Most recall a conflict-heavy family life, but that conflict was rarely between the parents. Many parents were involved in political activism of some kind. Of the nine families, eight had a parent who was an immigrant or an educator, and five had a parent who was both. They didn’t have an unfair head start, but they were spared some of the most difficult obstacles faced by less fortunate kids.īut other commonalities are more specific, and more telling. They weren’t abused or neglected, and none grew up in abject want. They had involved parents and lots of opportunities, and most saw college as achievable, even inevitable. While none of these siblings grew up rich, they were privileged in many other ways. Some of the consistencies are fairly predictable. Of course, genetics plays a role for every family, but we focused on upbringing and sibling dynamics instead. And we defined success by leadership, service or achievement, not just fame or money alone. We looked for families in which all the siblings did well. In selecting candidates to study, we ignored siblings who do the same work in the same industry (like Venus and Serena Williams) and families that come from a great fortune or legacy (like the Trumps or the Kennedys).