Trotsky himself is undoubtedly the most influential factor in determining the outcome of Stalin's power struggle. Despite having had great potential, Trotsky failed to utilize his resources and as a result was soon out of the running to succeed Lenin. In 1924 it was seen that Trotsky would almost certainly be the next leader of the Bolshevik Party, however this prophecy did not come to fruition for a number of reasons; Trotsky's personality, his predisposition to the workings of the political world and the accumulation of past mistakes that could be used against him – all these were under his control. However other external influences also played a role in Trotsky's fall from prominence within the Bolshevik Party after Lenin's death until 1928, the most significant of these being Stalin's manipulative power. Trotsky's failure in the post-1924 period is predominantly the result of his own mistakes, Trotsky was widely regarded as a "naive idealist who refused to play the political game", thus allowing him to adopt the title of "architect of his own downfall" . ”.Trotsky's personality played a huge role in his isolation from the Bolshevik Party. His arrogance and air of superiority allowed Trotsky to make unnecessary enemies with other members within the Bolshevik Party. Trotsky often patronized those around him and considered himself above certain mundane elements of politics: "If a speech to the Central Committee bored him, Trotsky was known to read a novel instead." . Trotsky constantly found himself making new enemies due to his seemingly self-centered personality. Trotsky consistently found himself on the losing side of the debate despite his powerful public speaking skills, as he lacked… the middle part of the paper… particularly influential in determining the outcome. Stalin was greatly underestimated within the party, especially by Trotsky. Stalin's political awareness and tact in decisions allowed him to build the world around him and follow the path to success. Trotsky failed to recognize the importance of worldly positions within the party and often refused to take them up, Stalin on the other hand happily used these positions to manipulate both people and information and slowly built his reputation and support which inevitably led to its success and popularity. Trotsky's alienation. Although these were external factors, many of which could have been avoided if Trotsky had been tactically aware. Trotsky considered Stalin inferior and did not take him seriously as a contender for the position of power, until it was too late when he failed to gain the necessary support.