Measuring Success

I have never heard anyone say that they did not want to be successful. Success can bring several things from financial reward to ‘likes’ and other desirable outcomes, but success can be fleeting. In my younger days (this goes back) there was a commercial for Listerine mouth wash which showed an old rich guy with a noticeably young lady as arm candy, he gives her a kiss and says, “money she comes, she goes…Listerine she stays.” This may be a weird comparison but at its most primal level says money or rewards mean little, if I stink as a leader, co-worker, and parent, success will not follow.
There are two ways to measure success, one is a lead indicator, and the other and best measurement is a lag indicator.

Lead Indicator to Success

As a lead indicator to success, you may be considering different measurements and formulas to determine where you fit in the success matrix….it is not that complex, in fact it is very simple. You need to do two things one internal and one external and they must align and if they do you are on the road to success. The internal process, asks and answers this question “am I adding value to others, those who report to me, those who I report to, those who I have contact with and (not or) my family? If you can say yes to all of this, you are on the road to success. If one or more is missing at any time the road will be bumpy at best, if you say no to all, success will not follow. If you have said no to any one of the previously mentioned groups stop here and ask why, you cannot move forward in the success matrix without this answer.

The external process in the lead indicator is to determine by this question, are those who are important to me, co-workers, friends, family and others would they agree I am adding value to them, making them better, a little or a lot? If you asked those around you, would they say you have positively influenced them, you challenge them to be just a little better? This influence can be quick or slowly develop over a period of time, the question remains are you adding value and do others realize the value you are adding? Is there a gap between what you believe and what others believe?

A personal story on the lead indicator comes from my son and myself. As a 17-year-old he is working on his independence and changing to become an amazing young man but as we all know growing up is difficult at best, and teenagers like their own ideas more than the recommendations (or demands) of their parents. I just went to his room to wake him up (teenagers like their sleep) and what I see in his room on a white board he has is a personal change process including cleaning his room, practicing piano (he is very good), personal hygiene and other things that his mom and I have been harping on (according to him) for a long time. We did not make him do this, it was a surprise to me…. success, adding value and creating change is a lead indicator and only time will tell if it sticks, that will be seen in who he influences to grow. For now, I will celebrate this small success.

Lag Indicator to Success

Lag indicator to success will take time to realize but if you as a leader of a team, organization and family continue to grow and develop yourself and as you develop yourself continue to grow and develop those around you; you, might, just might experience the lag indicator of success, the confirmation that you as a leader, as a peer or co-worker, and as a parent have added value to others and they have reached out following your example to add value to others. When those you have added value to have added value to another you have gone from addition to multiplication, you influence has grown beyond your circle. Others may never know how you have influenced their direction, but those who know you will see your mark on the world.

Wrapping Up Success

True success is not easily measured as success is not financial; what does someone with a lot of money want…more money. Success is not by the number of followers a leader may have as we have seen in history many leaders have come and gone, success followed by great failure which is measured not monetarily but in character; they have failed. Success is measured in your ability to add value and then to have that value multiplied beyond your direct influence. When you hear your excellent work or example repeated without being present.

Success is not C-suite or business related, it starts with you influencing at the closest possible level, your family, your immediate team at work and in the community. Success starts with integrity and character supporting and growing others, adding value through modeling the way, walking the talk consistently. The one other very important point I want to conclude with is that what we do at home, with our family in adding value will be the same example we set outside of the home. What happens at home will make it outside of the home, how we add value at the closest level will determine how we add value at the more complex levels.

Real success is determined by the growing from a value adder to a multiplier. The very first step in doing this is to intentionally grow yourself daily.