What does it take to be a good revolutionary?

So, I was looking around on wikipedia and I noticed that the definition of revolutionary is: a person who demands fundamental change in power or organizational structures, constitutional change. a person who demands it NOW.

By that definition, and looking at all the out of control drug laws and military spending and what have you, I guess most of us are revolutionaries, but none of us are any good at it. why is that?

Historically the most succesful revolutionary individuals are those who were there from the beginning, Mao, Stalin, Lenin, they were all old school long before their party came to power, long before it looked as though it had any chance of success.

However a succesful revolution depends on turning some of the most conformist assholes imaginable, a revolution needs practical people on it's side and these are often already in the employ of the regime you're trying to usurp.