The one word you hear very often today is the word "success". Everyone wants to be 'successful'. This is a very appealing thought and principle because nobody wants to be remembered as a failure one day. Yet, the definition of success can be extremely dangerous. It can nourish you and mean nothing to other people. It can be totally self-centered and make you so obsessed with yourself that it can be one of the most dangerous words today.
You often compare yourself to others. It can be personal, it can be inside your organisation, or you can easily compare your organisation (business, school, church.....) with others:
Where do I stand?
How am I performing?
What am I good at?
What should I improve?
What can I do to stand out more?
Now that's what I call the "Me, Myself and I" syndrome. If your definition of success only revolves around the "ME", you’re in a very dangerous place. Malcolm Forbes said:
"The people who mean the most, realise that all other people also mean the most.”
It’s terribly important that every leader must realise good leadership is not about the standard definition of success. No, successful leaders understand that true leadership is about what you can do for others. How can I improve someone else's life? How can I make someone else grow? How can I invest in someone else's progress?
Be careful that your definition of success doesn’t exclude meaningfulness. Beware of an egocentric life as a leader. Notice other's hardships and needs. Be an extraordinarily successful leader: invest in their growth and improvement.
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