These successful qualities are more things like ambition and intelligence etc that you would associate with success but they are dismissed. The formula for the quote goes like "The X man does not succeed because …." This repeats for 5-6 qualities and then it lists how only hard work conquers these faults and makes on successful. There is also one line in the quote sort of like this "for there are countless X men who lie shattered on the way to success" replacing X with one of the appropriate qualities.

Is this the quote you mean –

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan press on has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."

The website I found it on attributed the quote to President Coolidge.