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Success Myths

Success Myths

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"Look before you leap." When you think about this common idiom, remember that it is not so much intended to keep you from getting into something too fast, but to help you understand what exactly you will be surrounded with when you make the leap. For instance, if you want to take a trip somewhere, you should have an understanding of exactly what to expect when you get there — and what not to expect. The same holds true when striving for success in your career or profession.

Definitions of success can vary, and depending on your expectations, there are a myriad of ways to get there. Too often, however, when people strive for success they don’t look before they leap and form incorrect expectations of what it takes to get there. Even worse, many incorrectly embrace some success myths that seem helpful, but are really not helping the cause and actually hinder the progress toward success. Simply put, while it is important to understand what it takes to be successful, it may be more effective to become familiar with how not to get there.

You have to be liked by everyone

In the U.S., 51% of the people have to like you to win a two-party political election. Back when our country had more than two prominent political parties, you could win the election even if 75% of the people voted for someone else.

It is a great misconception that people have to like you in order to succeed. Obviously, treating people disrespectfully or rudely should not be par for the course, but in business, we have to remember that it is capitalism and not a democracy. At times, it is more important to be focused on the financial numbers and performance of a business than on human relations. Plus, you must have the spirit to make tough leadership calls, such as removing or scolding a nonproductive employee (a surefire way to get someone to not like you) or to properly voice your opinion on a subject, even if it is an unpopular stance.

Making unpopular decisions is part and parcel in the world of business: Consider top-level executives or managers who have to let people go during a merger or a cost-cutting phase (such as the CEO of Pfizer who released 10,000 employees in 2007 and took a 36% raise — he’s certainly an unpopular guy). Or consider the disapproving stares when you voice your contributions to a project when someone else is trying to take the credit; it may appear like you are throwing the other person under the bus when you’re simply trying to gain recognition.

Truly successful people in business, and even in their personal lives, focus on doing the appropriate and ethical thing for the situation. Typically, they’re unconcerned with making sure people like them.

You have to be a workaholic

Working hard is a common characteristic among nearly all successful people, but it may make more sense to say that they work smarter, not harder. With that in mind, taking three-hour lunches, extended vacations and not committing any of your free time to your career or business is almost a guaranteed ticket to not succeeding or reaching your goals.

Successful people make the most of their time and are not necessarily working 24/7. Sure, they may be inclined to check their e-mail or engage in business talk at any and all times, but successful people know how to get a lot done at once. They are able to do so because they understand the art of delegating, carefully selecting their business ventures, and balancing their social and work lives. Successful venture capital firms, for example, invest in very few of the deals that come their way, but they commit their best energies and resources to making the deals they do engage in succeed.

An Ivy League education isn’t a prerequisite for success…

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