Obama's environment and work ethic completely coincide with the reasons for Malcolm Gladwell's success. Gladwell says that a person's determination, parenting, childhood and time period all play a crucial role in their success; and in the case of President Obama, Gladwell is absolutely correct in his assertions. President Obama is a success for multiple reasons, some due to his own motivation and others due to outside forces. Ultimately, they all played a role in creating an individual who, despite adversity, was able to overcome and thrive. However you define success, Obama is a clear picture of it, and Gladwell's claims easily explain how Obama managed to get here.