It's Not Worth It

You have worked so hard and finally it has started to pay off. You are the rising star in your organization and your opportunities seem endless. Being the "go to" person comes with a lot of responsibility and an intense pressure to maintain the status quo . If we can take a que from history, sports and hollywood celebrities tend to do whatever it takes to maintain all the praise, fame and honor society pours on them. The attention they receive is like a drug and it is intoxicating.  These once innocent and hard working celebrities start cutting corners, move into drugs and do whatever is necessary to be number one. This concept does not apply only to celebrities but to anyone who holds any record of success.

History has shown that having positional leadership coupled with core values is a winning formula.  The combination of both is what makes great leaders.  Recently, General Patrieus, one of the greatest leaders of our nation had to give up his leadership position on moral grounds. There is no doubt that society has unrealistic expectations and is at times unforgiving of high achievers when they err. Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and so many other "greats" in their fields have one time or the other slipped. Thankfully, some of them have been able to get back on track but many did not have the opportunity to rebuild and regain the public trust bestowed on them.

There is a seed of greatness in everyone of us but the real question is, what structures are we putting in place to ensure we do not compromise on the very principles that got us to the top in the first place? One potential solution is to have 911-relationships. These kind of relationships would ensure that you are accountable and stay on track. Anyone or organization can become successful but very few are able to withstand the pressure that comes with success. Are you going to trade your family name, reputation and earned success for a temporary hype of fame? Being a person of integrity is not a talent, it is a hard decision we have to make each day. Success at whatever the cost is not worth it.