Sunday, February 14, 2010

Handling success


The other day I was talking to a friend and the talk turned to "doing well". A particular institute is doing well, that company did very well and this corporate leader is going great guns.
It doesn't require any great acumen to see that in 9 out of 10 cases, success is a result of a combination of factors - efforts and conditions. Truly exceptional success comes with superlative efforts in the most adverse conditions. My friend made a very perceptive comment: in her experience, the situation and the self created a third dimension which led to a qualitatively different outcome. You might call it an 'inspired' performance, something beyond oneself and so not easy to replicate.

The wise handle success by acknowledging the role of favourable conditions in their success. They also acknowledge the role of other support factors which enabled their tremendous efforts. They don't attribute success only to their efforts, nor do they claim false modesty about their efforts. I always recall what Mr Azim Premji said about his success - yes he did everything he could and..AND there was also the role of luck.

Those who hanker after are likely to make a monster out of their success. You know how? First they attribute it entirely to their efforts. Next, they want to keep it going and never, repeat never fail again. If they did, their image would be shattered. How could they fail? So they become insecure and surround themselves with sycophants. That helps suppress every bit of bad news. The myth making is on. Those who don't join in become outcasts. The whole organization becomes an edifice of sycophancy.

It's also important to know the what of success. Indian economy is doing well with its current growth rate. What exactly is doing well? Production of goods and services and their consumption are rising. Is that helping us solve our problems better? Is it helping foreign investment and the well-to-do sections? Are we making headway in achieving social justice and stable governance alongside growth? It's so easy for us to get blinded by a partial understanding of our situation. No, don't stop celebrating, but after the celebration, let us sit down and think a little bit more.


1 comment:

Moksha said...

Excellant observations and points made. combining Objectivity with sensitivity . Success is not only a combination of effort and situation as immediately visible or tip of the iceberg, but based on a large body being underneath .and this is the result not only of all the efforts, poeple, situations that came as also one's that didn't!
And yes, the closures lead to 'inspired' openings and these, often emerge from surrender