Culture loves a winner. We celebrate them, elevate them, and publicize their feats. We hold them up as the gold standard. We all want to be the winner in the spotlight.
But here’s a question worth pondering: who gets to determine what “winning” means?
If you are number one in your industry, but have a company culture in which people are so frustrated they are actively working against your success, is that “winning”?
If you absolutely dominate an argument, but destroy a relationship in the process, is that “winning”?
If you make millions of dollars and become a household name while remaining largely unknown by the people in your own household, is that “winning”?
If you carve out a lifestyle that enables you to spend your days on comfort and self-gratifying behavior, but spend none of your freedom on behalf of others, is that “winning”?
Make sure that you define what success really means to you. If you don’t, you may find yourself standing on the podium some day, and realize it is simultaneously your moment of greatest success and defeat. How you define greatness will ultimately define you.
