"The Keys to Success" - a Sneak Peek at my Davos Summit Presentation

What does it take to be successful? That depends on who you ask. In early 2014, I co-wrote a big piece where I asked 50 Huffington Post bloggers what their definition of success is. The post resonated with people around the world. It was unique because everyone’s response was different. Not only was it one of my highest-performing blogposts, but it also inspired the title of my book: The Road to Social Media Success.

So when the World Communication Forum asked me to give a presentation on success at their regional event in Kuala Lumpur this year, I jumped at the opportunity. Certainly, the definition of success varies from region to region, so it was an honor to share my perspective, express my passion, and to be able to chat about it afterwards.

Below is a screenshot of my presentation - available on my Prezi account.

I remember when Influence was the hot topic in the social space. It seemed like that was the only thing a number of people talked about on a daily basis. But I found a lot of those conversations to be quite limiting. Why? Because the questions being asked - like "How much influence do you have" and "What does this algorithm say about your influence" - while relevant, were often presented as the end-all-be-all. 

Most people I know believe in the greater good, and they believe that the personal influence we intend to use for that good has to have a strong partner. So, with that in mind, we should also ask a more substantive, specific and over-arching question: "How are you using your influence to make a lasting impact?"

See the powerful difference? Not influence for the sake of simply talking about it. But hey, if someone wants to do that, then fine. I just believe we can go further, much further. What I am talking about here is spending influence (personal and/or institutional) to leverage technology for better human relations; to move humanity forward on every level, and, to leave something of tremendous value for subsequent generations. It's not just about accumulating influence, but it's about using your influence for a greater purpose. Thinking on it like this, acting on it in this way, provides Impact. 

The empowering partnership of Influence and Impact helped to lay the foundation for my current views on success. Gary Keller and Jay Papasan’s book The One Thing - an awesome and thought-provoking read - has helped to shape them as well. The authors make this very important point:

Thinking big is essential to extraordinary results. Success requires action, and action requires thought. But here’s the catch – the only actions that are springboards to succeeding big are those informed by big thinking to begin with.

I wholeheartedly agree with this point. I will get a chance to elaborate on it, and much more, when I give the closing presentation at the annual, well-attended, World Communication Forum-produced Davos Summit in Davos, Switzerland, in March of 2016. Success is a red hot topic in social now, and it is important to seize this moment and add something that gives the "we, us, and our" thinking a bigger seat at the table (and higher elevation in our lives) than "me, myself, and I". 

When you are trying to make a big difference in a hyper-connected world, "we" is an incredibly smart and extraordinary investment to make. Because truthfully, no one succeeds alone. 

Here is a recent profile of me in the Huffington Post, and some of my recent work on LinkedIn and Smedio:

• 20/2 Clarity: Sean Gardner Dreams of Attaining Philanthropic Global Impact via Social Media 
• The Business of Travel: Kuala Lumpur

• Success and Social Media: Heather Geronemus

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Sean Gardner is a global best-selling author, keynote speaker, digital consultant and business creative who is based in Seattle, WA. He is currently the social media producer for financial powerhouse TwinStar, and conducts occasional social media workshops (through governmental agencies) for senior citizens. You can Tweet, Friend, Pin, or Instagram him, and/or connect with him on Periscope and Google Plus.

Also...you can purchase Sean's international best-seller, The Road to Social Media Success, which the Huffington Post says should be#1 on every marketer's reading list in 2015. It has some of his interviews with experts, and his own observations on a wide range of topics.

So if you're trying to understand social, and its impact, this is the book for you. Inspire, inform and elevate social media. Always!