their careers.
“All roads that lead to success have to pass through hard work boulevard at some point.” – Eric Thomas
6. They Learned to Accept Criticism
Being in the public eye almost always requires people to learn how to take criticism in stride. Andrew Lloyd Weber is part of the EGOT list, and he’s a composer known for famous musicals including “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats.” Although you’ll find people who adore those productions, there are other individuals with scathing criticisms of the works.
Criticism is a part of life for all of us, but well-known individuals must be exceptionally resilient when dealing with it. People aren’t afraid to weigh in with their thoughts, especially in this age of social media and near-instant feedback. The people who receive EGOTs learned from feedback and used it to grow.
The people who can call themselves winners of EGOTs know the value of working hard and not giving up even when times are tough. They also have patience and realize it often takes time to fully achieve their aims. Consider keeping the characteristics on this list in mind as you explore self-improvement techniques.