The Things We Are

The Road to Success – Part 1

Success is not about standing still and looking around at all you have accomplished. Success is about how you keep moving forward through both accomplishments and failures. It’s also about how you lead, model, and support others along the way. How you move and in what direction is up to you. When you see the signs along your road to success, what destinations call you? Visualize that while you are on your own personal road to success you see a road sign ahead. What does it say? Consider the following questions:

• Who else is on this road with you?
• Is anyone passing you?
• Is there anyone in the vehicle with you?
• Is there anyone looking for a ride or asking for directions?
• Are there roadblocks, detours, or one-way signs of which you need to be aware?

Watch the Road Signs – These represent the goals (where you want to go and the things you hope to achieve). Your goals help you focus on what you what to achieve but they might change over time.  As you drive toward those goals, remember that you may need to take an exit to go in a new direction. Success is having the flexibility to make the best decisions in the present moment of your journey. You can’t grab onto a new opportunity if your hands are grasped tightly around the comfortable or the status quo. And often there is more than one way to get somewhere!

Pay Attention To The Traffic – These are your colleagues. Some of them you know, some you don’t. Some rely on you, and on some you rely. Everyone is trying to get somewhere, and you are on this stretch of road with them. Do you ever follow behind a friend’s car to get to get to a place you have never been? By following, you are learning the way for the next time. Conversely, when you let others follow you, you are being a leader by providing a guidance system. The trick is in avoiding accidents and making sure that everyone arrives safely.  If you have, or witness, a fender-bender along the way, remember to be gracious no matter who is at fault.

The Passing Lane – Do you ever notice when on a long road trip that you often pass a car and then later notice the same car passing you? Our careers, like our travels, are made of stops and starts. With careers, it’s not about passing; it’s about hitting your stride. Leaders understand that there is a time for the passing lane, a time for the travel lane, and a time for rest stops. Find and appreciate the value of each and model them for others.

Travel Companions – Often in the course of our career we make connections with those who are on the same path. They may rely on you to help them move toward their own destinations. This is where the shared journey helps us to see the road ahead more clearly and where teamwork and innovation thrive. Sharing both the driving and the navigation brings out the best of what everyone has to contribute and makes the journey much more enjoyable and rewarding for all. Someone may be going your way and just need a lift or help fixing a flat. Do you have it in you to help out even if it slows you down a bit? Are you willing to go the extra mile for them? Their success may turn out to be yours as well so lend a hand whenever you can. 

Roadblocks & Detours – Do they motivate or discourage you? It is important to remember that how you respond to the day-to-day challenges on your road to success is a key factor in how far you get and how long it takes you to get there. Leadership relies on the quality of your character, integrity, and professionalism, and is most apparent to others when the roads are bumpy and the weather overcast.

It’s About the Journey – Success is not where you end up; it’s where you are right now and what you do with it. The measure of success is not how far you have come or how far you plan to go, but in who you are and how you are each mile along the way. It is equal measure how you see yourself and how others see you, how you are getting there, and how you are helping others get there too!

Next, we will discover what motivates, supports, and sustains us and our teams. We will take a critical look at what we have packed for the journey, and how it can help – or hinder – our progress and the progress of those we lead!