Is your ladder facing the right wall?

What does success mean to you? How do you define it?

Is it…

A role in a big company
Your job title
Status at work
Lots of money💰
A big house or perhaps two or three 🏡
Expensive cars 🚗
Luxury holidays ✈️

I’m exploring this with my client, Joe. He’s climbing the ladder for all these things. He wants them. He’s nearly there. He’s working hard… but he’s not fulfilled.

🪜 Is his ladder facing the wrong wall?

For those who know me, I love to share a good book 📚 One I recommend is ‘How Will You Measure Your Life?’ by the late and brilliant Clayton Christensen.

Here are some key takeaways:

✅ Define your personal purpose and align decisions with core values to achieve true success.

✅ Just as companies have strategies, individuals should plan their lives strategically, focusing on long-term goals and what truly matters.

✅ Nurture relationships with family, friends, and colleagues, as these are essential for personal and professional fulfillment

✅ Pursue careers that provide intrinsic rewards and align with personal motivations, rather than just extrinsic measures like money or status

✅ Maintain integrity and make principled decisions, as ethical lapses can have long-term negative consequences

✅ Be curious, engage in continuous learning and adapt to changes in the environment to stay relevant and effective.

Christensen’s research provides valuable insights on leading fulfilling lives. This is not a quick-fix self-help book. It doesn’t tell you what to think, but how to think.

Effective leadership starts from within.

🪜 Is your ladder facing the right wall? How do you measure your own success?

V


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