The Top Advisor Mindset
If you want to become a top advisor, it starts with your mindset
I recently started reading The Million-Dollar Financial Advisor by David J. Mullen, and it’s changing the way I think about building a career in wealth management.
In just the first chapter, Mullen lays out the mindset shared by the most successful advisors in the industry. They are the ones doing $1M+ in production and consistently landing on Forbes and Barron’s rankings.
These are the core traits I learned from Chapter 1 that I would like to share with the GenZ Advisor community.
1. Confidence & Leadership
Top advisors carry themselves with quiet confidence. They’re not flashy, and they don’t need to prove how smart they are. Their confidence comes from preparation, their process, and the results they deliver. They lead clients with conviction not ego. They even turn away business if the fit isn’t right. That’s leadership.
To get there, you must become comfortable working with people far more affluent than you are. That means being respectful, staying true to yourself, and showing up with the composure of a professional.
2. Professionalism
Top advisors look and act the part. Their professionalism shows up in the way they dress, greet clients, follow through, and carry themselves daily. Many even dresses like their clients think managing partners or senior executives. Their teams reflect the same standard. White glove service is the baseline, not the goal.
3. Competitiveness
Top advisors aren’t obsessed with “winning at all costs,” but they keep score. They know where they stand, who their competitors are, and what it’ll take to move up.
Being competitive drives growth and it pushes them to learn, improve, and never get complacent.
4. Goal Oriented
Top advisors set goals and track them relentlessly. And when they fall short, they adjust and keep moving.
For current advisors, that could mean:
Business goals
Asset growth goals
New affluent household goals
Client retention
Prospect pipeline growth
If you’re a Gen Zer not in an advisor seat yet start with outreach goals. How many professionals will you contact this week? How many meetings will you set? These habits will pay off later when you're in the field producing.
5. Vision
Your vision is your long-term direction. Top advisors can clearly visualize what their business looks like now and what it’ll become. They have a plan, even if it evolves. A clear vision helps you use your limited time wisely and keeps you from chasing distractions.
6. Work Ethic
Becoming a successful advisor requires work. Most of the top advisors worked 70-80 hours a week early in their careers. Today, they still put in around 50 hours on average.
They spent their time focused on the right things:
Meeting with prospects and clients
Building relationships
Delivering results
If you're not spending at least 50% of your time with clients or prospects, you're may not be spending your time effectively.
7. Passion & Energy
Top advisors love what they do. Even when the hours were long, they showed up energized. They’re genuinely fulfilled by helping clients and they’re grateful for the income this career provides.
8. Trustworthiness
Trust is the currency of this business. The best advisors play the long game always putting their clients first, even if it means making less early on. They know trust leads to deeper relationships, referrals, and more assets over time. They keep clean compliance records and earn the right to be respected.
9. Courage
Courage is non-negotiable. Whether it’s cold calling, raising your minimums, or approaching a prospect outside your comfort zone you must embrace the discomfort of change.
Top advisors took risks. They:
Created niches
Pitched institutions
Moved upstream to more sophisticated clients
Took rejections and kept going
They got used to hearing “no” and pushed through it until they heard “yes.”
10. Communication Skills
The best advisors are elite communicators. They know how to:
Present with clarity
Break down complex topics simply
Speak with confidence and empathy
Adapt to different personalities
Listen actively and tailor their approach
Some use formal pitchbooks. Others rely on conversations. But either way, their communication builds trust, projects confidence, and drives action.
Final Thoughts
Becoming a top advisor takes a ton of work and the right skillset.
The good news? Every single one of these traits is learnable. No matter where you are in your journey, you can develop them over time.
Personally, I’ve found it super valuable to understand what the best in the business have in common and then honestly assess where my gaps are and where I can improve.
What trait surprised you the most?
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