One common element to do great thing is the use of Leverage. Unfortunately, a lot of people learn about leveraging before they learn the right method. As a result they simply leverage everything they had.
Leverage is basically maximizing result, no matter what direction it goes. If you have a good investment system, leveraging it would result a bigger profit. Likewise, if you have a bad or no system at all, leveraging on it would only give unknown result if not just worse.
Leverage amplifies both the rewards and the risks. Hence if the risk was not properly mitigated before hand, then the result is always disastrous.
Make sure you have found a good method that you like and have proven working well for you, ie. your cup of tea. Then only apply Leveraging technique on that particular system. Else just DON'T Leverage at all !
One of the most common wrongly leverage stories come from property investment.