Is Success A Big Limitation?

I once gave a commencement speech where I made a comment that took the parents and graduates completely by surprise. I said, “I don’t want you to try to live a successful life; it will limit you, as success is only about you and the accolades on your wall. Instead, live a significant life. Significance is about what you do for everyone else. Elevate your significance, and success will follow in a much more meaningful and impactful way.”

Success Is Selfish, Significance Is Selfless

In order to find out where you and your organization are in pursuit of success or significance, we must first understand the difference between the two from a leadership and organizational level.

A successful organization is based more on surface value accomplishments, whereas a significant organization broadens its reach and impact, focusing on the difference it can make on a larger scale.

A prominent difference between success and significance is whether you are acting in a selfless or selfish way. When your mindset is trained only to focus only on success, you tend to be focused on what will benefit only you under the guise that with enough money, you can afford to be impactful. The problem with that assumption is that one never really knows what “enough” is.