Three Signs of Bad Success

Just read the papers, watch the news, scan magazines at the grocery store, or step back and observe what's happening around you, and you'll see it -- people or businesses that reach a level of success and then crash and burn. Why is that? Could it be possible that success isn't the good thing we've been led to believe it is?

Absolutely not! Being bold enough to dream, to set targets, and to work to reach those goals is exhilarating -- not only as you're struggling through but also as you begin to realize the fruit of your labor and sacrifice. That's what success is all about...and that's a good thing.

What, then, is behind the double-edged sword that we so often see (or have experienced ourselves)? What turns natural hard work and accomplishment into disaster? Let me offer three mindsets that are likely to result in good success turning bad.

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Mindset #1: I/We don't need counsel.

Have you ever witnessed a person who did well once and who, following that victory, thought she knew everything? Most of us have. You see, success can be a heady thing. It can give you an exaggerated sense of who you are and what you can do. Now, while believing in the skills, gifts, and opportunities you've been blessed with is important, when you begin relying solely on your own devices, you're in for a rude awakening...sooner or later.

It's critical that every person or organization have trusted advisors. These are people who are your champions. Because they believe in you and what you're trying to accomplish, they generously extend their time, wisdom, connections, etc. to help you advance. At the same time, though, these are people who are unbiased; who, because of their distance, may see more clearly in areas where you are too entangled; and who tell you the truth, even when you'd rather not hear it.

So, it's time to push the pause button when the timeframe between wisdom sessions with trusted advisors becomes more and more lengthy, when it gets easier to disregard such counsel, or when you view anyone who contradicts your position as more of a nuisance than a help. Those are sure signs that you're the one losing perspective and that your success is being built on a foundation that's far from solid.

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Mindset #2: We're okay just as we are.

Study people or organizations "on their way up," and you see a drive, a desire, a hunger to be their best, to make their mark, to accomplish their goals. What happens to some, though, once they begin meeting their targets consistently? They lose the drive that propelled them in the first place.

If you think about it, the way many people view success is skewed. Success once is not success always. Once you begin achieving your goals, it's not a given that you always will. And, that's why there are so many "flash in the pan" people and organizations. You can't rest on your laurels. Sustained success is about continually working, consistently honing your business and/or craft, and constantly setting and meeting new goals for yourself, company, or customers. The work of success is not a one-time thing; it's a way of life.

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Mindset #3: I/we are entitled to success.

Whether we're thinking about the success of an individual or an organization, it's all a matter of stewardship, not entitlement. One must steward talents, resources, or whatever is of value. Success goes bad quickly when the notion of stewardship isn't taken seriously.

Stewardship means protecting what's currently entrusted to you. Think of the professional who rejects learning any new process as "the favor of the month" or who declines offers for ongoing coaching or training. Consider the business that subjects staff to horrid working conditions, poor pay, and inadequate supervision. Each of these situations reflects a failure to recognize something of current value -- a job, a workforce -- and to safeguard or make the most of it in order to leverage today's success.

Stewardship also is future-facing. It involves being constantly watchful for current skills, people, or processes that are likely to be important for the future and then investing in or building upon them. It's recognizing, as stated in Mindset #2, that you can't rest on your laurels; the way you function today may not translate well into the future. That doesn't mean that a person or business should do a complete overhaul every couple of years. (That's clearly not wise.) Instead, moving forward successfully requires a continual assessment of skills, people, processes, etc.; the ongoing enhancement of what currently is a part of the arsenal; and the strategic acquisition of missing pieces. Such an approach takes the stewardship of what one has today, adds to it care for those assets that support effective movement into the future, and combines them with new assets that become essential along the way.

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Yes, bad success is an oxymoron. But, it doesn't have to be a reality for any person or business with the right mindset.

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