ARE YOU SETTLING FOR SUCCESS? Discover the 5 Differences Between Success & Significance.

Moving Beyond Success to Significance

"For high impact leaders, success is the starting point for significance. For all other leaders, success is the stopping point." ~ Mack Story

In the past, like many others, I had settled for success. Why? It was easy. It was comfortable. When I got off work, I was done until the next day.

The thing is, I didn’t have a clue about significance at the time. And to top it off, I thought I was successful. As a matter of fact, I was successful. I had a strong six figure income. I was always having a good time. I had a great life. I had a great wife. We had a nice home. We had nice cars. We had a lot of nice toys. We took a lot of nice vacations.

I didn’t have any needs or wants. Life was good. Life was simple. I didn’t have to worry about anything but me.

However, today, things are much different. It’s no longer about me. It’s about we. I am never done. I am never “off work.” Some people think I do what I do for the money. Sure, I want to earn money just like everyone else. But, what people don’t know or don’t see is I do a lot more of what I do for free than for money. I love what I do now.

If you’re like I was, you may have never really considered the difference between a successful person and a significant person. Everyone talks about success, but hardly anyone talks about significance. People concerned only with themselves, like I used to be, are not concerned with significance. I’m hoping you already have a desire, or will develop the desire, to achieve significance in your life.

"Success is about you. Significance starts with you, but it’s not about you."  ~ Mack Story

Please understand there is nothing wrong with being successful. I want you to be successful. I want to help you be successful. I am not discounting success. I wish you great success. I too want to continue to be successful, but success is no longer enough for me. I also want to achieve significance.

Success is vital on the journey to significance. We must first be successful before we can choose to become significant.

"While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, another person is making mistakes, and becoming superior."~ Henry C. Link

Compare & Contrast some Differences Between the Success & Significance Mindsets:

5 Signs You Are Truly Successful

1.     You’re educated. You may or may not have a degree or two or more. Regardless of your formal education, you have a Ph. D. in results. In the real world, this is all that matters. The piece of paper some have paid for with money and time is important. However, anyone can get a degree if they are willing to do the time and pay the price. But, what you can actually do with your education is most important. You can’t buy your results; you must earn them.

2.     You’ve climbed the ladder. You’re concerned with your own success. You’ve worked hard and put in the time. You’ve worked your way from the bottom to the top. You have arrived. You have more authority than most. You have more perks than most. You get paid more than most. You may even have a better parking spot than most.

3.     You’re wealthy. Your success can be quantified in dollars. You have the lifestyle to prove you have made some things happen. You have a big bank account. You have a fat retirement fund. You are living the life many can only dream about. You’ve got the fancy house, the fancy car, the fancy watch, the fancy __________.

4.     You are comfortable. You’re happy with what you have. Why wouldn’t you be? You have a lot. And, you want to keep it that way. You’re very comfortable and want to remain comfortable. Your goal is to maintain the status quo and coast on out the door of life. You’ve got what you’ve always wanted: you’ve got it made. You have paid the price for success.

5.     You’re excited about retirement. You can’t wait for the day to come when you can walk away from all of your professional responsibilities forever. You track the days and count the dollars waiting for the exact moment when you can say those famous words, “Take this job and shove it. I ain’t working here no more.”

 "People retire from a ‘what,’ a job. They never retire from a ‘why,’ their purpose." ~ Mack Story

5 Signs You Are Truly Significant

1.     You can never learn enough. You’re not focused on a degree. There is no graduation date. You’re focused on a lifetime of learning and growing. You’re not concerned with the generalized knowledge the masses possess. You know your passion and have found your purpose. As a result, you are laser focused on developing highly specialized knowledge in your area of giftedness.

2.     You help others climb the ladder. Your concern has moved beyond your own success. You’re now focused on the success of others. Because you’re a lifetime learner with specialized knowledge, you are uniquely positioned to help others, who value what you value, climb more efficiently and effectively up the ladder of success. You are rare. Instead of selfishly hoarding knowledge, you share it intentionally with others. And, you could care less where you park.

3.     You help others become wealthy. Not only do you help others climb the ladder of success, but you also help them become more valuable. You teach them this secret: If you want to achieve greater success, don’t focus on becoming more successful. Focus on becoming more valuable. You know true wealth does not mean having money. True wealth is having the ability to produce wealth.

4.     You are growing outside your comfort zone. You know real growth is a result of personal growth. You apply the 80/20 rule in this area. You spend 80% of your time working on areas of weakness relative to your character. You spend the other 20% of your time working on areas of strength relative to your competency. You understand 87% of your results come from character and 13% come from competency. You know all of your growth happens outside your comfort zone.

5.     You never want to retire. Because of your endless personal growth and highly developed specialized knowledge, you no longer have a career. You’ve found your calling, what you were put on this earth to do. You are in the zone and can no longer distinguish between work and play. It’s all the same. You love what you do, and you look forward to doing it. Not just for now, but forever. The thought of retiring doesn’t cross your mind. Instead of wondering when you can retire, you wonder how long you can keep going.

"Most people don’t lead their life. They accept their life." ~ John Cotter

Get the entire leadership principle-packed Chapter 11, "Get Out of the Way and Lead"(nearly 20 pages) from the first book in my Demystifying Leadership Series, Defining Influence: Increasing Your Influence Increases Your Options.

In Chapter 11, I share about:

• Managing vs Leading
• Scarcity vs Abundance
• Formal Authority vs Moral Authority
• The 5 Types of Leaders
• Compare/Contrast 17 Manager vs Leader Perspectives

Click here to access Chapter 11 “Get Out of the Way and Lead” from my book, Defining Influence.

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Note: I encourage you to be a river, not a reservoir. Please share my blogs with others if you find value in them. I believe in abundance and write them to help others become more effective, successful, and significant.

Make an impact!

Mack Story

I help leaders engage the front line to improve the bottom line.

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Mack’s story is an amazing journey of personal and professional growth. He began his career in manufacturing on the front lines of a machine shop. He grew himself into upper management and found his niche in lean manufacturing and along with it, developed his passion for leadership as he logged over 11,000 hours leading leaders and their teams through process improvement, organizational change, and cultural transformation. He understands that everything rises and falls on influence.

Mack is the author of 11 books including Blue-Collar Leadership Series, Defining Influence, Change Happens: Leading Yourself & Others through Change, & 10 Values of High Impact Leaders. He's an inspiration for people everywhere as an example of achievement, growth, and personal development. His passion inspires people all over the world! Order signed copies here.

Mack’s experience includes an international training event in Guatemala with John C. Maxwell as part of the Cultural Transformation in Guatemala where more than 20,000 Guatemalan leaders were trained.

Contact Mack at 334-728-4143 or [email protected] for Keynote Speaking, Corporate Training, Professional Leadership Development, Cultural Enhancement/Transformation, and Process Improvement.