Title: |
Are you sure you're successful? | ||
Author: |
Joe L. Gaskovski | Section: |
Success |
Submitted: |
September 2007 | Expertise base on: |
Experience |
On the very first line, in the very first chapter, the words "Good is the enemy of great" resonates in the mind of the reader. In his best selling business book "Good to Great", Jim Collins uses the word "great" to describe companies who have consistently (for periods of fifteen or more years) outperformed their peers. The findings in the book suggest there are distinct differences between the qualities of "good" companies and "great" ones. This same idea is true of people and their success. Many may claim to have achieved success but very few would be correct to say that they are successful.
Is good, good enough?
Let's take a closer look and begin by hypothetically asking someone we know if they consider themselves successful. Most likely he or she would respond with "yes" and quickly point to their bank account or their status in society as proof. This is similar to how we might expect a company to respond if we asked them the same question. They might say they are successful because they are market leaders, or they've had a profitable year. But right here we have to stop and draw a clear distinction between what it means to have a success and to be successful. In order to be successful (or great), an individual or organization must consistently demonstrate success over an extended period of time. In other words, being successful means consistently demonstrating success over a lifetime.
What do we know?
We know that someone will win the lottery, and someone will be hired to run General Motors, and someone will be elected President of the United States. Yet none of these single events alone would deem the individual to be successful (or great). The achievement of having a success today is very different from that of being successful for a lifetime. This simple point becomes our first realization as to what it will take in order to become successful.
Through my research in developing the core subjects for a Leadership Certificate program at one of Canada's largest community Colleges, it has become clear that truly successful men and women are also great leaders, and great leaders turn out to be very successful individuals. The associative nature of this relationship is important, it gives us a window on some of the key qualities we can use to achieve enduring success in our life. In fact, one of the defining characteristics of great leaders is that they strive to help others be successful also. These leaders seem to link their success to the group, their family, their colleagues, their employees, their friends, and their company. So the concept of being successful does not exist in a vacuum and it is not a win-lose proposition. Instead, it suggests that support, collaboration and a win-win strategy are essential conditions for it. So our second realization is that being successful is an inclusive process involving others, because we see that we are a part of a greater whole.
Now let's extend this idea of good and great a little further. Would you consider a person to be successful if they had all kinds of money and power but were miserable or lonely in life? Would you consider a person successful if they were healthy and strong but were living on the streets unable to keep their head above the financial currents? What about someone who had many wonderful personal relationships but became ill because they neglected their body? Would you consider any of the people in these situations as being successful? This leads us to our third realization, being successful requires some measure of balance between our health (physical, mental, spiritual), our wealth (fame, fortune) and our happiness (relationships). Remember, any two out of three is not good enough, and it is still the enemy of great.
So what should we do to become successful?
I mentioned earlier that truly successful men and women are also great leaders, and vice-versa. This simple truth is a starting point, and our opportunity to identify what it will take. Also, let's not confuse being a leader with being a manager as they are as far apart as good is from great. A manager is someone who has a measure of authority bestowed upon them by a company, a government or a social group. On the other hand a leader is someone whom people are willing to follow, not because they have to, but because they want to and voluntarily choose to. This idea of a leader applies to business, government, community and family.
To become a leader means to become successful.
Since being successful incorporates the essence of leadership, and since being a leader requires us to go beyond our personal needs and aspirations, it means we will likely become more engaged in helping others succeed. This may be through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, or simply by donating some time to help. It also means that we'll be making an effort to model the competencies used by other successful people, high achievers, and great leaders in business, sports and the world at large. In other words, get ready for an exciting lifelong adventure!
In summary, before we can begin to transform an individual or an organization, we should consider our three realizations. First, being successful (or great) is something that happens over a long period of time (our lifetime). Second, being successful is an inclusive process that considers the people around us (our family, colleagues, employees, friends). Third, being successful requires a balance between our health (including physical, mental and spiritual), our wealth (including fame, fortune, power and status), and our relationships (including with our self, people we love, friends, and colleagues). Remember, as human beings we are all potential leaders, and regardless of our age, creed or gender, we are capable of being successful.
Remember, dream a great dream and make it come true.
