Leadership Principle #6: A Paradigm Shift – Success is Always a Journey, Never a Destination

You spent years -- sacrificed so much -- missed birthdays and vacation days to make it to CEO.  Now you’ve done it--you’ve achieved the title, moved into the office and reached that highest pinnacle of success.  You had your first quarter investor meeting and reported out on the achievements, gains and losses, and the next day the analysts are already asking what you’ve done for them lately.  It begins all over again, quarter after quarter, year after year.  Suddenly staying at the top suddenly seems just as hard as achieving the goal of becoming CEO.

As I’ve witnessed, it’s tempting for executives coming up through the ranks to view this title as the endpoint.  However, once you’ve arrived at this destination and suddenly realize staying there is just as difficult as getting there, disillusionment sets in. 

So the question becomes, how do you maintain perspective in the face of these ongoing pressures?  How do you find the energy to stay focused, positive and energized every day?

The learnings I share with my clients was fundamental to my own success as CEO of Lawson Software.  Everything comes down to the realization that success is always a journey, never a destination, and appreciating that journey will reframe how you view your goals and achievements along this path.

So, how do you go about shifting into a frame of mind that allows for this transformation?

I coach my clients to focus on three simple principles:

1.    Awareness of the façade

Simply becoming aware of the fallacy that the destination is more important than the journey helps to pull back the veil and shift things into perspective.  Awareness of the façade is the first step that allows this paradigm shift to occur.

2.     Have northstars for clarity and prioritization

Quarterly goal setting is extremely helpful to mark your progression and evolution within the framework of the journey.  Your goals will change and evolve as you do, and these goals provide clarity along the way, and allow you to prioritize what is important.

3.    Appreciate the journey 

Once you’re aware this process is a marathon, not a sprint, you can shift gears and widen your focus to look at the bigger picture.  First, take a look around and realize you are on a whole new journey, at a whole new level.  Then, ask yourself where you along the spectrum of this journey.  Are you growing or improving on your path?  And most importantly, are you able to find something to be grateful or thankful for today? 

This simple practice of daily gratitude is a powerful tool, and – I promise you – it will reshape how you view your professional and personal life.  Gratitude is a key that unlocks the ability to experience joy in the present moment.  That shift in mindset will energize you when you realize joy is not something to be found in future success, but every day along the journey.

Thomas Keller said, “The few people in life who actually do reach or exceed their dreams are shocked to discover that these longed-for circumstances do not satisfy.” I’ve met many CEO’s who have struggled with this exact issue. 

I’ve been there myself and that’s why I became a CEO coach.

Contact me to learn how I can help you rediscover appreciation of the journey, not just the destination.