Advisors who are thriving exhibit some common traits that help them keep ahead of the curve. According to the report "Path to Success: Adapt—or Be Left Behind," from Nationwide Advisory Solutions, other registered investment advisors and fee-based advisors can better their practices, earn more and manage more assets if they take heed of what highly successful advisors are doing. The report, based on the fourth annual Advisor Authority survey, sought input from both financial advisors and individual investors. One feature of highly successful advisors, the report says, is they're far more likely to describe 2018's financial outlook in a very optimistic way; 32 percent did so, compared with 24 percent of other advisors. In addition, they're far more likely to expect their practice's profitability to increase substantially in the next 12 months (35 percent, compared with just 19 percent). Above are the 10 traits of highly successful advisors identified by the study.